My response to: "The government controls the media"

[SHRED]

The view that, "The government controls the media. The people are brainwashed" was expressed on another board.

I replied below.

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My research and observation has shown me that the control of "the media" is squarely in the hands of corporate monopolies. De-regulation, via such things as the Telcomm Act http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.htmll have actually taken away "government control" and allowed for single corporations, such as Clear Channel http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/clearchannel.asp to own vast amounts of the media. The ensuing monopolies have had a detrimental affect on diversity of viewpoints getting heard. What we have is a "media" that uses the Public airwaves for their own commercial special interests.

The problem with government and the media is that we have lost our Public control over both of them to big money, multi-national corporate interests.

We, as citizens, need to regain influence over our government.
I suggest Publicly funded elections as a start. We could also start with removing the late 1800's doctrine of "corporate personhood" that gave Corporates the same Rights as an individual citizen and treats them as a "person". http://reclaimdemocracy.org/personhood/

It's monopolistic, corporate, big money, that influences public opinion via the media, controls our government, and leads us into wars.
There is a concerted effort, that has been going on for years, by Corporate Special Interests, to have the Public blame their government and look at the government in a highly negative view. This creates apathy and disdain. With low voter turnout and lack of involvement of the citizens in their government, the big money interests have been having a field day. They love it when we take our eyes off of them and blame the "government".
Any attempt, by our government, to re-regulate big business is immediately met with a barrage of negative press that is blasted from the media with a deafening roar as against "free market capitalism".
Those of you, over on the right have bought it hook, line, and sinker.
We the people suffer.

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[blm]

1. Exactly. This is how they plant the seeds of fascism.

Unfortunately the seeds were planted many years ago and are already bearing fruit.

[SHRED]

2. Yes...we need only to look...

..at the Energy Bill, Bankruptcy Bill, Prescription Drug Bill, and what is being cut and who are getting tax breaks, the Iraq invasion, to see the fruit of these seeds.

The public is asleep.
Will they awaken in time, or will fascism completely take over?

[blm]

3. My take: postKatrina and postFitzgerald America is waking up and smelling

the growing fascism.

The media is finding some events UNSPINNABLE and are unprepared. There IS no good defense of BushInc to be had and they are stuck reporting actual bits of truth now.

[SHRED]

4. true...

there is a slight shift.

[No Exit]

5. Boy do I agree with you about "corporate personhood"!

Incidentally, I just posted an article about Indymedia.

At this time, the internet still contains many independent blogs (whether associated with Indymedia, or not.)

Lately I have a set of blogs, and a couple of forums (this is one of them) which I go to to read national and world news.

I don't know what I'd do without them. I certainly don't just click on CNN, MSNBC, or Faux for news. We definitely need real media, from real people--not from soulless, stateless corporations.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Other Than Dredd Scott, Worst SCOTUS Decision Ever

An entity made up of people gets to count itself as a citizen. That fails every logic test that can be thrown at it.
The Professor

[No Exit]

7. Well... worst up till now! (Give 'em time... with Scalia around, who

knows what eevil lurks under those black roves?)

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Yeah, We Agree

Among the worst, so far! The ED decision was pretty thin, i concur.
The Professor

[No Exit]

8. Oh, hey, wait a minute! One that's definitely in the running for

"worst" is that one about eminent domain that just got released a year or so ago. I know it wasn't Scalia's doing, but it was still bad!

[SHRED]

10. You are so right! n/t