Bill Moyers says he fears for America for 'first time' - CNN Video
It's a short excerpt from a video linked above. Moyers said this was the first time he has felt fear that democracy could die from too many lies - and he pointed out that he was born during the Depression, lived through WW2, the 60s, Watergate, and many crises this generation has seen.
I was born in the 1960s myself, and throughout most of my life, I've heard many who say that America is in decline, that we're a dying nation, a fallen empire - along with many other euphemisms indicating the same. I've often felt the same way, although I'll concede that there was a great deal of public cynicism during my formative years that it may have left a lifelong impression on me.
A lot of the problems America is facing today, we've faced before. A lot of the problems we're facing now, we could have (and should have) foreseen and anticipated.
For as long as I've been alive, there have been a few who have warned of the consequences of our short-sighted policies. However, I've also seen how they've been cavalierly dismissed by multitudes of "incurable optimists" who kept insisting that America and the world are better off, that everything is great and that everyone should just go along with the idea of "don't worry, be happy."
I must confess that there's very little in this world that frustrates me more than the "incurable optimists." They refuse to see that there are any problems. They refuse to address any problems. They stick their heads in the sand. I don't believe that Moyers would fall into that category, but all this "sky is falling" rhetoric I'm hearing these days makes me wonder how we got to this point and why no one really saw it coming.
I don't really see this as an issue of Democrats vs. Republicans. The current political divide might be a manifestation and a symptom of a deeper problem, but I see it on both sides of the spectrum. As much as people try to emphasize the differences between factions, it's also worthwhile to look at the similarities and commonalities.
To some extent, both sides reveal that they believe that America has had some serious problems.
The Republicans and Trump supporters voted on a platform of "Make America Great Again," which implies that they also believe America to be in a profound state of decline. (And yet, a mere 30 years earlier, under Reagan, they were singing "don't worry, be happy." How quickly perceptions can turn.)
Democrats have a more mixed message, ranging from "America was never great" to "America was great, up until Trump's election."
Moyers' sentiment seems to reflect the views of a lot of people who see the current period as unprecedented. He says he's afraid for America for the first time - and he's seen quite a lot in his 85 years.
It's a short excerpt from a video linked above. Moyers said this was the first time he has felt fear that democracy could die from too many lies - and he pointed out that he was born during the Depression, lived through WW2, the 60s, Watergate, and many crises this generation has seen.
Legendary journalist Bill Moyers discusses the looming impeachment hearings with Brian Stelter. Moyers fears for the country "for the first time, because a society, a democracy, can die of too many lies. And we're getting close to that terminal moment, unless we reverse the obsession with lies that are being fed around the country."
I was born in the 1960s myself, and throughout most of my life, I've heard many who say that America is in decline, that we're a dying nation, a fallen empire - along with many other euphemisms indicating the same. I've often felt the same way, although I'll concede that there was a great deal of public cynicism during my formative years that it may have left a lifelong impression on me.
A lot of the problems America is facing today, we've faced before. A lot of the problems we're facing now, we could have (and should have) foreseen and anticipated.
For as long as I've been alive, there have been a few who have warned of the consequences of our short-sighted policies. However, I've also seen how they've been cavalierly dismissed by multitudes of "incurable optimists" who kept insisting that America and the world are better off, that everything is great and that everyone should just go along with the idea of "don't worry, be happy."
I must confess that there's very little in this world that frustrates me more than the "incurable optimists." They refuse to see that there are any problems. They refuse to address any problems. They stick their heads in the sand. I don't believe that Moyers would fall into that category, but all this "sky is falling" rhetoric I'm hearing these days makes me wonder how we got to this point and why no one really saw it coming.
I don't really see this as an issue of Democrats vs. Republicans. The current political divide might be a manifestation and a symptom of a deeper problem, but I see it on both sides of the spectrum. As much as people try to emphasize the differences between factions, it's also worthwhile to look at the similarities and commonalities.
To some extent, both sides reveal that they believe that America has had some serious problems.
The Republicans and Trump supporters voted on a platform of "Make America Great Again," which implies that they also believe America to be in a profound state of decline. (And yet, a mere 30 years earlier, under Reagan, they were singing "don't worry, be happy." How quickly perceptions can turn.)
Democrats have a more mixed message, ranging from "America was never great" to "America was great, up until Trump's election."
Moyers' sentiment seems to reflect the views of a lot of people who see the current period as unprecedented. He says he's afraid for America for the first time - and he's seen quite a lot in his 85 years.