Watching MSNBC this morning, I stumbled across a good debate on the TARP money, and the banks that got some of it and the banks that went under and the CEOs answering questions before Congress this morning. On one side was the guy who says the banks should be able to give bonuses because they are entities that need to make money and offer incentives to their good employees. On the other side was the guy who says that’s all fine, but it’s not right to privatize gains and nationalize losses. It was a good debate because there was some yelling back and forth, some good points made on both sides, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves without talking over each other. The facilitator was pushed to the background because the debate didn’t need additional questions, it just had the natural give and take of a good point/counterpoint. I sat back and enjoyed what TV is usually missing–an in-depth discussion that goes beyond the talking points. Suddenly the facilitator gives a little throat-clearing attempt to break into the debate. “Alright guys, we have to keep an eye on the hearings in Congress.” OK, that’s fine, let’s hear from some of the CEOs. A good followup to what the debate was all about…
Facilitator: “Now, let’s go to the news desk and hear the latest on the mother of the octuplets.”
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
And as I scurried from the couch, screaming in my best Dean-like fashion, changing the channel as fast as I could, I realized there were probably a lot more people who were scurrying just as fast toward their TVs to hear the latest octuplet news.
Sometimes I wish the terrorists would win.