what's gotten into dh- radio programs?

[pinkytoe]

The thing I pointed out to dh about these radio shows is that they raise a fearful topic, discuss it to death and then mysteriously have a product to help solve the problem. Even the very helpful ones like Dave Ramsey spend a great deal of time selling you products about issues discussed.

[kib]

There's a rabid environmentalist radio station that thinks the government is out to get us?

What station?

[kib]

To Alan; I think the difference is that in a written forum like this, everyone gets to say as much or as little as they wish. They may be vehemently disagreed with or even ignored, but they're welcome to make their point, civilly, and it's there in writing for all to read, they haven't been drowned out by a louder shouter. The dialogue is not scripted or edited here, it's what people think and wish to express. All we ever ask is a line on personal attack. The thing that probably riled me more about Rush than anything else was the complete muzzling of counter opinion as he blustered on and on, leaping false premises in a single bound with no one putting up a hand to question his assertions.

[creaker]

If talk radio is like public discussion forums, I wish the moderators would get off their duffs and do their job :-)

[ke3]

This is the weirdest discussion I've seen yet! Half the respondents are missing the sarcasm of the other half.

For what it's worth, we're a couple of incessant NPR radio listeners, although we do turn it off when we're tuning in the short-wave to get various Canadian, French, and British stations. Then, for comic relief, we enjoy The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Hey, it's fun when it isn't too depressing. What's wrong with trying to get the facts? They're essential to a democracy. Not that I think this one can be fixed. But one can always hope.

[Alan]

To Alan; I think the difference is that in a written forum like this, everyone gets to say as much or as little as they wish. They may be vehemently disagreed with or even ignored, but they're welcome to make their point, civilly, and it's there in writing for all to read, they haven't been drowned out by a louder shouter. The dialogue is not scripted or edited here, it's what people think and wish to express. All we ever ask is a line on personal attack.

A little advance defensiveness?

The thing that probably riled me more about Rush than anything else was the
complete muzzling of counter opinion as he blustered on and on, leaping false
premises in a single bound with no one putting up a hand to question his
assertions.

Yep, that never happens in discussion forums.

[Alan]

This is the weirdest discussion I've seen yet! Half the respondents are missing the sarcasm of the other half.

That's how it works when it's done correctly.

[Alan]

There's a rabid environmentalist radio station that thinks the government is out to get us?

What station?

Couldn't tell you. The market is so small they have trouble keeping a consistent host.

[flowerseverywhere]

What is crazy about these radio programs is the same thing as those e-mails that keep circulating. Lots of false information that people don't check into and continue to spread around. You know, the ones that say that our elected officials have a special social security program, or that they get free health care for themselves and family members for life, or my favorite, the ones that misquote the constitution then add prayers or God talk to them.

I have a friend whose husband loves to watch and listen to these extremist shows and some of the stuff she comes out with floors me. Last year we had a huge health insurance increase, per her it was due to Obamacare. I am not sure what she blames all the previous years when people have gotten increases on. And the housing mortgage crisis, you guessed it, Obama, although he wasn't president when the loans were made. And by the way, he wasn't born in this country per her and is Muslim. Between the illegal immigrants, non christians and Obama she is convinced it is all a big plot to take away her rights, but I honestly think it is because he is not white. I suspect that they are burying their money in a coffee can in the yard and stockpiling guns and food but I don't get close enough to them to find out. Very creepy and scary paranoid life.

[ApatheticNoMore]

What's the difference between talk radio and a public discussion forum such as this?

It's like asking what the difference is between youtube and NBC? It's the difference between a forum relatively open to all comers versus one very hierarchically controlled. This doesn't even require idealizing youtube, maybe youtube censors some videos or whatever (that's subtle and dangerous power, but those who understand the internet are plenty aware of the dangers of hidden power), but still for all those caveats, joe schmoe still instinctively senses the difference in making his funny idea into a youtube video versus launching a sitcom on NBC.