RWCJ

Craig at mtpolitics.net put up a post on Governor Schweitzer’s Climate Change Advisory Council. This was followed by Carol over at Missoulapolis, and then followed by GeeGuy at Electric City Weblog, and likely more to follow. It has the makings of a RWCJ (right wing circle jerk) – this is our own miniature version of what is known nationally as the Right Wing Noise Machine – that loud group of petulant, obsessive and overbearing jerks who all happen to have access to microphones.

The annoying thing about the whole process is that there’s no thoughtful criticism, no reasoned discussion, no nothing – when the right wing wants to talk about something, as Marshall McLuhan so famously intoned, the medium is the message. It’s not content, it is the noise that matters.

This is probalby the future of the Montana right wing blogosphere – an attempt to recreate what is done nationally locally. Problem is – blogs are not noisy. And there is balance. Nationally right wingers dominate the media – yes, even the “liberal media” is right wing. With so much power at their disposal, they set the tone and content of most of what we discuss. Obama’s Pastor Wright was not a big deal, but was made one by the incessant noise – we had no choice but blather on about it because it was being replayed for us on every news outlet, every righty blabber-outlet, and of course, linked at every right wing blog.

That’s power. It’s not thoughtful. We never really discuss anything in a thoughtful manner. Obama tried in his reasoned repsonse to the right wing circus, but it didn’t fly as well as the manic frenzy surrounding the pastor’s remarks.

There’s a word for this. Propaganda. Incessant noise is part of the trade. Drowning out opposing viewpoints, dominating the stage, marginalizing reason – it’s how its done. It’s not accidental.

So I guess it comes as no surprise that the right wing Montana blogosphere is imitating the national right wing noise machine. They’re neophytes right now, but they are studying the subject, working at it, trying to figure out how to harness the energy of blogs as part of the machine. More to follow, I’m sure.

Anyway, concerning the Climate Change Advisory Council, Schweitzer did what politicians do – he bestowed some favors, gave the impression of positive activity towards a noble cause, and not much more. I don’t expect much from this group, and I must say, anticipating their first public pronouncement on proper save-the-planet behavior, than I am not impressed with the burnout rate of our fluorescent light bulbs. They are not, repeat, not lasting five years. And my lying eyes must be deceiving me, but our rooms are dimmer. Much dimmer.