The Ghost of Hunter S strikes again

It hasn’t been that long since the passing of the great Hunter S Thompson, creator of the so-called “Gonzo journalism”, and all-around lunatic. Apart from being eminently quotable, Hunter Thompson was deeply involved in politics; he especially hated Richard Nixon, whom he frequently wished malfeasance upon.. I’m unsure as to whether Hunter really would have approved of where his “Gonzo” journalism has gone.

Glen Greenwald recently pointed out that so-called “blogger” journalists have been creating their own “facts”, and in some cases completely fabricating stories, in an effort to influence the news which they purport to report. The aim of these fabricated new stories seem to be the adjustment of the average American viewpoint toward a center that is far more irrational than anything reality-based could ever be. Arguably, some of the freedom in America is the right to be informed ; the Freedom of the Press of which we have heard so much. Where is the fabled “American Dream”, that freedom that we are trying to export to other people so desperately even over the cost of their own lives?

Where does the benefit lie in defrauding America through lying to the American people? This is a perversion of the spirit of Gonzo journalism, which was supposed to celebrate the “American Dream”. But, to close this out, here’s a quote from Hunter Thompson regarding the current situation in this country, from “Kingdom of Fear”:

We have become a Nazi monster in the eyes of the whole world, a nation of bullies and bastards who would rather kill than live peacefully. We are not just Whores for power and oil, but killer whores with hate and fear in our hearts. We are human scum, and that is how history will judge us. No redeeming social value. Just whores. Get out of our way, or we’ll kill you. Who does vote for these dishonest shitheads? Who among us can be happy and proud of having all this innocent blood on our hands? Who are these swine? These flag-sucking half-wits who get fleeced and fooled by stupid little rich kids like George Bush? They are the same ones who wanted to have Muhammad Ali locked up for refusing to kill gooks. They speak for all that is cruel and stupid and vicious in the American character. They are the racists and hate mongers among us; they are the Ku Klux Klan. I piss down the throats of these Nazis. And I am too old to worry about whether they like it or not. Fuck them. – Hunter S Thompson