The book begins with a look both at the U.S. reputation in the world and the responsibility of journalists to chronicle it and convey that to citizens. I'll be honest, I haven't really traveled overseas at all, but Rosenblum has, and he believes that our once-fine reputation has been corrupted, most recently by the war in Iraq.
America's pursuit of national interest strays deep into what Webster defines as imperialism. When we swagger, we sow fresh resentment among peoples whose memories burn on for generations. When we overreact to terror, we show pathetic vulnerability. This deadly blend of hubris and fear is what starts world wars. In the meantime, we enslave ourselves with fresh limits on our own freedoms. [p. 5]But this arrogance, blended with politically-motivated trumped-up apprehension, is exactly what the media is supposed to expose. Sadly, the bottom-line mentality of "media organizations" precludes the kind of objectivity that would enlighten the average American. That journalists, true ones, need to be supported in talking to the rest of the world loses to the need to discover what Paris Hilton is up to. "CBS paid $75 million in 2006 for aperky morning-show anchor to read news off a prompter while it saved chump change by firing stringers who provided that news" [p. 19].
Rosenblum then moves into a more detailed look at the media's role. He looks at the AP, a company he left a few years ago because they took their responsibility to observe and report on the news less seriously. He demonstrates how dispatches he wrote out of on-the-ground reporting were rewritten or re-emphasized by editors who never escaped their desks, and how we are all poorly served by that brand of corporatism. Rosenblum tells many stories of how major issues (Iran-contra, Gulf War II, etc.) were reported on, if too little, but still ignored by higher-ups.
Chapter three, "Why Do 'They' Hate Us," discusses how the U.S. has fallen from its long-time place as the most admired in the world.
We ignore the wisdom of Roosevelt's cousin Theodore: If we carry a big stick, we need to speak softly. When we boast that we are the model for less-enlightened peoples, others are less convinced. Perhaps worse than hatred, this evokes scorn. Or pity. [p. 51]Enjoy, with a wince, Rosenblum's evisceration of Karen Hughes on the road, bringing the branding of America to countries that already had a good idea of what we were up to. Our slipshod handling of immigrants, our foreign misadventures, our willingness to forgo torture and abuse, all have contributed to a view of our nation that is far from our belief that we are loved everywhere.
Rosenblum moves through a series of chapters on the risks we are taking with the future of the world in ignoring global warming and other environmental concerns, our inability to confront health risks, in particular HIV/AIDS, and the extent to which the U.S. has misapplied foreign aid. All are meticulously reported, and, even if you're quite familiar with these topics, you will find the stories collected here illuminating and infuriating.
The chapter on the run-up to Iraq is frightening, especially juxtaposed with the weak journalism that allowed the stories to be presented exactly as the administration chose. While there are more comprehensive books on this subject, these 25 pages form the basis for an indictment of our government and the all-too-yielding media.
Similar is the chapter on what Rosenblum calls corporate colonialism - there is not much new here, but his method of illustration is dense and apt.
The basic structures of an economy, a society, and a body politic are matters for collective decision. However each of us makes these subjective judgments, we have to get our facts straight. This is difficult in a nation colonized by a corporate mentality where facts, like principles, are flexible. [p. 187]What is shocking is the extent to which this philosophy seems radical today, that we read the foregoing as close to impossible. We have abrogated our collective power in favor of "expert-based" government or business. That these may be ours, for us, has been lost.
Globalization is discussed, not in the aw-shucks-isn't-it-great Friedmanesque way, but realistically, from someone who has talked to diverse people of other lands:
Across what we call the Third World, few people want to be like us. They might envy our stuff. They might eat it or wear it on their feet. But most simply want a fairer shake so they can stay home with their own stuff and be like themselves. [p. 213]In closing the book we have a chapter with solutions. Rosenblum offers the by now fairly typical answers of books like this. Some of these are remarkably unlikely; he would like us to limit one another before we're forced into it - this isn't going to happen. He would like us to focus education on teaching children to think critically. I agree, this would be a laudable goal, but it's not going to happen in an NCLB world.
I have not done justice to this book, so you'll have to read it for yourself. There is an air of melancholy about it. Rosenblum believed, when young, that he and his colleagues would change the world through exposing reality to the light of day. Instead, he is frustrated by the lack of progress, as people ignore that reality as institutions sweep it under the rug for their own benefit. But, if knowledge is the first step on the road to improvement, expand your knowledge by reading this book - maybe it can contribute, in some way, to some kind of improvement.
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