The Questions That Don't Get Asked

The mainstream news media is pissing me off.

I'm sick and tired of useless softball interviews with political and business figures that accept vague, disingenuous answers and fail aggressively to point out and follow up on obvious evasions and outright lies. 

The fourth estate is proud of its claim to hold the powerful to account, but it does no such thing any more, to the extent it ever did. There are hard questions that need to be asked and honest, direct answers that need to be wrested from those who would rather not give them. The media is allowing them to get away with it.

Here's my partial list of questions the news media ought to be pursuing with all vigor as we enter what may well be the most important election in generations:

1. To anyone - particularly an elected official - who claims that the 2020 election was stolen:

a. What is your evidence? Specific evidence, not rumor and innuendo.

b. Who provided it to you? Cui bono?

c. What have you done to confirm the truth and accuracy of that evidence? 

d. Why have you not brought this evidence to be tried in a court of law that requires proof and testimony under oath? 

e. If you are an ordinary voter who is accusing your local election officials of misdeeds, what training in your state's election law and procedures have you completed that qualify you to identify problems?

2. To any politician who will not commit to respecting the results of the upcoming election:

a. What specific evidence makes you think that the upcoming election (or any future election) will not be fair? Again, what specific evidence do you have, as opposed to vague allegations designed to sow distrust if you lose?

b. See questions 1b, 1c, and 1d above. You have a responsibility to ensure that we can have confidence in our free and fair elections ... if you have evidence that this is not the case, you have a legal and moral obligation to make that evidence public. If you don't, just sit down, shut up, and let the adults lead.

c. What evidence will you accept as proof that the election was fair? "we'll lose only if they cheat" or "we'll see" is not evidence. I ABSOLUTELY FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY NO NEWS REPORTER HAS YET ASKED THIS OF ANY POLITICAL FIGURE OR THEIR SUPPORTERS.

 

 

3. To corporate executives in general:

a. Why are consumer prices so high, given that your profits allow you to engage in large-scale stock buybacks and huge executive salaries? 

 

 

b. What is the ratio of your salary and benefits to that of your average non-executive employee? While acknowledging that you have more responsibilities than your average non-executive employee, do you believe that ratio is fair?

 

c. Does your lowest-paid employee earn a combination of salary and benefits that will cover the cost of food and housing each month for their family?  Why not?

 

d. Can an employee earning the median salary you offer afford to purchase your products? 

4. For food industry executives:

a. Why do increases in food prices exceed the rate of inflation?

b. How do you explain "shrinkflation" - the practice of charging a higher price for a smaller quantity of your product? 

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Those who would lead us owe us straightforward answers to difficult questions. It's high time the media actually started doing their jobs and demanding them.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo