Bill O'Reilly: Tech helps the terrorists win
If you're a gamer, a techie or even an iPod user, Bill O'Reilly thinks you are contributing to the downfall of America.
In one of his usual rants against whatever it is he hasn't ranted about yet, the Fox News commentator compared the latest wave of desire for gadgets and gaming consoles to the lust for alcohol and drugs as vehicles for escapism.
"Basically what you have is a large portion of the population, mostly younger people under the age of 45, who don't deal with reality--ever," O'Reilly said on the radio edition of his O'Reilly Factor show, as quoted by GamePolitics.com.
O'Reilly boasted that he didn't own an iPod, couldn't fathom the appeal of a game console like the PlayStation 3, and issued a dire warning that the youth of America are not developing the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.
"I really fear for the United States because, believe me, the jihadists? They're not playing the video games. They're killing real people over there," he said.
Anyway, we're pretty used to O'Reilly as the John Dvorak of the political world by this point. Say something outrageous, say it with a little panache and watch the hits roll in. Still, if you're moved by O'Reilly's anti-tech screed enough to become a premium member of his Web site, you should probably decline the free podcast, unless you're a terrorist appeaser, you tech-loving freedom-hating commie.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom.
