I attended George Lakoff’s public presentation on Friday night in Seattle. While it was mostly “framing for beginners,” Lakoff offered a few new memes that he’s been shopping:
- “Progressives believe in using the commonwealth for the common good so that we can be free to pursue our personal goals.”
- Supporting “ethical, honest business.”
- The “conservation of governance” principle: Conservatives think that if you get rid of government, then you won’t be governed. This is false. If you get rid of government, you’ll be governed by corporations — and they’re not accountable to you *at all*.
- 42 MPG = No mid-east oil. (Raising the average mileage standard to 42MPG would save so much oil that we wouldn’t need to import any from the middle east.)
- George Bush is “breaking the faith” with the American people.
Lakoff also offered his opinion that left-wing talk radio such as Air America is misguided because talk radio shouting is an inherently competitive, “strict-father” type of discourse that can’t be used to advance a progressive “nurturant parent” morality.
42 MPG = No mid-east oil
Perhaps in the short term, This is different than saying not having to import foreign oil, big chunk comes from West Africa and South America. Domestic fields have already peaked and are in decline, so even we get seriouse about conservation, we face a future of more expensive energy. The more important strategy is to increase the effeciency of our cities and product networks, rather than eek out a few more MPG out of an ultimately unsustainable technology, the private automobile.
Air America is misguided
Yes. It is really awful actually. For a while they had Jerry Springer as a host, someone who had the paying job of trotting out, for the perverse viewing pleasure, the lifestyles’ of the underclasses. Sorry, that is Not progressive. Air America stations, being commercial enterprises, air ads that are in direct conflict with progressive ideas, such as predatory home equity loans, etc. No thanks. There is real, actual progressive journalism happening, like Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now, Air America is mostly opinion and random factoids, junk food for the mind.
“Air America is misguided because talk radio shouting is…”
Of course, that assumes that all the shows there are “talk radio shouting.” And while Randy Rhodes certainly is, KPOJ local host Thom Hartmann certainly is not. I’d also argue that Ed Schultz isn’t either. (Yeah, I know, he’s not technically Air America, but most of their stations carry him.)
I am fascinated by the 42 MPG meme because it is so tangible. However, a world without mid-east oil is implausible because it assumes static supply and demand. In a real world situation however, as the supply of available oil grew and demand plummetted because of fuel-efficient vehicles, so too would the price of oil fall. In the absence of legislation, there wouldn’t be a disincentive to drive gas guzzlers.
Dave, I think the 42MPG meme is not exactly meant to be taken literally. It’s a global oil market, so there’s really no such thing as “not using mideast oil” as long is one is using ANY oil. But the idea that relatively modest increases in our average efficiency can yield HUGE decreases in our oil consumption is both true, and hard to wrap one’s brain around. I think this image brings it home as memorably as anything.
“…left-wing talk radio such as Air America is misguided because talk radio shouting is an inherently competitive, “strict-father†type of discourse that can’t be used to advance a progressive “nurturant parent†morality.”
I guess it all depends on what purpose he believes Air America is misguided upon. I haven’t read Lakoff’s book, so I’m not feeling the parent metaphors. But I think the primary intent of AAR was to replicate, in a smaller form, the right-wing echo chamber, and to provide a place for strong left-wing opinions in the same way that Fox is a haven for right-wing flag waver chickenhawks.
I find Air America a deeply satisfying experience, and I’m a huge fan of Randi Rhodes, but no, I don’t believe it’s going to change the discourse in America. But honestly, is George Lakoff? Memes and frames are all very nice, but we are in need of a few strong leaders, not just nice frames of dialogue for them to present. I worry that the Democratic party is all too excited about literal messengers like Lakoff and isn’t thinking hard enough about the actual messages they want to present, only the best way to present them. Is this the best response? After all, John Kerry failed in 2004 chiefly because he had a fuzzy, inconsistent message on the largest issue – the Iraq war – of the election. Would a better frame have helped Kerry’s all-directions-at-once message?
As host of a show aired on most (but not enough!) Air America affiliates I take issue with the charge that we are all screamers. As noted above, there are exceptions to that observation, Thom Hartman, Al Franken and my program, EcoTalk. Although what’s happening to our environmnet is cause enough for outrage, ranting and raving is not my style. As a listener, I enjoy “Ranty Raves” in discreet doses – after too long she can give me a headache. If you’d like to check out EcoTalk for yourself, tune in Saturdays, at noon on most stations, or listen live on the airamericaradio.com website.
Best,
Betsy Rosenberg
Host, EcoTalk
Greening the Red and Blue states one show at a time!