Welcome to the Show
I’m going to tell you all about the David Talbot Show… but let me preface this welcome with a few spontaneous remarks. I’m nearing 70 and the world we dreamed about when we were young seems further away than ever. We’re locked down, we’re struggling to make ends meet, we know people who got sick, we know people who died, most of today’s political passion seems to belong to people who want to tear down democracy to make America great again, and meanwhile the rich get richer while we get… well, you know what we get.
But we have each other. We have this campfire. And we don’t need Facebook or Twitter or any other tech giant to bring us together in its glow.
So, let’s learn together and give us each other strength and inspiration. And tell each other about books and music and films and TV shows and podcasts that have changed our lives. Let’s get outraged about what America has become, but let’s also discuss ways to change it for the better. And let’s now and then make each other laugh.
And now, what to expect from the Show…
The David Talbot Show is a radical break from journalism as usual. Independent commentators and reporters are keeping the free press alive, as the media juggernauts of the right and center-left keep most of the public in their corporate grip. The David Talbot Show rejects the lockstep thinking of Fox News and their far-right competitors, as well as the liberal conformity of the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and the other bullhorns for the U.S. establishment and national security state.
It's not that these liberal newspapers and news channels are bastions of fake news. They employ many fine reporters – some of whom worked for me at Salon years ago – and publish important stories on a daily basis. But their journalism – especially about Washington power – often needs to be interpreted, or “dissected” as the late, great Danny Schecter, “The News Dissector,” put it.
The David Talbot Show will present people and ideas that challenge conventional wisdom. And it’s not just a site for hot air. Our bracing viewpoints will be backed by research and facts, and will often be rooted in historical analysis.
American democracy is broken, after years of assaults and betrayals from within by powerful elites. The David Talbot Show will expose this treachery and light the path toward a national renewal.
We intend our posts to provoke spirited discussion. But while we welcome a lively and even sharp-edged public forum, we don’t want our comments section to descend into barbarity. There’s too much of that toxicity already in the air. So please keep your comments civil, even when heated. You’ll be warned if you break this rule, and if you persist, you’ll be blocked from the Show.
A final word about our life support. If you become a regular reader or participant in the Show, please visit our Donations page and make a small contribution. Your annual donation will allow the Show to go on.
