Letters to the Editor
achilleselbow
Published Letters: 292 Editor's Choice: 16
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This is why capitalism and democracy don't mix
[Read the article: Firing Imus was the right thing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm going to have to agree with Rob Anderson on this one. Taken as an isolated case, of course I personally like the fact that Imus got fired. But it's hard to avoid the slippery slope argument. And while Joan may be technically right about the first amendment not protecting your high-paying broadcasting job, did not the right-wingers invoke that same argument when Bill Maher got dropped by ABC?
The point is that 'free speech' is completely meaningless when all important avenues for said speech are controlled by corporate entities whose main goal is to create profit. Because any speech that jeopardizes said profit is as good as banned. The result becomes a tyranny of the majority, where the only things that can be said are those that at least half the population will agree on. In America that translates to soccer mom-oriented programs on catching 'predators', American Idol, and empty political debates where people trade bumper sticker slogans about 'freedom' and trip over each other to assert just how important religion is to them. For any other views, it's "why don't you go write a blog". Except even then people can boycott your ISP to shut you down if they really want.
The blog defense would perhaps be more valid in a world where the dominance of the corporate media weren't so complete as to render most other forms of 'speech' practically useless and ineffective. Personally, I'm always a bit surprised when anyone makes a big deal out of something that TV or radio personalities say because I read all my news and opinion, and my drive-time is Iron Maiden time, not uninformed loudmouth time. But then I have to remind myself that there are a ton of people out there who haven't yet outgrown the morning paper/morning tv/morning radio lifestyle and made the jump to the internet, and are basically relying on whatever gargbage comes down the pipeline. Salon, Slate, and the various blogs have no shortage of garbage, but at least you're exposed to different kinds of trash rather and have the power to choose, rather than being hostage to whatever comes on the air.
A decentralized media (and perhaps the demise of TV and radio shows that rely more on the speaker's personality and tone than the actual facts) would definitely be the best option. But until we have that, the restriction of discourse in mainstream media is a legitimate concern.
Actually, if enough people believe that Imus' free speech is being violated, they could boycott ABC or the advertisers who pulled out. Thankfully, I doubt enough people believe that. Something of the sort should have been done for Bill Maher though.
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The dangers of irrationality
[Read the article: The dark legacy of Carlos Castaneda]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is exactly why I have a problem with any religion, not just Christianity, and not because they're 'oppressive' or 'narrow-minded', but because they are simply not true. These were people who were too hip and avant-garde to settle for one of the boring organized religions, but were too weak to shake off that idiotic mantra of "there MUST be something more out there". Rational atheism, belief in a scientific phyiscal world just weren't hip enough for them, just like they aren't today for many new-age liberals who prattle on about Buddhism and yoga. But what these kinds of cults and the fundamentalist factions of more mainstream religions both demonstrate is the danger of relinquishing rationalism and the scientific worldview. Once you've opened the door to mystical mumbo-jumbo and 'faith', anything goes.