A Random Comment on Blogs

One of the most significant issues concerning this country today 
revolves around taxes, tax cuts, the budget deficit, and social 
security.  Currently, the focal point of this wide ranging debate is the 
proposal to privatize social security.

I read the Baltimore Sun and the NYT every day.  I subscribe to the 
WSJ online.  I have found the level of analysis is these publications 
has been seriously deficient.

Today, I came across a great weblog piece at:

http://www.roubiniglobal.com/archives/2004/11/social_security_1.ht
ml

or

http://tinyurl.com/4jhht

I also took a look at Professor Roubini's blog and the blog of 
another economics professor, Brad Setser, which uses Professor 
Roubini's website facility.  That's at:

http://www.roubiniglobal.com/setser/

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the positions taken in either 
place, it is obvious that there is nothing I've seen in the NYT, WaPo, 
or WSJ, or any other "mainstream" publication that even comes 
close to the level of analysis in either of these blogs or, I suspect, 
any 20 or 30 blogs that are out there that I don't even know about.

This raises several problems.

First, the various news gathering organizations still provide the foot 
soldiers who gather and disseminate information.  By way of 
example, even though there are bloggers who deal with Iraq or 
Ukraine, it is obvious that the best nuts and bolts reporting is still 
coming from the older mainline news organizations.

Second, reading the blogs requires the investment of intellectual 
capital that too many Americans shy (run, actually) away from.  By 
way of example, Prof. Roubini's post on Social Security privitization 
ran 10 full pages when converted to pdf and then printed.  Most 
American's will simply ignore the detailed analysis and buy into the 
soundbite.

 
********************************************
Stuart Levine
Fisher & Winner, LLP
315 North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Telephone:             410.385.2000
Telecopier:              443.927.7075
Cellphone:               410.802.5817
Weblog:  http://taxbiz.blogspot.com
http://www.taxation-business.com
[email protected]
*********************************************




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