Tom Brokaw is a military industry propagandist.

[Jara sang]

Just saw him on the Daily Show. Was thinking to my self, "Who signs your pay checks, Brokaw?" Answer: General Electric, major defense contractor that supplies components for weapons systems. Brokaw referred to intelligence analysts as "folks". Gee, Brokaw, way to put a human face on people that commit horrible acts like torture and high altitude terroristic bombing of civilians. Go fuck yourself Tom Brokaw.

[DaveinMD]

1. most intelligence analysts

are just that, analysts. They are not operatives.

[Lindsey]

2. I just saw it too...what a disgusting display...it makes me sick....

"they all said going to war was the right thing and they'd do it again...nothing but a bunch of f'in' whores.

[GrumpyGreg]

3. All of that just because he used the word "folks"? Jeesh !

[Lindsey]

4. He said much more than that...believe me. n/t

[melody]

5. A lot of intelligence people do vital work

The field isn't any more black and white than anything else in the world.

[Jara sang]

11. Wow, so you are saying a shadowy secret entity with or government

is good for democracy?

[melody]

14. I'm saying not all international forces are benign

And not all American intelligence entities are evil.

There are a lot of intelligence agents out "there" doing work that protects innocent people in the west from not so innocent people abroad. We didn't start the problem, and neither did the agents involved.

[aaronnyc]

6. What do you want him to call them?

You know that not all intelligence analysts torture people for a living; in fact, the vast majority do not. And if you knew them personally, as Brokaw undoubtedly does, you would probably think of them with a human face, as well.

I didn't see the particular interview which you are referring to, but I can't figure what got you so offended.

[Jara sang]

10. They damn sure aren't "folks"

"Folks" make you biscuits for breakfast before you go out to milk the cows.

[flordehinojos]

17. but i can ...

brokaw is disgusting and easily mesmerized by what he must perceive as power, money, and bush mythology.

[Fleshdancer]

7. I do agree with him though about the disconnect in America....

between the soldiers and the families who are fortunate enough to not have a family member in the service and fighting this damn war. The disconnect really doesn't exist here on DU so I know I'm "preaching to the gospel" so to speak, but I can't begin to tell you how pissed off I get debating this war with other people. Why? Because 9 times out of 10, I'm debating someone who has nothing to sacrifice and they tell ME that I'm not supporting the troops when MY brother is over there fighting.

Most of the Americans who "support" this war do so because they have nothing to pull their attention away from prime time TV or the latest Xbox 360 games or the "war on Xmas", etc. Funny thing happens when a loved one goes to war though...it consumes you until they're home safe. There is no Christmas or birthday or Valentine's Day or Mother's Day or any day that truly matters until your family member is back home and safe.

If Tom Brockaw can get people to understand this disconnect, then more power to him.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Listen Carefully...He's Showing A Lot Of Regret

At least I could see that. The premise he used were those soldiers who he's been following not only when they were in Iraq, but what's happened to them since. It appears that has had an affect on him and his support for this invasion. It's subtle, but it's there...and one that's growing in this country, but those of us who oppose the invasion have to treat carefully.

These people don't want the fact they were wrong put in their face...they either know or are starting to come to that realization. Just like how you'd hate to be "I told ya so'd", these people bought the lies and now are looking to square with the realities. Understand these people and how they were sold on Patriotism that was misplaced for a corporate, partisan agenda. The trick for Democrats will be to make these people see how they were duped without making them feel Democrats will do the same (the "all politicians are corrupt). If Democrats can connect on this level...which we failed miserably to do in Viet Nam...it would help elect Democrats for the next decade or more.

Cheers...

[Harper_is_Bush]

9. None of that makes him a "military industry propagandist"

I'm not debating the pros and cons of Tom Brockaw as a newsman, I'm just saying let's not go overboard with accusations. That's the kind of thing that promotes a bad stereotype of the left.

[Jara sang]

12. Are you saying that he doesn't work for G.E.?

Because he does. and as a defense contractor, you don't think that G.E. spins a pro-war, pro industry line into the nightly news that one of it's subsidiaries owns.

[Harper_is_Bush]

13. I don't think I said that. Kindly explain what you are saying...

G.E. is the parent company of his network, I assume.

And G.E. is involved in defense business, you point out.

Therefore, YOU claim, that logically means Tom Brokaw is engaging in editorial bias at the direction of G.E.

Poor logic.

Short answer to your last question is no. I don't think you can assume G.E. spins a pro-war and pro-military industry line into the TV news produced by it's subsidiary. You can't make that claim without any logical support.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

18. Then you obviously have not watched the Today Show. They softball

Bushbots and go down the throats of anyone opposing Bush and this war.

On edit...

My memory is short, maybe its this cold of mine that woke me up a little while ago. As I was making tea I turned on the TV and Chris Matthews had Rep. Sessions on. Matthews ALLOWED Sessions to go on and on spewing Bushbot Propaganda without challenging any of the lies he was spewing.. that is what GE wants there people to do. It truly is miraculous that Keith Olbermann has been allowed to keep his job.

[Harper_is_Bush]

20. Regardless of all that, there's no indication that Brokaw

is controlled or influenced. Rage against the undeniable culprits like the various Fox News types who obviously are controlled/influenced OR just hired because they're rightwingnuts.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. Video

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5623581

[oblivious]

24. OK, here's some logical support. It applies to all US networks.

Media Tenor in their study of network war coverage in the lead up to the Iraq invasion, calculated that NBC gave 4% of air time to anti-war faces and 96% to pro-war advocates.

Hawks Turned Media into Parrots
"The anti-war percentages ranged from 4 per cent at NBC, 3 per cent at CNN, ABC, PBS and FOX, and less than 1 per cent - 1 out of 205 U.S. sources - at CBS." It gets worse: Anti-war voices were "almost universally" blown off in one-sentence sound bites while 42 per cent of them were never identified by name, labelled instead as "protester'' or "anti-war activist."

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/media/2003/0612censorship.htm

[tx_dem41]

15. Sooo...everyone that works for GE specifically, and a defense

contractor generally, is a military industry propagandist?

[Journeyman]

16. And all intelligence analysts torture *and* bomb civilians. . .

from a high altitude, no less -- terroristically, too. Busy folks.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

21. Those pesky analysts - must get tired of being so desk bound.

[Yollam]

19. Shouldn't that be past tense?

I thought he retired?

TDS has present GE anchor Brian Williams on a lot too...

[SoCalDem]

23. GE pays him a hefty pension..

He's a company-guy..