Read this: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/world/asia/mullen-asserts-pakistani-role-in-attack-on-us-embassy.html?hp
The headline of the article is "Mullen Asserts Pakistani Role in Attack on U.S. Embassy." Mike Mullen is the retiring chief of staff for President Obama, so anything he says at this point is fairly newsworthy. Saying that one of the United States' chief allies assisted in an attack on one of our embassies? Yes, this is pretty big news and deserves to be at the top of any news site with any sort of integrity (Fox News' homepage right now: "Drive a Bus? A Train? Fly a Plane? Obama Administration Says You've Got a GREEN JOB?" No mention of Mullen. I just realized that they deserve their own post, not an aside in a rant about the New York Times. Holy smokes. Another time kids.)
I have singled out this article because of the quote at the very end: "I've done this because I believe that a flawed and difficult relationship is better than no relationship at all," he said. "Some may argue I've wasted my time, that Pakistan is no closer to us than before, and may now have drifted even further away. I disagree. Military cooperation again is warming." The old saying is that bad news sells, and to a certain degree, that is true. But our traditional media has taken this to a perverse level where the only type of news we receive is bad news. Mullen's quote at the end of the article is incredibly encouraging. What I take from this story is that there are some serious systemic issues in Pakistan that can disrupt relations between the United States and Pakistan, but at the end of the day, both states realize that they need each other and we are beginning to take steps back towards a cooperative relationship. Yes, the lead story should be about the accusation of culpability in the embassy attack, but Mullen's final quote is vital to presenting the situation in its proper context.
The blogosphere is a much more honest place than our traditional media. This is because the blogosphere understands nuance. Nothing is ever 100% right or wrong, there are always shades of gray. The traditional media presents every conflict to us with a clear protagonist and antagonist. There is no room for interpretation. By giving more of a voice to the blogosphere (through the Pollis of course), we can better understand the world around us because of the vast range of opinions that are expressed in the blogosphere. When presented with a range of opinions, one must partake in critical thought to sift through the mess and figure out what their real opinion on the story is. Be patient people, the Pollis is coming. And when it does, how we receive our news and opinion will change forever.
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