Robert Parry of the Consortium News penned a killer article on why the American media has failed to carry the torch of free speech and fact-based news. He nails the point home in several key examples.
The gravest indictment of the American news media is that George W. Bush has gutted the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Charter--yet this extraordinary story does not lead the nation's newspapers and the evening news every day.
Nor does the press corps tie Bush's remarkable abrogation of both U.S. and international law together in any coherent way for the American people. At best, disparate elements of Bush's authoritarian powers are dealt with individually as if they are not part of some larger, more frightening whole.
What's even odder is that the facts of this historic power grab are no longer in serious dispute. The Bush administration virtually spelled out its grandiose vision of Bush's powers during the debates over such issues as Jose Padilla's detention, Samuel Alito's Supreme Court nomination and the disclosure of warrantless wiretaps.
I agree with this author in his stance that the de-regulation of mass-media outlets has created news sources more keen to a slant or party and less fact-based.
The point is no longer "the first to get the story".
The selling point is "how can we spin this to make our party or organization look good?"
Just watch Fox News when bad news for the Republicans comes out, and you will see my point within minutes.
Tight control of the media as propaganda is a great tool oppressive governments use. China, Russia and even our friend, Saudi Arabia, use this tool to control the masses. I never thought in my lifetime, I would see the same oppressive tactics used on American citizens in the name of "homeland security".
Wait a minute--this is the United States of America, home of the free!
Well, my mistake...it used to be.
Somewhere along the line, the government started zapping away people's rights, and the people smiled and said, "Thank you," in the name of the "war on terror". I don't know what you think, but I find that the only groups most of this has benefited are certain wealthy people and Halliburton.
I would like my rights back now--thanks for the effort to "keep me safe," but really, no thanks.
The media as a whole has failed. They are striving to find new ways to be bad.
The people have failed. The masses turn a blind eye while being forced-fed nothing more than what "the man" wants them to hear.
In a sad twist, we all have failed.
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