Eric Alterman - Liberals and Patriotism

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/03/26/Eric_Alterman_in_Conversation

Columnist Eric Alterman dismisses notions that American liberals are "unpatriotic," in a conversation with FORA.tv founder and CEO Brian Gruber.

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Liberal columinst, blogger and author Eric Alterman sits down for an interview with FORA.tv Founder and CEO Brian Gruber to discuss his most recent book Why We're Liberals, the meaning of liberalism, and the state of politics in the United States.

Eric Alterman is distinguished professor of English at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and professor of journalism at the Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, as well as the liberal columnist for The Nation and Altercation blogger for Media Matters for America(formerly at MSNBC.com) in Washington, DC, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC, where he writes and edits the "Think Again" column, a senior fellow (since 1985) at the World Policy Institute at The New School in New York, and a history consultant to HBO Films.

Alterman is the author of seven books, including the national bestsellers, What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News (2003, 2004), and The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America (with Mark Green, 2004).

The others include: When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and its Consequences, (2004, 2005). His Sound & Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy (1992, 2000), won the 1992 George Orwell Award and his It Ain't No Sin to be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen (1999, 2001), won the 1999 Stephen Crane Literary Award, and Who Speaks for America? Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy, (1998).

His newest book is Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook to Post-Bush America, (2008).

Brian Gruber is Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of FORA.tv.

Gruber has twenty years experience successfully building and marketing media enterprises. As the senior marketing officer for a range of respected media institutions, he has managed billion dollar revenue budgets and large and small marketing teams. As the first marketing director for C-SPAN, he built its affiliate sales and marketing organization, launching C-SPAN II with the largest subscriber base ever for a cable network at launch. As director of marketing for News Corp's FOXTEL, he helped build the most successful cable television brand in Australia, going from number three to number one in cable subscriptions, brand equity and consumer awareness. As the head of marketing of the largest urban divisions of 3 top ten cable companies (MSO's), he turned flat or negative subscriber growth into substantial gains. And as president of g/media and Principals.com, he has helped more than twenty new media companies develop brands, marketing strategies, and consumer products.

He also acted as the media advisor and new media producer for the World Affairs Council of Northern California, the nation's most prolific presenter of quality world affairs events.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• liberal
• liberals
• progressive
• progressives
• left
• wing
• right
• patriots
• unpatriotic
• country
• political
• politics
• values
• foratv
• fora.tv
• fora
• tv

[Whoo69]

Even though he's a good defender of liberalism, and I am liberal, personality wise, he still seems very much like a douchebag. In that pro-nader film, he was foaming at the mouth all b/c Nader "spoiled" the 2000 election and supposedly caused Gore to lose. He was pretty angry and whiny there. I really wish I could find a good liberal spokesman who's not a partisan hack nor does he think all liberal Democrats are 'great' and puts them all on his fuckin book cover.

[eirefrance]

It is a broad statement, but one I have heard and read from a number of people defending a role for conservative Christianity in deciding and enforcing legislation, in foreign policy and in educational philosophy.

[Jononutoob]

@fede2 Well patriotism is different. A patriot fights for an idea or principle. A nationalist fights for a flag, piece of dirt, and because their leaders tell them to. When you say patriotism isnt rational then you are saying the founders of this nation and many people throughout history are irrational. That I find quite offensive. Patriots dont worship their nation. Patriots and nationalists are often enemies actually.

[fede2]

@Jononutoob not sure what the substantial difference is. if you are supposed to woship your country as an absolute abstraction above anything else, in any other context people would agree that this is dangerous.

[Jononutoob]

@fede2 I think patriotism is being confused with nationalism.

[madpaintbalerx]

@NotDuped Wow good luck in life with that perverted, prejudiced, and incredibly ignorant statement.

[curtbigdogr]

Thats why so many liberals are in the military. because there patriotic....yah right.

This country wouldnt survive with all liberals. And liberals know this to be true.

[fede2]

there's nothing rational about patriotism.

[morganbath]

Actually most liberals seem more patriotic than conservatives. Conservatives put God first which makes them zealots, not patriots. And patriots fight for their country, they dont surrender to it as conservatives do. Actually, really the USA would be better off shipping its conservatives off. Its them that failed everything and put their country at the bottom.

But as for shipping them off to the rest of the world: Stop dumping your shit on us. We are sick of your crap already.

[brainless14]

what makes them unpatriotic?

[NotDuped]

a "liberal patriot" oxymoron if ever there was one.America needs to PURGE every "liberal" out of this country and drop them in the depths of Russia, China, Cuba, North Korea or Iran from where they slithered out of.

[TexWhatever]

part one: wasn't churchill moron

part two: quotes me (god knows why)

part three: gibber (repeated about 50 times all over youtube..shows the oritinality of this dickhead)