“I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] fire. I was instead in a following aircraft.” for 12 years he did not say otherwise

By Dr. Fred

http://www.fortruthssake.com/2015/02/brian-williams-credibility-is-gone-with-the-wind/

Losing one’s credibility is not easy for most of us to handle. At the same time, it is a commonality that binds us together as human beings. All of us are capable of losing credibility.

Over the past few years, I’ve come across many on the right who belligerently oppose those on the left and when some on the left falter and fail through their own innate hypocrisy leading to a fall, many on the right jump on the Gloating Bandwagon. We’ve all done it. I’ve done it and I’m not proud of it.

It’s natural then when people on the right – who have spent their time gloating over the downfall of those on the left – fall through their own error and have to face up to it as well and part of that includes the left’s castigation of them for their failure. It goes back and forth and is part of the political arena these days.

News anchor Brian Williams apparently lied about some heroic military mission he flew in which he says the helicopter he was flying in was hit by an RPG. This effectively grounded that copter. This allegedly took place March 24, 2003, so Williams has been spreading this story around for some time.

He was finally caught in the lie when members of the military present that day came out and called Williams on his dishonesty.

Williams apologized to the Nightly News audience on Wednesday, lamely allowing, “I would not have chosen to make this mistake. I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another.” He claimed his story at the game was a “bungled attempt” to thank soldiers who guarded him in 2003, adding, “I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago. I want to apologize.”

But even with his apology, according to numerous reports, he appears to be continuing the lie with his statement.

“I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] fire. I was instead in a following aircraft.”

Okay, so he made a simple mistake, right? He was right behind the first aircraft that had been hit with an RPG. He could have just as easily been hit as well.

But hold up. Apparently, the aircraft he said he was in that was following the first aircraft that was hit by an RPG, was actually one hour behind the first one. That bit of information – conveniently left out by Williams – changes the entire story. In fact, Williams was never in any danger of being hit by the RPG that hit the first aircraft simply because Williams didn’t arrive to that location for an hour.

But what might be even more interesting is how Brian Williams has reacted in the past to people (normally those on the right) who have lost credibility. In a 2007 lecture he gave to a group of journalism students, Williams touted the “B.S. meter.”

All of my life, developing credentials to cover my field of work, and now I’m up against a guy named Vinny in an efficiency apartment in the Bronx who hasn’t left the efficiency apartment in two years…

Of course, we now know that NBC news anchor Brian Williams fabricated a story in 2003 and has been telling the tale since then. Apparently, his B.S. meter doesn’t work on himself; only on others.

Wouldn’t it be grand if Williams completely owned up and resigned his position at NBC? How can anyone take him seriously anymore? It seems the more you gain, the more self-aggrandizing you wind up being.

This is the problem with politics. People have a goal in mind and because of that, it’s almost as if all is fair in love and war. Anything goes as long as you best your opponent.

In the news world, this should not exist. People like Brian Williams should not be reporting the news, because their reporting is often colored by the way they look at life. For Williams, something in him felt he needed to be seen as some type of hero, flying right into the belly of the beast safely. This would make him more respected. People would see his credibility meter rise because of it.

Now we know that Brian Williams cannot be trusted and it makes me wonder how many stories or “news reports” he has embellished to paint a certain picture? How often has he possibly not presented all the facts, keeping some hidden from viewers that would have changed the outlook of that bit of news?

Most conservatives have known all along that too many news anchors/bureaus cannot be trusted to tell us the truth or even all the news. They pick and choose, they twist and turn things into something that little resembles the truth. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that even Walter Cronkite did this, since it turns out he leaned toward the “progressive” side of things politically.

Credibility is something we have until it’s removed. Once it’s gone, it can’t be returned. A person might spend the rest of their life attempting to rebuild it, but they will always come up short. It doesn’t matter whether you are on the right or left either. It is part of what ails humanity.

Brian Williams should resign, but it’s doubtful that he will. His position, the money, his circle of friends, colleagues, and confidants is too much to part with, so he’ll stay. NBC’s ratings are terrible and have been for some time. This won’t help either.

By the way, so that there is no mistake, this would be true whether the person is on the “right” or the “left.” Credibility is all each person has and when that is gone, so is the reason to listen to what they have to say.