Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit Discussion

There’s a reason that I’m not a politician. I’m not too fond of saying what people want to hear at the expense of saying what needs to be said.

Tonight, here’s what needs to be said: I trust the writers of the Internet more than I trust the readers of the Internet.

Technorati’s data on the blogs support this prejudice of mine. Tonight, just hours after President Bush announced that he has personally approved activities that are, in any traditional interpretation of the meaning of the law in America, illegal, what are the Internet’s readers searching for the most? They’re searching for information about Suri, Tom Cruise’s daughter that he had with Katie Holmes. They’re searching for anything having to deal with Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter who was killed by a stingray barb to the chest a few days ago.

They are NOT searching for anything having to do with the secret prisoner of war camps for torture that President Bush now admits he authorized.

What are the key terms that the Internet’s writers are writing about? According to Technorati, among the top terms are Bush, Iran and Iraq.

This isn’t just a one-day pattern. Time and time again, the people who write the content of the Internet show that, on the whole, they are willing to write about the serious issues of the day. Time and time again, the people who read what’s on the Internet show that, on the whole, they aren’t interested in the serious issues of the day. They’d rather read about celebrities, sex scandals and gossip.

Consequently, I have a lot more respect for people who write for the Internet, as a group, than I do for people who merely read online, as a group. If this makes you, as a reader, angry, so be it. I’m not writing this to make you happy. If you want happy talk, look elsewhere.

I’m writing this in order to serve notice to online readers that they ought to sit back and reflect on their priorities. Yeah, I’m getting preachy. Yes, I’m telling you what you ought to do. This is not a time when the American nation is going to be served by people sitting back and sipping pepppermint tea, using I statements and seeking consensus with the people who our driving our country into the ditch. This is the time to stand up and shout, “Damn it, this has gone too far, and I’m not going to sit back quietly and let it happen any longer!

Disagree with me? Go on. Prove me wrong. Don’t be a reader. Be a writer. Sign up on the link on this page to become a writer here on the Irregular Diaries. Don’t be a namby pamby wallflower. Speak your mind!