Another "Journalist" Caught Taking Bribes

[Berzerker]

Doug Bandow, syndicated columnist and fellow at The Cato Institute has confirmed he received money from Jack Abramoff over the last 10 or so years to write articles favorable to Abramoff's clientele.

And he's a libertarian who had my respect

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Re: Another "Journalist" Caught Taking Bribes

Originally posted by Berzerker
Doug Bandow, syndicated columnist and fellow at The Cato Institute has confirmed he received money from Jack Abramoff over the last 10 or so years to write articles favorable to Abramoff's clientele.

And he's a libertarian who had my respect

I don't get it. Isn't what he did consistent with libertarian values? He should have your respect even more now, since he let the market decide what he wrote about, rather than some mamby-pamby notion of ethics.

[Berzerker]

You're right, you dont get it

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Berzerker
You're right, you dont get it

So explain to me, from a libertarian perspective, why what he did was wrong.

[Dinner]

From a libertarian perspective maybe it isn't wrong but it is a violation of industry ethical standards.

[Odin]

Anyone who suports CATO is a moron.

[Berzerker]

So explain to me, from a libertarian perspective, why what he did was wrong.

I dont know why you're hung up on libertarianism, journalistic standards apply here, not ideology.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Berzerker


I dont know why you're hung up on libertarianism, journalistic standards apply here, not ideology.

Journalistic standards are ideology. What else could they possible be? My question is, what does libertarianism imply about a concept like journalistic standards?

My guess is that, since this was merely a private financial arrangement between two individuals that resulted in their mutual benefit and did not break any laws, it's the kind of thing libertarians should be defending, not tut-tutting.

I'm still curious to know why that's a misunderstanding of libertarianism -- if it is.

[Sandman]

Re: Another "Journalist" Caught Taking Bribes

Originally posted by Berzerker
And he's a libertarian who had my respect

Libertarians are as crooked as everyone else.

[Berzerker]

Journalistic standards are ideology. What else could they possible be? My question is, what does libertarianism imply about a concept like journalistic standards?

My guess is that, since this was merely a private financial arrangement between two individuals that resulted in their mutual benefit and did not break any laws, it's the kind of thing libertarians should be defending, not tut-tutting.

I'm still curious to know why that's a misunderstanding of libertarianism -- if it is.

Ideology is about how the political and economic world should work, journalistic standards are about how journalists should work. He violated those journalistic standards... As a libertarian I'm supposed to condone
that?

Libertarians are as crooked as everyone else.

But I haven't spent hours reading everyone else's stuff.

[DanS]

This revelation doesn't surprise me. I'm of the opinion that this happens often. Not even unethical for columnists.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by DanS
Not even unethical for columnists.

[Apocalypse]

Journalistic standards are all about money. That's why you only have stories about missing white girls.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Ideology is about how the political and economic world should work, journalistic standards are about how journalists should work. He violated those journalistic standards... As a libertarian I'm supposed to condone
that?

First, journalists are part of the political and economic world. Therefore, an ideology that gives us an idea of "how the political and economic world should work" must, by implication, give us an idea of how journalism should work.

Second, "journalistic ethics" don't transcend time and space. They are a very specific product of a very particular time and place: the 20th century West, and maybe mostly the 20th-century U.S. (my impression is that the European press is less invested in notions of independence and objectivity, but I claim no expertise here). They are also a product of, or a subset of, a particular ideology: Progressive Liberalism, which values the public good above the individual and assumes that market forces are a necessary evil to be neutralized whenever possible.

And that's my point: Journalistic Ethics = Liberalism.

I'll admit I was just popping off in my first post, but I do think it's an interesting question, and I'm not just Lib-baiting: does libertarianism, as an ideology, actually allow for something like a professional ethos? If so, how?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Berzerker


I dont know why you're hung up on libertarianism

You're the one who brought it up in the opening post.