o Pope Benedict XVI told journalists, says AP, "he hoped to continue his predecessor’s tradition of openness with the media." The Story went on to other topics.
What openness? Pope John Paul II was a dynamic guy whose adventures reaped an extraordinary amount of attention from the print press, radio and television. But if the Pontiff’s opened church deliberations on theological or political issues to reporters, I missed the coverage.
Coverage of the new Pope reminds me thus far that the press I know is, remains, soft on authority.
o "Ultimate Power Player Takes a Mighty Tumble" was the headline on an
AP story about Jack Abramoff, a corrupt lobbyist. (No, that is not redundant.)
Its last sentence read:
"Much of the ammunition being slung at Abramoff comes from a trove of his own email."
A reminder that editors sometimes abbreviate stories for lack of space.
o Sometimes the press offers gems, precious stones. Here's an example:
"High Gas Prices Force Focus on Energy Policy," an AP story by Tom Raum, concludes with comments from one Jerry Taylor, identified as a CATO Institute energy analyst.
The idea that "jawboning OPEC or arranging nice relations with OPEC will somehow get us more oil is utter illusion," hew said.
"The Saudis," he continued, "will produce as much oil as they think necessary to maximize revenue. Period."
I love that no-nonsense tone, don't you? That hard-headed approach, intended to scare off idealists, romantics and other non-practical folks. Too Mr. Taylor is wrong, magnificently wrong.
In fact, the Saudis have adjusted production for political reasons more than once. Sometimes for natural security. Sometimes to enhance the long term rather than make a quick killing. Whatever the reason, they have often chosen to not maximize revenue.
But Taylor’s comment reveals more than his ignorance of history. It bares the fundamental narrowness that is the Libertarian view of the world. Taylor is saying that economics determines all. As Marx and Lenin did. As many modern capitalists do, too.
Thinkers over the centuries have suggested other explanations of the world. Some believe ideas move men. Some, fear. Some optimists espouse love. The Roman Catholic Church and other religious institutions argue that faith in a redeeming Deity moves the world. Scientists have still other hypotheses.
What's clear is that, yes, there are alternatives to the CATO-Marxist-Capitalist view.
Mr. Taylor must be unaware of them or he rejects them. Good for him. Blinding yourself to alternatives or complexity makes life simpler. And as long as you work with fellow Libertarians, your stupidity will cause no finger pointing.