Neoconservative Media!

Why is it that people don't read and educate themselves, but would rather listen and watch the almighty boob tube to get all their news? Don't they understand that the news on television, with the exception of MSNBC, is so completely partial to the right wing because the corporations that own them are so completely partial to the right wing? I laugh every time I hear someone talk about how the media is so far left! It's completely and utterly untrue and ridiculous! There may have been a time, back in the 60's or 70's when this was true, but it isn't now. Rupert Murdock, owner of Fixed News (Fox News) for those of you who don't know what I am talking about, now controls so much of what is out there in the news, if you watch or listen you are likely to be hearing something from his organization 37% of the time. To me, this is disgusting! How one right wing conservative can control this much of what the world gets as news is unbelievable. Of course, the really bad thing is that the people who watch the most news are older people who vote more than younger people.

Thanks, in part, to the 50 state strategy and the tireless campaigning of Barack Obama and other things just as important, we were able to get past the right wing spin machine this time. I actually entertained the thought that maybe, after the election, Fixed News ratings would drop, but of course, they didn't. David Brock, President and CEO of Media Matters for America, in his book entitled, The Republican Noise Machine, quotes a young writer for neoconservative paper The Weekly Standard, "We've created this cottage industry in which it pays to be un-objective… It's a great way to have your cake and eat it too. Criticize other people for not being objective. Be as subjective as you want. It's a great little racket." There are many numerous other examples of the neoconservatives telling us what they are doing, but people either don't hear about it or don't care. And then of course, there are those that don't believe what they hear because they have been brainwashed by drinking the kool-aid.

We have another problem to contend with that is closely related. Since people don't read as much as they did at one time and with the economy in the tank, newspapers are going out of business at an alarming rate. Of course, not all newspapers are liberal, but some of them are, and when those go out of business, less liberal voices are heard. Because of this, some people won't get the differing opinions that newspapers offer on their opinion pages.

The Republicans have managed to get rid of the rules when it comes to fair news reporting as well. There was once a rule that when you applied for a license to broadcast on public airwaves, you were required to serve as a public trustee and broadcast differing opinions. There was also the fairness doctrine that required news media on television and radio to give equal time to all sides. This was removed by the Republicans and unfortunately signed by President Clinton.

Representative Democracies require that all sides of issues are heard and absorbed by the electorate, but such is not the case in our nation anymore. The conservatives have managed to tilt the rhetoric over to their side so much that it has become detrimental to our form of government. Do we want to become the latest grand experiment in democratic government to be wiped from the face of the earth? Do we want right-winged values to control our nation? Do we want a neoconservative theocracy that demands people go to church and worship their way? Do we want an American Taliban that stones people for doing things against their religious dogma? I don't know about you, but this is not the America I know and love and is not what I want for this nation now or ever!