Our confusing economy - explained

4/4/08

If you're like me, deeply troubled by what's happening with our national economy - specifically our 'burst' housing bubble - the Whys and Hows, but not quite "getting it?"

I read, listen and watch (and wince) trying to decipher Spin from Reality.
Who's selling baloney.
Who's talking truth.

Consistently, over the past 20 years, the two broadcast voices I've grown to trust in their in-depth interview styles - separating truth from fiction are:

Charlie Rose and Terry Gross.

Charlie's 5-nights a week on everyone's PBS affiliate, at 11:30 PCT.

Charlie's a southern Republican: lives in, and loves NYC. A sophisticated, savvy intellectual, who, if our Administration had been watching prior to the Iraq invasion, would not have gone.

Back then, Charlie interviewed, night after night, Iraqi intellectuals, living and teaching here (exiled), predicting what has come to pass. In detail.

When Colin Powell made his now infamous
speech to the UN, with George 'Slam Dunk'
Tenant sitting behind him, my heart sank.

I knew it was a lie, because of Charlie Rose's Iraqi interviews.

Powell still claims he didn't know.

My dark-humor reply,

"Powell doesn't watch Charlie Rose."

(the thought of Powell "knowing" and
lying us into war, is too much to bear)

My other Truth-interviewer, is NPR's
National Public Radio host Terry Gross
(Philadelphia) - Terry locally, on KPCC -
89.5 FM, 4 nights a week at 7p.m.

Terry is not a Republican. In fact, has
had more than a few far-righters get up
and leave her microphone for what they
perceive unfair questions.

Terry, disarmingly soft in her interview style, tosses hardball questions when only hardballs will do.

A famous Terry dust-up - Lynn Cheney.
VIP's wife on a book-tour. Terry being
every author's must-stop-by. A hot one.
Mrs. Cheney's a tough cookie, didn't
leave. But she didn't answer every
Terry question either.

Last night, Terry Interviewed college
professor and Washington economic
insider Michael Greenberger.
The Show's title:

"Our Confusing Economy Explained"

I recommend everyone go to NPR's
website - click Programming, then
Click "Fresh Air" (Terry's show),
go to 'Archives' - click on yesterday's
show (Ap-3-08) and listen.

As the ol'saying goes, "it's an earful"

of turth.

You will understand.

jer