Tom, Dan, Goodbye Already!

If there's anything more nauseating than a state funeral for a president, it's the retirement of a network anchorman. Is the fact that we will no longer watch Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather read the news every night really a reason for what is tantamount to national mourning by the media elite? (For an example, see this by Dorothy Rabinowitz today.) Who are these people anyway? Have they demonstrated some unique perspicacity over the years? If so, I haven't seen it, and I've watched my share. What they seem able to do well is read a teleprompter without moving their eyes. Before they made anchormen they were part of the White House press corps, the biggest bunch of toadies on the planet, ever fearful of losing"access" to people in high places

From what I can tell, these guys are both maudlin apologists for the status quo; loyal defenders of the regime, whoever happens to be at its head; shameless spreaders of the lie that the government is the people and that elections express their will. In other words, the anchormen are members of the priesthood of that appalling religion democracy. Brokaw has the distinction of having augmented the national mythology about the Good War. (Read Paul Fussell for an antidote to Brokaw.)

The best development with respect to network news is that there are so many alternatives today that we can ignore it completely.