Lou Dobbs

Yesterday, Lou Dobbs resigned abruptly from CNN. The full story is here:

Dobbs was a strong critic of the conduct of war in Iraq by the Bush Administration and frequently appeared on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" on HBO.

But in recent years, Dobbs returned to his very conservative roots, criticizing inaction on immigration, and fomenting further lather on the "birther" idiocy. Apparently his strident comments, given that CNN is moving back toward news rather than "advocacy journalism" as Dobbs and Fox News conducts, caused the leadership at CNN to feel that Dobbs' constant self-promotion and virulent rhetoric no longer was in line with their corporate goals or brand.

Some examples from Media Matters.org..includeing one specific example of incipid racism and ethno-centric arrogance.

"Dobbs also said, "Making a decision to talk about a national initiative on education from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which is effectively an organization that is interested in the export of American capital and production to Mexico, and Mexico's export of drugs and illegal aliens to the United States. This is crazy stuff." "

This kind of race-baiting 'advocacy' is not journalism, it's simply fear-mongering and demagogic posturing intending to play to the base feelings of a segment of the American electorate which actually believes that hispanics somehow 'like' and favor a drug trade, much like that same electorate seems ready to accept that all Muslims like terrorism - the fact is, the drug trade is extraordinarily destructive to Latin America, and to the extent it is tolerated, it is tolerated by the ultra-wealthy corporate barons of Mexico (et.al.) because it makes them a lot of money. This isn't a racial issue, it's an issue of what happens when money totally corrupts a society, making the police simply an arm for oppression and supporting the drug lords when necessary. In short, it's an issue of EXACTLY the kind of 'capitalism' which results when monopolies run unchecked, and exactly the kind of capitalism Dobbs otherwise supports.

I admired Dobbs at times for calling things like he saw them, but too often he was simply ill-informed, presented shallow details about difficult issues, and appeared more interested in telling the world how great he was than in relating key information needed to better inform the public. I applaud CNN's decision to return to ACTUAL journalism, rather than the schlock of Nancy Grace, Glenn Beck and unfortunately, Lou Dobbs. Here's hoping Grace follows Dobbs out the door shortly.