Monday, October 23, 2006
Triple Media-Democracy Extravaganza!
Today, I've had three media/democracy-related things come across my view.
1) Somebody sent me a link to this startlingly frank opinion piece by MSNBC Anchorman Keith Olbermann regarding recent legislation (The Military Commissions Act) pushed through by the Bush admin, which disposes of Habeus Corpus. If you have Internet Explorer 6 or later, watch the video. Otherwise, the text pretty much sums it up but loses a bit of the ire in his voice.
2) I just got done watching a documentary entitled "Orwell Rolls in His Grave," that is the best available information on what is happening with the media today (or in 2003-2004), and how it connects to politics, and to the state of political affairs in America today. It's no blockbuster, but if you have any interest in being a true patriot in America or any other nation (the propaganda machine they've got rolling is big enough to roll into China, Europe and anywhere else the multinationals have interests), you must rent this film.
3) I just read a story about how the BBC admitted its "guilt" in being left-leaning, and "disproportionately over-represented by gays and ethnic minorities." Sorry, did I miss something where someone declared that a crime? And is this issue of gays and minorities being overrepresented a problem to the point where they're oppressing the straight population, and the white population??? It's not a crime in the USA for a media corporation to be right-leaning, and call themselves "fair and balanced." Then again, if its an issue of the BBC being public property of the people of England, one could have an argument. I'd offer the rejoinder (at least for the people of the USA) that the corporate oligopoly are making several TENS of BILLIONS of dollars at the taxpayers' expense, since OUR airwaves have been given to them by unscrupulous politicians whose favor can be curried for only millions of dollars or less. (Seems like a pretty good ROI to any investor, eh?)
I offered a comment to their site which goes against the seven comments currently already published. In response, the page I'm sent to says "Your comment will be reviewed shortly. Comments may be edited and not all will be published." If my comment gets published, great. If, however, my comment goes unpublished, I'd name/frame that action as "censorship for the purpose of creating apparent consensus."
lyrics:
mood: sleepy
chant/prayer/mantra: may the voice in our fifth chakra be blessed today and every day.
pax hominibus,
joel
1) Somebody sent me a link to this startlingly frank opinion piece by MSNBC Anchorman Keith Olbermann regarding recent legislation (The Military Commissions Act) pushed through by the Bush admin, which disposes of Habeus Corpus. If you have Internet Explorer 6 or later, watch the video. Otherwise, the text pretty much sums it up but loses a bit of the ire in his voice.
2) I just got done watching a documentary entitled "Orwell Rolls in His Grave," that is the best available information on what is happening with the media today (or in 2003-2004), and how it connects to politics, and to the state of political affairs in America today. It's no blockbuster, but if you have any interest in being a true patriot in America or any other nation (the propaganda machine they've got rolling is big enough to roll into China, Europe and anywhere else the multinationals have interests), you must rent this film.
3) I just read a story about how the BBC admitted its "guilt" in being left-leaning, and "disproportionately over-represented by gays and ethnic minorities." Sorry, did I miss something where someone declared that a crime? And is this issue of gays and minorities being overrepresented a problem to the point where they're oppressing the straight population, and the white population??? It's not a crime in the USA for a media corporation to be right-leaning, and call themselves "fair and balanced." Then again, if its an issue of the BBC being public property of the people of England, one could have an argument. I'd offer the rejoinder (at least for the people of the USA) that the corporate oligopoly are making several TENS of BILLIONS of dollars at the taxpayers' expense, since OUR airwaves have been given to them by unscrupulous politicians whose favor can be curried for only millions of dollars or less. (Seems like a pretty good ROI to any investor, eh?)
I offered a comment to their site which goes against the seven comments currently already published. In response, the page I'm sent to says "Your comment will be reviewed shortly. Comments may be edited and not all will be published." If my comment gets published, great. If, however, my comment goes unpublished, I'd name/frame that action as "censorship for the purpose of creating apparent consensus."
lyrics:
"When Black Friday comescolors: mustard yellow, ruby red, mint green
I'm gonna dig myself a hole
Gonna lay down in it
'Til I satisfy my soul"
-Steely Dan
mood: sleepy
chant/prayer/mantra: may the voice in our fifth chakra be blessed today and every day.
pax hominibus,
joel
