Shabby logic

A caller into Bill O'Reilly's radio show today argued that anyone criticizing The United States (or, more specifically, policies of the government of The United States) ought not do so because, essentially, life was worse in other countries than this one. He said something to the effect of (if I may paraphrase) - 'Anyone who wants to in this country can decide to go get a job and a plate of food' while in other countries 'they have to walk ten miles to get a bucket of water from a mudhole.'

O'Reilly, of course, vociferously agreed. True, life is much better in the United States for the worst-off Americans than the median human in much of the rest of the world. However I don't see how it follows logically that Americans can't try to improve their own country because it's already better than some others. A metaphoric dialogue occurred to me as I listened to O'Reilly extrapolate on how we each 'owed' America something more than tax revenue -

Me: I drive an old Isuzu Rodeo with a broken air conditioner and a barely working radio. Someday soon, though, I'd like to get a hybrid with working AC and CD player-

O'Reilly: Why do you hate Rodeos?

Me: Pardon?

O'Reilly: Your Rodeo gets you to work everyday. It's given you so much. Why wouldn't you just appreciate it? Some people don't even have cars. I know the media is filling your head with anti-Rodeo propaganda everyday and all, but you can see through that, can't you?

Me: I don't hate Rodeos, per se, I just thought it'd be nice to have a car that runs a little smoother and is easier on the environment and my wallet-

O'Reilly: Nobody's fooled by your far-left hate-filled agenda, herr Goebbels.

McClellan

It seems to me that books written by administration insiders critical of that administration are hailed as a Great Work of Truth by liberals/Democrats if written by conservatives/Republicans, and hailed by conservatives/Republicans as a Great Work of Truth if written by liberals/Democrats.

An insider book critical of a Republican administration will be met with widespread derision in all conservative media, whether the work has any merit or not, and the former loyal soldier will be vilified by the O'Reilly-Limbaugh-Hume axis that used to sing his praises, or at least accord him the respect due to a loyal soldier. I imagine this holds true for Democratic administration insiders as well (Although the Olbermann-Colmes-Franken axis just doesn't seem to have quite the same oomph), though it's been a while since we've had one so it'd be hard to say for sure.

Many (most) of the blowhards passing judgment will not have read the book, and will cheerfully openly admit this fact.