Comments on: The death of American accountability http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/ [Please go to 'Settings' to change your Tagline] Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:12:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Did conservatives kill accountability? - John McQuaid - Edge of Chaos - True/Slant http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-217 Did conservatives kill accountability? - John McQuaid - Edge of Chaos - True/Slant Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:14:35 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-217 [...] to my “death of accountability” post, Shoq says I don’t lay enough blame on the conservative establishment of think tanks and [...] [...] to my “death of accountability” post, Shoq says I don’t lay enough blame on the conservative establishment of think tanks and [...]

]]> By: John McQuaid http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-215 John McQuaid Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:53:23 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-215 Steve, as a sometime investigative reporter, I agree that there is a lot of great accountability journalism being conducted, in spite of the cutbacks of recent years, and new forms emerging. My argument is more that we need to expand the journalistic palette in order to better identify and explore some of these structural/institutional changes that are harmful, yet hard to pin (ultimately) on individuals and institutions. Why did Goldman Sachs get away with so much - was it GS execs, or the system in which they operate? Steve, as a sometime investigative reporter, I agree that there is a lot of great accountability journalism being conducted, in spite of the cutbacks of recent years, and new forms emerging. My argument is more that we need to expand the journalistic palette in order to better identify and explore some of these structural/institutional changes that are harmful, yet hard to pin (ultimately) on individuals and institutions. Why did Goldman Sachs get away with so much – was it GS execs, or the system in which they operate?

]]> By: <fb:name linked="false" useyou="false" uid="1">Scott Johnson</fb:name> http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-214 Scott Johnson Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:17:25 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-214 If you think Madoff ran a huge scam, Amway has ripped off millions of people for several decades, to the tune of 10s of billions of dollars. Read about it on this website: http://thenetprofitgroup.yolasite.com and forward the information to everyone you know, so they don't get scammed. Amway is a scam, and here's why: Amway pays out as little money as they can get away with, so they support the higher level IBOs ripping off their downline via the tool scam. As a result, about 99% of IBOs operate at a net loss, while the top 1% make several TIMES more from their Amway tool scam than from the Amway products. This was made illegal in the UK in 2008, but our FTC is unable to pull their heads out of their butts to stop it here. If you think Madoff ran a huge scam, Amway has ripped off millions of people for several decades, to the tune of 10s of billions of dollars.

Read about it on this website: http://thenetprofitgroup.yolasite.com and forward the information to everyone you know, so they don’t get scammed.

Amway is a scam, and here’s why: Amway pays out as little money as they can get away with, so they support the higher level IBOs ripping off their downline via the tool scam.

As a result, about 99% of IBOs operate at a net loss, while the top 1% make several TIMES more from their Amway tool scam than from the Amway products. This was made illegal in the UK in 2008, but our FTC is unable to pull their heads out of their butts to stop it here.

]]> By: Steve Weinberg http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-213 Steve Weinberg Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:32:45 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-213 The most talented investigative reporters can, and do, hold power brokers accountable. Although I'm not an expert on much, I think I do qualify as an expert about investigative journalism, given my 34 years of involvement in a membership organization called Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), including seven years as IRE executive director. Every week, by visiting the IRE headquarters in Columbia, Missouri, I see superb investigative reporting from newspapers, magazines, Web-only sites, radio and television. Excellent journalism can hold miscreants accountable. What journalists cannot promise, of course, is a citizenry willing to act on the revelations of the investigative journalists. The most talented investigative reporters can, and do, hold power brokers accountable. Although I’m not an expert on much, I think I do qualify as an expert about investigative journalism, given my 34 years of involvement in a membership organization called Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), including seven years as IRE executive director.

Every week, by visiting the IRE headquarters in Columbia, Missouri, I see superb investigative reporting from newspapers, magazines, Web-only sites, radio and television. Excellent journalism can hold miscreants accountable. What journalists cannot promise, of course, is a citizenry willing to act on the revelations of the investigative journalists.

]]> By: inmyhumbleopinion http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-212 inmyhumbleopinion Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:09:43 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-212 I think the key to greater accountability is independence and objectivity. Hard for politicians to act in the best interests of the people when they are being funded by corporate interests. Hard for journalists to be independent reporters of the truth when the news arm must generate ratings. Hard for the average joe at Company X to be held accountable for ethical business practices when the CEO is the biggest offender. Even harder for the CEO to be an ethical leader when Wall Street is dictating how much profit that company must make each quarter. I'm not sure this is about systems. It's about individuals standing up for what's right, not what's accepted practice. I think the key to greater accountability is independence and objectivity. Hard for politicians to act in the best interests of the people when they are being funded by corporate interests. Hard for journalists to be independent reporters of the truth when the news arm must generate ratings. Hard for the average joe at Company X to be held accountable for ethical business practices when the CEO is the biggest offender. Even harder for the CEO to be an ethical leader when Wall Street is dictating how much profit that company must make each quarter.

I’m not sure this is about systems. It’s about individuals standing up for what’s right, not what’s accepted practice.

]]> By: leonkelly http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-211 leonkelly Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:03:51 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-211 Perhaps we would be better off with our evening news delivered by the comforting grandfather-like voice of Walter Cronkite concluding with the calming re-assuring affirmation: "and that's the way it is!". I found it more than intriguing that CBS used Walter's voice to inject credibility into the notion that Katey Couric (a perky cutesy news reader with incredible legs for an older gal) is some type of established standard for telling all of the sheeple what's real and what is not. CBS even shows snippets of the perky one hard at work at her word processor doing the real journalism thing. Seems kinda laughable to me, at least. Fox news is indeed obnoxious, but so is MSNBS and their attack dogs Olberman and Maddow. Some of us prefer the modern media where big established institutions are no longer the clearing houses for what the masses have brought to their attention. Example: True Slant. If it weren't for Matt Taibbi, a lot of us common folk would have no idea of how incestuous or government and Wall Street have become. Would the venerable WSJ or NYT give us a clear picture of how the entire nation has been, and will continue to get screwed on Manhattan Island? Perhaps we would be better off with our evening news delivered by the comforting grandfather-like voice of Walter Cronkite concluding with the calming re-assuring affirmation: “and that’s the way it is!”. I found it more than intriguing that CBS used Walter’s voice to inject credibility into the notion that Katey Couric (a perky cutesy news reader with incredible legs for an older gal) is some type of established standard for telling all of the sheeple what’s real and what is not. CBS even shows snippets of the perky one hard at work at her word processor doing the real journalism thing. Seems kinda laughable to me, at least. Fox news is indeed obnoxious, but so is MSNBS and their attack dogs Olberman and Maddow. Some of us prefer the modern media where big established institutions are no longer the clearing houses for what the masses have brought to their attention. Example: True Slant. If it weren’t for Matt Taibbi, a lot of us common folk would have no idea of how incestuous or government and Wall Street have become. Would the venerable WSJ or NYT give us a clear picture of how the entire nation has been, and will continue to get screwed on Manhattan Island?

]]> By: jamesdpoisson http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/2010/04/27/the-death-of-american-accountability/comment-page-1/#comment-208 jamesdpoisson Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:11:05 +0000 http://trueslant.com/johnmcquaid/?p=586#comment-208 Perhaps part of the problem is in the concept of "mechanisms of accountability". No mechanism of accountability will work without an accountable person operating it. What we need is a critical mass of responsible persons. Perhaps part of the problem is in the concept of “mechanisms of accountability”. No mechanism of accountability will work without an accountable person operating it. What we need is a critical mass of responsible persons.

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