Letters to the Editor
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@Holly McLachlan
You're absolutely correct, and you make the point very well.
Recently my (elderly, Christian, conservative, ignorant) grandmother, who is aware of my political views and affiliations, asked me if I listened to Limbaugh. I was genuinely surprised and said (attempting a "wry" tone) that I was "one of those liberals" he complains about. She reassured me that it was all right; he has "liberals on too!" and he "just wants to hear all views" and "speaks his own mind."
What's particularly repellent about the "forced feeding" you describe so accurately is that the powers that be genuinely don't care about the agregate monster they're creating and feeding. A huge, angry, deliberately-misled mob doesn't bother them in the least, even as they policies they're fooled into voting for and supporting directly ruin their livelihoods and get their limbs blown off (and worse) overseas.
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Anonymous, Holly, and Jordan
Hi Anonymous, Holly, and Jordan,
Anonymous, why were the people shocked by 9/11? I heard about 9/11 on the radio playing next door as I woke up. My first thought was literally, "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. I'm surprised it wasn't a nuke." I thought this because I was not American and so I was perceiving reality. American's, on the other hand, were shocked because they were in illusion. They thought America would not be attacked in such a way simply because "America is the greatest". In other words, they were brainwashed with patriotism.
Holly and Jordan, Excellent points. I had a conservative working in my office who used to spout extreme rightwing stuff from the tabloid newspaper and another who listened to a rightwing shockjock. I tuned out because I wasn't interested in the subjects they spoke about. Then someone asked me a question on one of those subjects and I found myself spouting the shockjock's and the newspaper's views verbatim! I hadn't given the subject any thought, so there was only the brainwashing available for me to draw on!
But what's going to change this? We can consistently state the truth and support people like Glenn and the few good politicians out there. Other than that, I guess we can enjoy this miraculous life in this wonderful universe, and see how it all plays out. I'm curious to see what the world looks like in 2020.
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@Martin Gifford
Viz. your direct point, I agree completely. The most recent example of this phenomenon was when the Iranian president was going to speak at New York's Columbia University and Americans everywhere were up in arms. Iranians and other non-Americans were genuinely perplexed, because they live in actual reality and don't realize that Americans have been systematically trained to identify Iran and all Middle-Eastern (non-Christian) nations directly with 9/11. As Josh Marshall pointed out, "On the one hand, Iran had nothing to do with 9/11, but on the other hand he may as well have blown up the buildings personally."
It's a serious problem and it may take decades to correct, but the one thing history shows us about "American problems that may take decades to correct" is that they tend to get corrected a bit more quickly than everyone predicts. I personally believe that some combination of 1) a sane President (Gore would be ideal) and 2) Reparations to Iraq would go a long way towards fixing all of this. I understand that I'm dreaming, but so what -- it's four in the morning here.
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Martin Gifford?
I think it is P. Singer who sings: we gonna all need to get a wee bit littler.
Think about it? literally.
O, I love I can't resist.
As a mouse runs around.
And the meeting place is rural, made with wood and stone, and no person wanted another persons ruin, or wished them stomped down lowly.
But all come in, the farmer and the clown, and no one empty-handed,
with gifts,
to salute.
cakes, cheeses, different beer, different wines, emblems of themselves:
plums, peach, lodging, warmth, praise heaped on the good Lady!
hospitality.
All guest.
P.S. But I understand the part about hauling out by the ear or drug by feet.
All got fed.
others chastised.
It is a good Place.
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stunningly quiet
(thanks, Ondelette)
Where are the University students? It's amazing how quiet the campuses are. Maybe we should be reaching out to Journalism Professors, rather than Congress and MSM outlets. Seems as though "Journalists Disappeared by US forces" could be a Cause Célèbre for journalism students not yet intimated by the "forces that be." How did the anti=Apartheid movement hit campuses? It must have been a concerted effort, though they had the advantage of a popular, religious speaker in Tutu.
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9/11 shadow
Robert Fisk, one of the few Western journalists to have ever interviewed Bin Laden, wrote that Bin Laden said he wanted "to make America a shadow of itself."
Though history has shown that numerous presidents systematically violated human rights and ignored international treaties, it seems Bush jr. finally excelled in doing just that.
Detaining people without any case whatsoever, wasn't that something Saddam Hussein would do, and wasn't he a bad dictator that had to be removed?
I guess N. Klein's right; that's the only explanantion I can find - when in shock, you can feed people anything.
But it this still 9/11/01?
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What do you expect? Evil sells.
America's rightwing is basically the lowest common denominator.
Take your very worst instincts, your selfishness, your hate, your racism, your impulse towards violence, put them all together, and you have the rightwinger, a sniveling savage whose chief contribution to history has generally resulted in genocide.
And I hate to point this out, but advertisers aren't exactly into making money by appealing to your better nature, and your media isn't exactly working for free.
They feed your apathy, your despair, your fear and your bloodlust because it helps them sell you Bud (AKA: Tastes Like Watered Down Piss) in a market where those dirty South Africans are selling real beer.
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re: A heavily propagandized people ... Holly gets it wrong.
He (Limbaugh)presents himself as a 'balanced' commentator
This is a good example of how a little knowledge is dangerous, and how one generally hears what one wants to hear. Actually, no. Limbaugh takes pride in being "equal time" as the conservative that balances out the liberal media. He revels in being unapologetic for being who he is.
This soothing Fr. Coughlin garbage works. Its proliferation into FM is not simply a function of programming chasing the market; it's programming creating the market, by crowding out everything else.
This is just nonsense. One program out of hundreds does not "crowd out" everything else. Like everything else in a competive marketplace one attracts an audience. It's not possible to force people to listen to anything. That's why Air America does so poorly. As an aside, I prefer the Lionel Show on AA in the 9-12 AM slot. I may disagree with him on most things but he is indisputably entertaining.
I know I'm not unique in just wanting to hear some music. I don't know many people who prefer DJ patter to tunes -- and yet 24/7 patter is all these kind of stations deliver.
Then unlimber that index finger and push another button. Are you being held hostage? Has your finger gone numb? Have you been hypnotized by secret signals and unable to tune in the 6 jillion other FM stations available? I for one would be embarrassed to claim victimhood at the hands of a car radio.
In your average back office or warehouse there is usually one bully who wants to hear this shit, and a bunch of 'normals' who just don't want static so they go along.
LOL. You know this is true because ???? OR is it actually this other scenario?
But, then they get a little sucked in, because the guy on the radio sounds so..... reasonable.
The truth will set you free. As example here's something unexpected I picked up yesterday.... Democrats have become the party of the rich.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ft/071104/fto110420071235381693.html?.v=1That explains quite a bit about recent actions of Congress don't you think?