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Funny. Although there isn’t much confusion about DefenseTech’s leanings. DefenseTech has been consistently left-of-center as long as I’ve read it. DefenseTech is best when it sticks to reporting on cool … defense technology (surprise). But I understand the temptation of the writers to let loose their inner politico or grand strategist, so I tend to overlook the occasional Bush sneer that inevitably pops up. This MadTV clip at least was reasonably clever.
What happened to the crowd that accused us of pro-Bush tendencies with Christian’s “The War We’re In” post a few days ago? You guys are giving us an identity crisis. Who are we?
Being accused of being pro-Bush doesn’t make it true. Unless a site or media organization is very far to the left, people further to the left of that organization’s stance are going to accuse it of being too pro-bush or too conservative or whatever, because the person throwing that accusation is even further left themselves.
The mainstream media uses this defense all the time, “Oh we cant be liberal because we get people calling us conservative all the time, so we must be in the middle.” Hardly. There are far people people who think the media is liberal than conservative, because the media is, on average, left of center, just not to the extreme, so you still have people even further left who will complain the media is too conservative.
So yes, defensetech has been consistently left of center in its views, which is not really surprising because the communities the contributors are drawn from: media people like reporters/writers and arms control and military watchdog type stuff, are themselves left of center as far as their institutional culture.
The funny thing is, people INTEREST in defense technology, the consumer end of things, are probably more right-of-center, so there is a disparity there. The same is true of singers and their audiences, with the dixie chicks being an extreme example.
So just realize that, and accept it for what it is. I don’t have much of a problem with this particular defensetech post, but really it is out of place on defensetech because it really has nothing to do with tech. Ward says “tech meets politics” but there is no actual tech, especially not DEFENSE tech. The iPod is mentioned as part of the premise for the joke, which is really just a long drawn out criticism of Bush and US policy in Iraq. Yes at least they put some thought into it, so it is moderately funny, but there is no question that an anti-war leftist is going to find this clip a lot more funny than a pro-war conservative would.
People don’t come to defensetech for funny clips. There are TONS of other sites for that. This is probably the first ‘funny clip’ Ive ever seen a post being made for on defensetech. If you are going to do a post about a funny clip, at LEAST make it truly topical, do a post on something like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=uDAPOM–cCk
So my main criticism of the post would be that it isnt “defense tech” enough. There is a secondary consideration that the site’s contributors are probably a good bit further to the left than the average reader, and toning down the politics so as not to chafe the readership would be a good idea. Of course you can tell the readers: if you don’t like it, go elsewhere. It really just depends on whether this site is really putting the readers first or not. The contributors to defensetech can go off on politics on their own personal blogs, Im not sure why they feel the need to antagonize readers by doing that here. That said, there are many contributors who I don’t remember ever really getting political. I don’t think Ward does it much.
Clear bias is created when politics not relevant to the discussion are continually thrown in. Can we expect a global warming skit on the next post.
Lighten up people, that was a pretty funny sketch, you should be happy that defensetech.org has a sense of humor.
Personally, I am always amazed at progress in technology. Twenty years ago, you could never have imagined an iRan in an iRack–they were so incompatible the two OSs would just fight for control of the BIOS.
Just look at the progress we’ve made!
Believe it or not, even we liberals believe the USA should have a strong military. We just disagree with neocons on what shape that military should take. We believe in responsible expenditure, and getting what we pay for. We believe in funding a military that is suited to meeting our defensive needs, not one that is designed to be the police force for the world.
I love Defense Tech. It provides me a window into what the military is doing, and how it’s thinking.
What would happen if we throw in iRan into iRack?
Funny. Although there isn’t much confusion about DefenseTech’s leanings. DefenseTech has been consistently left-of-center as long as I’ve read it. DefenseTech is best when it sticks to reporting on cool … defense technology (surprise). But I understand the temptation of the writers to let loose their inner politico or grand strategist, so I tend to overlook the occasional Bush sneer that inevitably pops up. This MadTV clip at least was reasonably clever.
Indeed, the slant is so obvious its funny when they sometimes take offense to anyone even suggesting it.
What happened to the crowd that accused us of pro-Bush tendencies with Christian’s “The War We’re In” post a few days ago? You guys are giving us an identity crisis. Who are we?
Being accused of being pro-Bush doesn’t make it true. Unless a site or media organization is very far to the left, people further to the left of that organization’s stance are going to accuse it of being too pro-bush or too conservative or whatever, because the person throwing that accusation is even further left themselves.
The mainstream media uses this defense all the time, “Oh we cant be liberal because we get people calling us conservative all the time, so we must be in the middle.” Hardly. There are far people people who think the media is liberal than conservative, because the media is, on average, left of center, just not to the extreme, so you still have people even further left who will complain the media is too conservative.
So yes, defensetech has been consistently left of center in its views, which is not really surprising because the communities the contributors are drawn from: media people like reporters/writers and arms control and military watchdog type stuff, are themselves left of center as far as their institutional culture.
The funny thing is, people INTEREST in defense technology, the consumer end of things, are probably more right-of-center, so there is a disparity there. The same is true of singers and their audiences, with the dixie chicks being an extreme example.
So just realize that, and accept it for what it is. I don’t have much of a problem with this particular defensetech post, but really it is out of place on defensetech because it really has nothing to do with tech. Ward says “tech meets politics” but there is no actual tech, especially not DEFENSE tech. The iPod is mentioned as part of the premise for the joke, which is really just a long drawn out criticism of Bush and US policy in Iraq. Yes at least they put some thought into it, so it is moderately funny, but there is no question that an anti-war leftist is going to find this clip a lot more funny than a pro-war conservative would.
People don’t come to defensetech for funny clips. There are TONS of other sites for that. This is probably the first ‘funny clip’ Ive ever seen a post being made for on defensetech. If you are going to do a post about a funny clip, at LEAST make it truly topical, do a post on something like this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=uDAPOM–cCk
So my main criticism of the post would be that it isnt “defense tech” enough. There is a secondary consideration that the site’s contributors are probably a good bit further to the left than the average reader, and toning down the politics so as not to chafe the readership would be a good idea. Of course you can tell the readers: if you don’t like it, go elsewhere. It really just depends on whether this site is really putting the readers first or not. The contributors to defensetech can go off on politics on their own personal blogs, Im not sure why they feel the need to antagonize readers by doing that here. That said, there are many contributors who I don’t remember ever really getting political. I don’t think Ward does it much.
Clear bias is created when politics not relevant to the discussion are continually thrown in. Can we expect a global warming skit on the next post.
A strategic blunder is a strategic blunder regardless of your politics…
Lighten up, guys… Funny is funny, regardless of the side of the aisle you happen to be sitting on.
Lighten up people, that was a pretty funny sketch, you should be happy that defensetech.org has a sense of humor.
Personally, I am always amazed at progress in technology. Twenty years ago, you could never have imagined an iRan in an iRack–they were so incompatible the two OSs would just fight for control of the BIOS.
Just look at the progress we’ve made!
Believe it or not, even we liberals believe the USA should have a strong military. We just disagree with neocons on what shape that military should take. We believe in responsible expenditure, and getting what we pay for. We believe in funding a military that is suited to meeting our defensive needs, not one that is designed to be the police force for the world.
I love Defense Tech. It provides me a window into what the military is doing, and how it’s thinking.
DElightful!