Things you should'a' said
Dr. Rachel Maddow, one of this nation's most astute radio columnists, and a frequent panelist and guest on cable news shows, is angry because she feels she wasn't courageous enough or quick enough to say what she really felt in response to an extended discussion of yet another non-issue that occupies so much of the Corporate Controlled News programs broadcast for our entertainment.
Last week a woman known all around the world died. What was the response from the American Corporate press? I doubt if more than a handful of Americans knew of the life, let alone the tragic loss of Angela E. V. King, who for 38 years led efforts to end discrimination against women and promote gender equality at the United Nations. I'm not aware of even a moment's notice of her passing. But we had nonstop coverage of a Playboy Pinup's demise and sordid, soap-opera existence.
Additionally, Buzzflash pointed out that
• The Pentagon issuing a report admitting that they had a department set up that helped create lies to convince America to go to war with Iraq.
• The Libby trial further revealing that Cheney orchestrated a campaign, with the approval of Bush, that included outing a CIA operative who specialized in tracking the illicit sale and possession of WMD’s, the very reason Cheney and Bush claimed that we went to war with Iraq over, but lied about.
• Congressional hearings unearthed multiple Bush Administration betrayals and deceptions including that the Iranians had offered awhile back to have comprehensive negotiations with the U.S. to help stabilize Iraq and even potentially recognize Israel. The Bush Administration ignored their offer.
• Among the many other Congressional hearing bombshells, we learned that the Bush "Viceroy" for Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, allowed the distribution of $12 billion in cash without requiring any record keeping.
• The Bush Administration continued putting naval and military resources in place to launch a nuclear airstrike on Iran.
None of this rated highly enough for the Conservative Corporate News industry. It took the unexpected death of a Hollywood Harlett to shake our attention from the pathetic breakdown of an a woman and her attempt to confront her rival, complete with morbid and nearly baseless speculation about her intent.
And now the American Corporate Propaganda industry is repeating the crimes it committed in the lead up to the Iraq war in an attempt to create a pretext for an attack on Iran. As Joseph Pulitzer said, "Our Republic and Our Press will rise or fall together."
So Rachel, please don't beat yourself up for this. You are one of the brave journalists upon whose capable shoulders rest the future of our nation. We all support and admire you. You once again, in your essay, said EXACTLY what I've been trying to argue for the last 5 days. Don't we all, after the pressure's off, know the feeling of "what I should have said?" I know I've felt that way after far less stressful occassions than expressing myself in front of an audience of millions.
I love you Rachel. YOU say for me what I can't even think of saying.
On another point
Because of the relentless droning of the corporate propaganda media, far too many of us have bought into this fantasy that we are subject to some sort of unusual securtiy concerns. SUCH UTTER NONSENSE!
Until the ramming through of the "Patriot Act", I never really understoond what FDR was warning us of when he told us there is nothing to fear but fear itself. What we have been seeing since then makes that warning perfectly clear. How eager we are to shed ourselves of the insecurity of FREEDOM, to rush into the warm, protective embrace of an authoritarian police state.
Peace
Last week a woman known all around the world died. What was the response from the American Corporate press? I doubt if more than a handful of Americans knew of the life, let alone the tragic loss of Angela E. V. King, who for 38 years led efforts to end discrimination against women and promote gender equality at the United Nations. I'm not aware of even a moment's notice of her passing. But we had nonstop coverage of a Playboy Pinup's demise and sordid, soap-opera existence.
Additionally, Buzzflash pointed out that
• The Pentagon issuing a report admitting that they had a department set up that helped create lies to convince America to go to war with Iraq.
• The Libby trial further revealing that Cheney orchestrated a campaign, with the approval of Bush, that included outing a CIA operative who specialized in tracking the illicit sale and possession of WMD’s, the very reason Cheney and Bush claimed that we went to war with Iraq over, but lied about.
• Congressional hearings unearthed multiple Bush Administration betrayals and deceptions including that the Iranians had offered awhile back to have comprehensive negotiations with the U.S. to help stabilize Iraq and even potentially recognize Israel. The Bush Administration ignored their offer.
• Among the many other Congressional hearing bombshells, we learned that the Bush "Viceroy" for Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, allowed the distribution of $12 billion in cash without requiring any record keeping.
• The Bush Administration continued putting naval and military resources in place to launch a nuclear airstrike on Iran.
None of this rated highly enough for the Conservative Corporate News industry. It took the unexpected death of a Hollywood Harlett to shake our attention from the pathetic breakdown of an a woman and her attempt to confront her rival, complete with morbid and nearly baseless speculation about her intent.
And now the American Corporate Propaganda industry is repeating the crimes it committed in the lead up to the Iraq war in an attempt to create a pretext for an attack on Iran. As Joseph Pulitzer said, "Our Republic and Our Press will rise or fall together."
So Rachel, please don't beat yourself up for this. You are one of the brave journalists upon whose capable shoulders rest the future of our nation. We all support and admire you. You once again, in your essay, said EXACTLY what I've been trying to argue for the last 5 days. Don't we all, after the pressure's off, know the feeling of "what I should have said?" I know I've felt that way after far less stressful occassions than expressing myself in front of an audience of millions.
I love you Rachel. YOU say for me what I can't even think of saying.
On another point
Because of the relentless droning of the corporate propaganda media, far too many of us have bought into this fantasy that we are subject to some sort of unusual securtiy concerns. SUCH UTTER NONSENSE!
Until the ramming through of the "Patriot Act", I never really understoond what FDR was warning us of when he told us there is nothing to fear but fear itself. What we have been seeing since then makes that warning perfectly clear. How eager we are to shed ourselves of the insecurity of FREEDOM, to rush into the warm, protective embrace of an authoritarian police state.
Peace
posted by Mike G. at
1:13 PM
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