Why isn't the US and UK media focused on corruption here in the states rather than corruption everywhere else? I would argue that it is done intentionally to distract the American people from what is really important in our own lives. Our media is bought and sold by corrupt corporate interests and they have no desire to tell us the truth about what is going on in our own country, for if they did so, they would be pointing the finger at themselves instead of everywhere else.

It's common belief in the U.S. (although much less so in DU) that other countries, particularly third-world countries, have a far more serious problem with corruption than we do. And while some may, what I've noticed over the years is that they usually just have a much more active press than the U.S. does - and no doubt for the very reasons you just stated.

Can you imagine, for instance, if Anonymous or anyone like that ever managed to hack the client lists in offshore banks in the Caymans and elsewhere? A LOT of very familiar names in U.S. politics would be there, I promise you that (Romney certainly isn't the only one).

So thank you for those thoughts. It's important to point that out from time to time.

And welcome to DU, highoverheadspace. I hope you enjoy it here, and remember: Latest Breaking News can be from anywhere in the world, as long as it's noteworthy and reliably sourced. You'll find there's a lot more tolerance here for alternative news sites - within certain bounds - than in Wackopedia, for instance. Most here on DU are very aware of the sad fact that corporate media commits many a sin of omission.

Glad to see that you see it too. I think more and more people are waking up to how propaganda works in the US these days. We really do live in Huxleys Brave New World. I hope more people take the glasses off and see how we are being lied to and manipulated.

Things these days remind me of the cult movie "They Live" from the cheesy 80's. In the movie, he has to put on the glasses to see it all. Ah, the power of propaganda.

A master of making good cinema out of disturbing stories that are probably a little closer to the truth than most people would be comfortable with.

At the very least, an excellent metaphor for our times.

Not aliens. It is an excellent metaphor for where we are at today. Edward Bernays has had a terrible affect on human society. Roger Ailes of Fox news cites him as his main influence and it certainly shows. A study of Bernays should be mandatory in US schools.

Or, should I say, Ann O'Connor. That's the name she used while collecting SSI for years, probably illegally so.

On a personal note, Bernays is identical to my late paternal grandfather - a real self-righteous bastard, sorry to say (and of course an incorrigible right-winger). My grandmother outlived him by 20 years, which was about as long as it took her to heal emotionally.

Takes all kinds, I suppose.