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| Scott Pelley Courtesy CBS News |
Yeah, Scott Pelley is heroic. He's also unemployed, having violated one of the core tenets for long term office survival: "Save candor for people you respect."
Why, if the venerable "60 Minutes" reporter felt that his new CBS bosses were "murdering" the popular program, would he lay the accusation out before the culprits responsible for the crime? What was he expecting? His new boss to blink, smack his forehead and say, "My God Scott, you're absolutely right! We are being vile corporate asshats wrecking a half century legacy to curry favor with people who are never going to like us anyway. Thank you for alerting me to just how unqualified I truly am... "
In the years I worked for David Radler, I never looked him in the eye over lunch and said, "Hey David — you're kind of a crook and a scumbag, aren't you?" Though I certainly thought it.
Why, if the venerable "60 Minutes" reporter felt that his new CBS bosses were "murdering" the popular program, would he lay the accusation out before the culprits responsible for the crime? What was he expecting? His new boss to blink, smack his forehead and say, "My God Scott, you're absolutely right! We are being vile corporate asshats wrecking a half century legacy to curry favor with people who are never going to like us anyway. Thank you for alerting me to just how unqualified I truly am... "
In the years I worked for David Radler, I never looked him in the eye over lunch and said, "Hey David — you're kind of a crook and a scumbag, aren't you?" Though I certainly thought it.
Cowardly? Sure. In war, the brave lead the charge to an early grave, while the timid, bringing up the rear, become generals. Telling off people is like punching them — it looks great, in the movies. In real life, however, you break your hand and end up in court proceedings that stretch out for six years.
That doesn't mean I didn't try to nudge Radler in certain directions. He was very much pro-whatever-Israel-is-doing-at-the-moment. I remember saying something to him to the effect of, "I was a high school debater. Part of being persuasive is acknowledging what value you can in the other person's argument. You're 110 percent pro-Israel. But if you were only 90 percent, you'd be more effective. For instance, the Palestinians, they're human beings, right? We can agree on that? Can't we?"
Apparently not. Which returns to the futility of holding a mirror to idiots. They won't see their true reflection, won't see anything they didn't see in their bathroom mirror that morning when they were cooing, "Look at you, you handsome devil. Just the guy to fix '60 Minutes.'" That's why I try to never argue with Trumpers anymore. They built this solid house of a personality, brick by brick, row by row, over their whole lifetime. And I'm endeavoring to put my shoulder to the the thing and topple it in a throw? Never happen.
Apparently not. Which returns to the futility of holding a mirror to idiots. They won't see their true reflection, won't see anything they didn't see in their bathroom mirror that morning when they were cooing, "Look at you, you handsome devil. Just the guy to fix '60 Minutes.'" That's why I try to never argue with Trumpers anymore. They built this solid house of a personality, brick by brick, row by row, over their whole lifetime. And I'm endeavoring to put my shoulder to the the thing and topple it in a throw? Never happen.
So, as much as I believe that the labels "liar, bully, fraud and traitor" are not insults, not rhetoric, but mere dry journalistic descriptions, backed by facts, when referring to Donald Trump, should I find myself actually in the presence of the 47th president, I do not believe I would try to inform him of the fact. What would be the point?
What would I say instead? Maybe something that had a shred of a chance to lodge somewhere. "You know, in constantly honoring yourself, you make such honors hollow. A joke, really. Maybe consider pivoting to becoming a good president who respects American traditions the last two years in office. You'll be honored a lot more."
Nah, even that is giving myself too much credit. I'd probably shake his hand and say, "We met when you were buying the Sun-Times Building. What have you been up to lately?"
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