The Largest Issue Facing This Country ....... Not Sure what To Do.

The issue that affects every issue we face as humans is easily the LOSS or TAKEOVER of our MEDIA. It affects EVERYBODY IN AMERICA every single day. With a compliant media look at what has happened the last three years under the "puppet and his master". Nothing is covered and Lord knows where they will stop.

When America wakes up, they turn on TV or radio. I don't know about you but there is nothing but propaganda for the "teflon liar". Radio is a joke...Clear Channel must have daily "talking points" ...TV is owned by corporations that reflect their owners ideology.

We are a "brainwashed country" from morning until night. People are tired when they come home from work and have little energy to read the various alternative media sites.

It amazes me to see the "energy/effort" of the democratic grass root efforts (for each candidate). It's tough becuase you are not getting any help between: radio, TV, print etc....

You can look at any issue of significance and there is NO effort to educate and inform the people so they can understand how their reprentatives vote. Medicare reform was a prime example. 90% of america was snowballed by the AARP endorsement and people sold out our future.

Paul O'neil (former sec, treasurer) brings up a $44 Trillion "gap" when he analyzed the "government income vs expenses" ...medicare and social safety nets on a crash course. Of course he was fired and the document not discussed.

We are facing "major economic and structural issues" and the media has choosen to "dumb down America and will go along with whoever sign their paycheck.

If anyone needs validation, look to the foriegn press. They cover more "revealing issues" then our own press. They see programs and interviews that do not see the light of day.

I'm not sure how "24 hour propaganda machine" gets defeated. We need our own media. Our future president depends on it.

BushCo could have never pulled 9-11 off without the active complicity of the head honchos running the Republican-worshipping mainstream media.

Can you imagine the long list of spiked stories since 9-11?

Democracy was a good idea, until the rich decided it was wasted on the poor.

Most of DU, I'd bet, would agree with you.

Here's an interesting show that I heard a few days ago:

Media, Profit and the Public Interest Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Does the first amendment mean the media should provide balanced, community-oriented information and culture, or that the government should butt out of broadcasters’ business? It’s "Media, Profit and the Public Interest”, a WNYC co-production with The Nation and The Economist magazines hosted by On The Media's Bob Garfield.


This show covers the very items you bring up in your post and features numerous activists who are out there working for changes to restore the media to its position of responsibility (instead of constant showtime). The audience is largely made up of people like us.

There is an FCC spokesperson, too, trying to rationalize their actions. FWIW, he is pretty much laughed out of the room.

Go to this URL and scroll to the headline "Media, Profit and the Public Interest."


Cher


on edit: I should note that the above program was a co-production of
The Nation and The Economist magazines.

Go to the media circus stakeouts, (Kobe, Scott Peterson, Michael) wher they have dozens of cameras and reporters waiting to cover the most trivial stuff, and walk into the live shots with posters or Tshirts saying OUR messages: Bush Lied, The Media Lies, Where is our REAL News, whatever--we should have squads of bold undercover activists ready to disrupt their shows wherever and whenever they are forcing pap down our throats instead of covering the real issues important to Americans. Just wait and casually walk in to the shot as if you are an innocent bystander and then FLASH!

I love this idea--I would like to see it happen over and over again. But the activists would have to be prepared for security and arrest.
I don't think it's a crime though, so I would applaud it!

There is nothing fair or balanced in our media...worse yet...Rove and company plan thier plots and use the media as a "tool". Iraq is a major media "spin"...with zero room for investigative efforts.

The new liberal radio effort is interesting...but getting off the ground in late spring is "too late" IMHO to affect the election.

There must be a "calling out" of the lies so great that there is embarrassment.....but with facts.

The idea:
Our candidates have the "spotlight" ...let them share with the people this problem with facts. They are going to get slammed either way...but at least it might wake up the "sheeple".

Long trenchcoats won't be conspicuous in wintertime. Walk out when you hear the reporter talking, turn and flash: MEDIA LIES.

It's not a crime, just an annoyance. :)

As long as the *corp media is ALLOWED to operate without any oversight, the country will continue on its rapid slide down the tubes. NO ONE in the *media should expect a day without some interruption. Their vans must be tailed, their pictures and messages interrupted, their offices picketed DAILY. The *corp media is DESTROYING what little remains of America's "democracy." They deserve all the respect of liars, thieves and muggers.

