Merriam Webster adds "Blog"!

There can be no question that bloggers have become a major influence on the media:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050113-091121-9283r.htm

What is VERY interesting about the surging blogger and talk radio phenomenon is that the highest traffic and biggest audiences are for conservative pages/commentators. Liberal sites and talk radio draw few listeners/readers, and even less advertisers. It amazes me that SeeBS's Moonves and his ilk at the NYSlimes, Washington Puke, LAGrimes, etc. are either not business-savvy enough to see what that means, or are willfully losing money for their shareholders.

Thank goodness main street America now has a powerful voice to counter the insidious liberal infection that is, with few exceptions, American media today. Academia and Hollywood are next.

Hollywood should be a fairly easy nut to crack - films with liberal agendas just don't sell much anymore. Films that extoll heroism, fidelity, patriotism, mercy, wisdom and other traditional values sell like hotcakes. Can anyone say "The Day After Tomorrow" and then "Lord of the Rings" - which do YOU prefer?

Academia will be more difficult, tenure and entrenched dogma are formidable advantages. Intellectual honesty is currently frowned-on and overtly discouraged in today's academia in favor of political correctness, emotional sensitivity, and the radical left-wing agenda. Socialism is held up as a higher form of government. Moral equivalency, self-loathing, and tolerance are touted as the only antidote to aggression. Outrageous lies are acceptable to 'reveal a deeper truth'. All manner of cheating, conniving, stealing, underhandedness, and unprincipled behavior is condoned in the pursuit of the class warfare tactics of the liberals. Inconvenient facts, reality, and honesty are ignored, patronizingly harrumphed-off as 'traditional, illiterate, neo-conservative propaganda'.

I'm personally not religious, but admit a certain fondness for judeo-christian morality - fairness, justice, individual freedom/responsibility, majority rule, accountability, and compassion. I consider these traits part of what made America great as a nation and the prime reason why Americans so willingly give to others; our money, time, support, and most especially our blood. Our freedom inspires us, and in their hearts, the world as well. We are compassionate, but it does not overide our common sense. We move slowly, cautiously on social issues, and fast on security and life-threatening issues.

At the same time, I'm very conservative about economics and foreign policy. I think America should be world leaders in both through open markets, small government, low taxes, deregulation, carrot/stick diplomacy, and even military pre-emption when absolutely necessary. Peace through strength, good government through minimal government.

Liberals/socialists do not understand these things. Until they do, they'll never be a dominant force in American life or politics. Until they do, they'll be liberals - but when they do, they'll be conservatives.

Adios MF,

Doug