The New York Times editorial today goes after the "new and not improved" Barack Obama. These reports of flip-flops are greatly exaggerated—why, it's almost as if the corporate media were attempting to unfairly shoehorn a Democratic candidate into a well-establishednegative frame—and to whatever extent that he has shifted to the center, well, welcome to American Politics 101.
Thus realizing my own detachment, I was forced to make myself see the tragedy. I had to think about it, truly think about it, before I could feel the hurt for this soldier-- so stressed and guilty over his men dying, he just... ended.
I can't say it was quick. The gunshot was quick-- not the degeneration. It was the degeneration that, ultimately, did the trick. I felt sad for his weeks of ennui and guilt.
As the internet spreads ever further around the globe and the mass media is being swallowed by corporate giants, each with its own agenda, is it really any surprise that people are turning away from their newspaper and toward their computer screen?
The mass media can no longer cover all the local news that it once did, especially in major cities. There's simply too much of it. Only a handful of cities still have more than one paper. How can one paper, even a hefty one, possibly cover all there is to write about? Even in those cities that do have two, there's still far too many stories. Some have to go unreported.
If we take a comprehensive look at the discussions, political platforms, candidates, and media events surrounding all of the presidential elections in the United States for the past half century, the outcomes of our elections, and the failure of the polity to respond to those outcomes, reveals a startling insight:
A majority of American voters are in favor of dismantling the Constitution, in favor of abolishing many of their civil liberties, and in favor of attempting to conquer the world through overt military force or by economic pressure, enhanced by the threat of military action.
As Americans, we have grown up relatively safe from the perils of foreign aggression that have weighed so heavily on the minds of those outside our borders since time immemorial. But the stinging memories so many of us harbor in the primordial recesses of our minds, often accumulated in our early childhood, tell us that in spite of the superficial safety I allude to above, we Americans are never truly safe, nor are our children, from the near threat: The enemy within.
In recent decades, there's been so much whistling past the graveyard on this count, so much obfuscation and misdirection. We hear media reports of the invasion from south of our border -- a clear attempt to divert our anxiety away from the danger in our own backyards. Nevertheless, we know this enemy is neither remote nor exotic. It isn't just something old folks in the south worry about. We see it on the streets, in our parks, even on our patios and in our window boxes.
My first couple of years in college were spent at the University of Delaware. A Philadelphia native, I was a graduate of the Philadelphia HS for Girls and had managed to secure a full tuition scholarship to UD. (There's an affirmative action diary in here somewhere that I'll come back to at a later time.)
Anyhoo, there were a decent number of black students from Philly at UD, the most infamous of whom was Tellis. I knew of him before I actually met him. Rumor had it (I think pretty accurately) that he was from Richard Allen (a housing project in Philly). He was involved in the Nation of Islam, had assumed his "X" and on a campus where black students made up fewer than 3% of the population with both institutional and overt racist incidents, those white folks in violation* just "didn't want it with him," as we like to say. I cherished him. He made it much easier to be strong while feeling help(hope)less.
Media Consolidation is a cancer on our democracy - and most people have never heard of it. During the time that the San Diego Progressive Air America Radio outlet KLSD was under fire from Clear Channel; threatened with being turned into a Sport Talk format, three film makers, Jon Monday, Drew Reiff, and Jen Douglas decided to film the events as they were unfolding, in order to communicate something that is happening all around the country: the narrowing of political discourse as a result of Media Consolidation. You can watch a preview clip at: Save KLSD Preview
I had a few coins in my pocket this week and thought my wife and I would go to the movies. Times have been tough and we hadn’t been in a while and it seemed like a good way to get out of the house. As I looked on the movie websites I discovered that there was nothing that I wanted to see. Nothing I would chance investing $18.00 in plus $20.00 for popcorn and drinks.
Yes, like many of you, last night's debate got me fuming too. Tim Russert, like so many others in the media (well maybe not Jack Cafferty)are turning themselves into a hinderence to the democratic process. And not just some individual anchormen either, entire media organization like CNN and Faux News. You know, the Founding Fathers had intended that the press be like a watchguard, but instead, in many ways, turned into a collaborator.
Update: Letter from Ex-Edwards Staffer copied at the end of this post.
In comments and/or diaries here and elsewhere, I have made my "Edwards support endorsement":
If you see a positive reason to vote "for" Senator Clinton, go ahead and vote for her
If you see a positive reason to vote "for" Senator Obama, go ahead and vote for him
If you do not, and John Edwards is fighting for the things you stand for, vote for him
However, it occurred to me that this leaves some people out ... people who lost their protest vote when Kucinich dropped out of the race ... people who would vote for Grouchy Gravel if it were not for the anti working family consumption tax ... people who would like "FU Mess Media" to be running.
A week and a day ago, I couldn't say this, but now that Edwards has suspended his campaign, I can. If you want to vote the loudest possible "FU Mess Media" vote, vote for Edwards.
Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant and the media, not having anything about Britney, Lindsay, or OJ to report, have been hyping the story. However, the real story is in a Presidential policy.
Abstinence-only education originated during the Clinton Administration, but was pushed to its climax as the foundation of a domestic policy program by the Bush–Cheney Administration. On the day that Jamie Lynn’s obstetric condition was spread out for all America, the House passed a $556 billion pork-laden appropriations bill that included $109 million for abstinence-only education for the first six months of the fiscal year. Bush himself had wanted a $204 million appropriation for the entire year, thus placating a base of Catholics, fundamental Protestants, and world-is-flat philosophers. States that teach abstinence-only sex education in their schools can apply for Health and Human Service funds to supplement millions they already spend; teaching that life gives people many choices doesn’t yield any funds. Not getting any funds are 14 states that believe students should be told not only about the problems of unwed teen pregnancies but also that there are many ways to prevent pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases should the teen be overcome by hormonal rage.
I do not support self interested Democrats. I work in politics, and I have seen the Fnords. I do no support politicians who's pockets are lined with other people's money or interests. I support Gay Marriage, Legalized Marijuana, and Health Care for every single person in America, LIKE THE REST OF THE CIVILIZED FUCKING WORLD.
I think that I am intelligent enough to determine for my self what is and is not good for my body.
I think that I should be able to choose what I put into my body, and what I put into my mind.
I believe that if I want to use Marijuana it is my choice, and an educated one at that. Good choices and bad choices are mine to make and I will make them informed, and willingly at my own discretion.
I believe that my body is mine, and no one else has the right to subjugate it.
Liberals have come a log way since 2000 in holding businesses and pundits accountable for what they say. The recent exposure of the right-wing lies about 12-year-old Graeme Frost's family and the subsequent revelations of the involvement of an aide from Mitch McConnell's office in those attacks, show yet again that we liberals are beginning to make a difference in the political dialogue.
Imagine --- in the Green Zone of Baghdad on Christmas Eve. An off-duty Blackwater USA employee shoots 11 times at close range a bodyguard to Iraq Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi. His only consequence thus far is that Blackwater fired him and gave him a ticket home.
Another great article by award winning journalist Bill Sizemore, of the Virgian-Pilot, went unnoticed by mainstream media yesterday.
In comments and/or diaries here and elsewhere, I have made my "Edwards support endorsement":