You're looking at it.

with these forums....in fact I think the right underesimates it's effect.

Look at the people trying to shoot the DU messenger lately.

but I was speaking of the internet in general -- still not a mass medium, but we can utilize it to inform ourselves to better take action in the "real world." Using the internest we can write better letters to the editor, download and display signs and bumper stickers, print flyers and go door-to-door. The internet is a starting place for activism. We can defeat the media if we take some personal responibility and take action based on what we learn on the internet.

when a people no longer believe "democracy," as we define it in modern culture is effective in bringing about security and the fruits of our labors, they dont care who is in charge.

some could point to the manufacturing of consent by the mass media controllers as chomsky does and make a fairly good case that this attitude is based upon a manipulation of the public sentient to convince people it doesn't matter who leads the country.

"Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one"

the problem has been around for quite some time.

The internet is the beginnings of a solution, but you still have to have access to a computer.

And intimidated too.

*, the other day tried out the newest intimidation. Remember when he was talking about how he deserved favorable treatment because of the Holiday season? What a punk! And the press laughed it up!

Without an active and probing press, this country is indeed in trouble.
Allowing the Warshington elites to carry on as if they were all innocent, the press continues to abort democracy and allow bribery to rule the day.

Optimism that the press will begin to snarl at the feverish hiding of the truth is demanded of all democracy loving individuals. Optimism and action. Every chance we get we should remind the members of the press that our country depends on them to do their job to the best of their abilities. Anything less is anti-American.

Great first post!

A few of their opinion columnists really savage *Bush. They give coverage and column space to real issues and real problems in Bush's policies all around.

Go to www.Cleveland.com and read the columns by Dick Feagler.

:kick: :kick:

Every day people here post plea's for help in responding to some 'wingnut e-mail', 'wingnut relative', 'wingnut in my office' or 'wingnut on another board'! Why? :shrug:

Stop being on the defensive and start going on the offensive! :evilgrin:

'Wingnuts' don't write the laws! Neither does the press! Instead of wasting time trying to change a mind that won't be changed no matter how truthful the argument you present, use the time to contact the people who do write the laws! Demand the changes you want to see. Start with the Black Box Voting issue because if we don't get the changes needed to ensure our votes are valid and counted properly, the rest of the issues won't matter. I've been contacting my local, state and federal representatives for some time now and every day I see the difference that it makes. Take the letter I just received from my local Congresswoman.

December 19, 2003

Pat XXXXXX
XXXX XXXX XXXXXXX Road
Felton, California 95018

Dear Pat,

Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 2239, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this bill.

In the 107th Congress, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was passed and it is currently helping states throughout the country replace out of date and unreliable punch card and butterfly ballot voting systems. H.R. 2239 takes this plan one step further. H.R. 2239 requires all voting machines to produce an actual paper record by 2004 so that voters can view and check the accuracy of their votes, and election officials can verify votes in event of a computer malfunction, hacking, or other irregularity.

H.R. 2239 has been referred to the House Administration Committee. The stakes are high. Billions of dollars have been invested in our voting system in order to restore public confidence in the election process and I shall continue to fight for an accurate voting system.

If you have any other questions or comments, let me hear from you. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents and ask that you continue to inform me on issues you care about. I need your thoughts and benefit from your ideas.

If you'd like to receive information on other issues, I've created an e-newsletter to keep constituents informed on a variety of topics. If you'd like to receive it, go to my website at http://www.house.gov/eshoo and click on "Monthly E-Newsletter Sign-Up."


Sincerely,

Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress


I've watched as issue after issue hits the press and disappear just as quickly. BBV has legs. Since mid July when Bev Harris launched the 'first volley', the BBV issue has been constantly in the press. New laws are being introduced and we need to hammer this one home.

Don't waste your time getting depressed. Do get angry, then GET ACTIVE!

Get a hold of your representatives and :kick: some ass! :)
Stop worrying about what right wing radio listeners and FAUX NEWS viewers are hearing and start changing what your representatives are hearing!
Together we can make a difference!

Contols the Media plain and simple. Seems if you want real news you have to find "underground" channels. You find most of these on the web I am glad Bush has not taken contorl over it yet.