Leading Indicators

The futures are up! Polls indicate…. Reports from reliable sources say….

Hmm. I need facts to piece together what is happening and what it means. I rely on logic to form questions on these facts: why is this happening now? What impact does this have on….? Or given these circumstances, what is likely to happen next? Analysis. Based on logic. Give me the facts. Let me supply the logic. Then the conclusions. Over time. Please allow me time to digest the facts and the context of those facts.

I was raised on newspapers supplemented by radio first, then TV news. TV helps ‘see’ the unfolding events, but not the growing meaning of the events. Remember, radio was with us 24/7 while TV news was 15 minutes local, and 15 minutes national 5 days each week. Abbreviated TV reporting was scheduled for the weekends. Later, news magazines developed and along with them, deeper news coverage. The War in Vietnam was the first televised war available to us. We saw battlefield skirmishes as they occurred. We were told by on-the-scenes reporters what the objective of the military action had been, and what it actually turned out to be. We saw the casualties up close. We witnessed the carnage; both our guys and the enemy’s.

After the Vietnam War era, in depth news reporting was attempted. But now? Where is that depth of understanding, probing and guidance to the news consumer or aficionado?

Here’s what I’m getting at, the questions that today’s news begs to be asked and answered:

• The Iowa Presidential Caucuses focus on the Republican races. Where are the Democratic races? Is this only a Republican thing, or both parties? Would you know that from media reports?
• How often have Iowa voters supported a Democratic presidential candidate in the past 10 elections? Is the state Republican or Democrat?
• Republican candidates appear to be very conservative. Does this mean Republicans are all conservative? Are there no centrist or liberal Republicans?
• What makes an election between Republicans and Democrats only? Why not Liberal, Middle of the Road, and Conservative? Why is that? Why is that not reported in the first place?
• Sound bite journalism favors headlines and quoted material of very short content and duration. This is true both in electronic and print media. Where is the explanation of the meaning of these shorthand phrases? Where is the context studied and probed for clearer meaning, or illogic?
• If religion is a guaranteed activity of our citizenry, why is there so much competition among opinion leaders in declaring one religious belief over another?
• Why are religious beliefs used to define issues of importance? Can we just let believers in one thing or another act according to their beliefs? Do we really need to make these beliefs into law? You do what you believe in; let me do what I believe in.
• If the Iraq war was waged to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction but none were found, why did we remain for nearly 9 years? What did we accomplish?
• If the Afghanistan War was waged to find Osama Bin Laden and take him out, as well as disrupt or destroy Al Qaida, and both have been accomplished, why are we still in Afghanistan? Why haven’t we left already?
• If Pakistan was a reliable partner (highly arguable) and they are not happy with us or reliable now, why are we still in a crucial partnership with them when damage to our personnel and war materiel could occur?
• Afghanistan has not been able to manage its own affairs for several decades. What makes us think America can solve their problems?

We can start with these questions. I need to know the answers. I think this is a proper role for our media to pursue. And if they need cooperation from our national authorities to answer the questions, then let’s place that pressure where it is needed.

The world is a big place. It is complicated. We have questions. Why are the answers not being pursued so we can understand all of this better?

Leadership is an odd thing. Sometimes it is needed in the most basic of arenas. This is one of them. And it does not reside only with politicians. Leadership is called upon throughout our society. Let’s hear more from them! Now that’s a ‘leading indicator’!

January 5, 2012