What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
One of the Washington Post's managing editors -- Raju Narisetti -- got called out for a political tweet he wrote this morning:
Thought encounter of the day: "Would be good if our schools are fully funded and DoD has to hold a bake sale to buy its next fighter jet."
Politico reporter Mike Allen writes "Somewhere in Takoma Park, a Volvo is missing its bumper sticker." Ouch. For out-of-towners, Takoma Park is a liberal suburb of D.C.
Narisetti was called out by the paper's ombudsman two years ago for his liberal political tweets. At the time, Narisetti said he realized that his tweets caused a perception problem.
But that's not my problem with the tweet. My problem is that this bake sale thing stopped being an even mildly useful thought encounter in about 1983. If the Washington Post has a managing editor who thinks this is anything other than insanely vapid and ridiculous, that's the problem.
If the Post cared more about local news, they might know that the Washington, D.C., school district spends tons of money per pupil to achieve remarkably low results. Funding is nowhere near the main problem with public schools.
Yes, I was a big fan of Red Dawn, too. So sure, it would be great if a rag tag band of school children could defend this country from a nuclear assault. Until then, let's avoid the "bake sale" method of defense appropriations so desired by the Post's top leaders.
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Comments :
Feb '11
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
One favorite trick of "progressives" is to compare *federal* spending on education with that on defense, ignoring that fact that the vast majority of education spending in the US is state & local.
Also, what on earth would "fully funded" mean to someone like Narisetti??...I imagine that if/when the public school costs reach $50K/student/year, he would still not consider them fully funded...
Jan '11
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
It will be a great day when all the children go to public schools and the money wasted on public education goes to building bombers.
May '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Instead of the Tweet, which was reworded to adhere to the Twits character limitations, read the button that illustrates the story. "...when schools get all the money they need..."
As my wife will tell you on payday, it's not the money you want, it's the money you need. Bureaucrats and Union thugs will never, ever have all the money they want. Arguably, most districts have the money they need but spend it poorly.
May '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Somewhere in Washington, an education bureaucrat is reading that tweet, pouring himself coffee from a $7600 union-made pot, and smiling.
Mar '11
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Perception problem? There's no perception problem. These tweets simply reinforce what we've known for decades: WaPo is run by a bunch of doctrinaire liberals.
Mar '11
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
What a surprise - the most influential journalists are "Progressives", aka Marxists.
As are the most influential teachers.
Jul '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Detroit spends $100,000 per student over the course of their "education." Result: 49% functional illiteracy.
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
My sense is that most liberals stopped thinking well before 1983.
May '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Raju Narisetti's thought encounters sound like a more than usually shallow speed date. Try this out on your pianola: would be good if schools were fully funded and teachers unions had to hold a bake sale to raise political contributions.
Though don't dismiss lightly grass-roots national defense. I'm pretty sure Ricochet members have enough firepower at home to take over the third-world country of our choice (say....)
Jun '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
"So sure, it would be great if a rag tag band of school children could defend this country from a nuclear assault."
I love this line!!! It really did make me LOL & it perfectly captures the idiocy of that old bake sale vs. bomber bumpersticker.
I think Nikelodeon should assemble a gang of kids to turn this into a movie -- Part Bad News Bears, part Team America. F-yeah!
Jun '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
"...would be good if schools were fully funded and teachers unions had to hold a bake sale to raise political contributions."
Another great line!
May '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Forget Red Dawn. You want to take down North Korea? Give me a band of irate Little League mothers and tell them Kim Jong Il is the reason their little boy isn't starting...
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
There used to be a popular bumpersticker that said “You can’t hug a child with nuclear arms,” and I always wanted to make one that said “You can’t issue a crippling response to a Soviet ICBM strike with nurturing appendages,” or something like that.
Aug '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Talk about cruelty. Why should a child be denied hugs simply because its arms are nuclear?
Jun '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Bake sale?! BAKE SALE?!! I thought this administration was outlawing bake sales. Oh, well. So much for the Defense Department.
Nov '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Good point. The bake sale would probably be shut down by the FDA for failure to obtain the proper licensing. I mean, a folding table in the parking lot? That would never pass inspection!
Feb '11
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Let's discuss.
At one time the top of the line Air Force bomber was a B-47. Something like 2200 were built. Then it was the B-52. 762, if I recall. Then, the B-1. Intended as a replacement for the B-52, something like 200 were planned. The same Jimmy Carter who bestowed upon us the education department cancelled it. Reagan revived it it, and 100 were built. Then came the B-2. Planned at about 125, 22 were built. One has since crashed. I'm not even going to discuss all the other post cold war Air Force bombers such as the B-50, B-36, or B-58.
Meanwhile, US education spending goes up and up and up. People mortgage their houses not to pay for Air Force bombers, but to send their children to college. All to get a job that all too often really doesn't require any sort of college, or lately, to get no job at all.
And it's still not enough education spending.
So Raju Narisetti has already gotten his wish. He's just too ignorant to know it. Maybe he should go back to college. Or something.
Dec '10
Re: What Some Of The Most Influential Journalists Think
Not related enough, but it made me furious so I will tell you about it anyway.
Two cops were gunned down and a fund-raising rib sale was held at a local school, to support their families, especially as the wife of one was a teacher at that school. I ordered a bunch of ribs and showed up on the appointed weekend morning to:
Teachers organizing the effort, wearing their matching, red AFSCME t-shirts.
Let's give this a thought. The downed officers, represented by a union and the widow, represented by a union, were seeking community support for the families, while proudly donning their union regalia. Essentially, the union was holding a bake (-ed ribs) sale to meet what many outsiders might assume is one of the primary functions of the union, in the first place!
Actual union funds will be spent on more normal union obligations, funding the campaigns for the worst-possible candidates for the School Board.