Framing the Dialogue

Posts Tagged ‘john stossel’

Sun’s Free

One of the things that I hope to accomplish with FramingTheDialogue is to link news stories and try to show their connection and often contradictions.  It is surprising, but not unusual to find more than one article on a related topic in different sections of the newspaper.  The most recent were two articles about CFL/Incandescent light bulbs that I wrote about in Watt TF.  Recently the following three articles were available on the same day though I cannot remember whether they were available on the same media outlet. 

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Patriotic Millionaires??

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.”

Mark 12:41-43

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TSA TNA

“Don’t touch my junk” has become as famous as “don’t tase me man” in the American culture as the Transportation Security Administration increased the level of “scrutiny” at airport just prior to the busiest travel weekend of the year.  The words of interrupted traveler John Tyner went viral as a symbol of the frustration many people feel with the new screening at airports.  Mr. Tyner decided not to travel rather than be subjected to an intrusive body search.  As usual Charles Krauthammer perhaps had the best take on the story in a recent column;

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True American Hero – Betsy McCaughey

mccaugheyBetsy McCaughey is the former lieutenant governor from New York.  It is unclear how a Pittsburgher ended up in New York, but we will forgive her as she has become one of the most articulate voices for sanity in the health care debate.  In a nutshell, she has been speaking against the massive overhaul proposed by the Obama Administration.  She has had the nerve to use facts and figures to dispute claims by Pelosi, Reid, and Obama to scare folks into supporting their efforts.  With all of their efforts, however, Rasmussen reports that 54 percent of Americans oppose the new plan (44% strongly opposed) while 42 percent (down from 45%) support the plan (only 23% strongly support).

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Opinion (o – pin – yen)

Opinion is defined as:

“A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof”

Synonyms:  view, sentiment, feeling, belief, conviction, persuasion

What does Einstein think?

“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.”

Can you use it in a sentence?

Reporters can express their opinions either by what they print or do not include in thier articles.

Can you give me an example?

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Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity

John Stossel has a unique and thankless job on ABC.  He is a rare libertarian voice on a very liberal network.  They are not CBS or MSNBC, but they do have The View as a show.  I have enjoyed his pieces on 20/20 and was pleased when he became one of its anchors.  I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Mr. Stossel more than a decade ago.  He is as entertaining in person as he is on TV. 

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Risky Business

Assume you are a government regulator, and I am a businessman with a new fuel I want to sell.  My new fuel will be no cheaper than oil, but it will at least give us another choice, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  The problem with it is that, unlike oil, which is just flammable, my new fuel is so flammable, it’s explosive.  It’s also invisible, odorless, and deadly poisonous.  Oh and I want to pump it directly into American homes.

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