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Guest Post: You Can't Fool Mother Nature For Long: Mainstream Media
Submitted by Charles Hugh Smith from Of Two Minds
You Can't Fool Mother Nature For Long: Mainstream Media
The Corporate Media in the U.S. is a handmaiden to the Financial and Political Elites, issuing simulacra of "news" and "analysis" in service of the Status Quo.
If there is any America "industry" ripe for widespread discrediting, it is the U.S. Corporate Media--the six corporations that own most of the media outlets the conventional American sees, hears and reads. This week's theme is You Can't Fool Mother Nature For Long, and this is how it plays out in MediaLand: when the disconnect between the actual economy and what the American people are told is factual and true about the U.S. economy and its Financial Elites by their Corporate Media widens to surrealism, then the conventional American who has passively accepted propaganda in place of reality will finally abandon belief in the "fairness and integrity" of the Mainstream Media, and see it for what it is: a corporate house of prostitution, where everything is for sale to the highest bidder.
Ask yourself how many hard-hitting, high-visibility series on the underbelly of American sickcare have been issued by any Mainstream Media outlet. Then look at how many of these outlets live off the revenues of adverts for pharmaceutical products, health insurance, fast foods and packaged foods-- all industries that are profiteering from the current sickcare system.
The answer, as far as I can discern, is (unsurprisingly) zero.
Present-day journalism in America has an unspoken double-standard. Any "news" story or analysis based on press releases from Central State fiefdoms such as the CBO, Medicare, BLS, etc. is accepted without reservations or independent inquiry, or indeed, even basic journalistic skepticism, while any reports that are critical of the Status Quo are treated quite differently: sources are treated as suspect, critical comments are always countered with official assurances, high-visibility "experts" are tapped to dismiss the criticism, and finally, the story is buried: it runs on a public-service broadcast in the wee hours of the morning, it is relegated to page B-19 in the newspaper, and it briefly appears at the bottom of a list of web stories that is quickly "refreshed" before too many people can spot it.
This gives the Corporate Media "plausible deniability" when critics question the veracity and quality of its analysis. The Corporate Media digs up the buried story and presents it as "proof" of hard-hitting journalism.
We now live in an era of unmitigated propaganda that is accepted much as propaganda in wartime: we all know it's been censored or gussied up with positive spin, but we accept it as "necessary" because the Status Quo is under threat.
This "rally round the flag" mentality in wartime allows horrendous officially sanctioned errors and the resultant loss of life to be glossed over or simply buried, lest the Home Front get discouraged by official incompetence or error.
There is a subtext of this very belief system in the constantly cheery presentation of the "economic recovery" in painfully bogus unemployment statistics and analyses that are lacking in even Journalism 101 skepticism: we know it's all bogus but we fear the truth. So we accept the propaganda as "necessary for morale."
There is a difference between now and World War II, though. In a full-blown global war, the nation itself was at risk. Now, it is the Financial and Political Elites who are risk. The Corporate Media's first and most critical line of propaganda is that if America's Financial and Political Elites fall, so too does the nation.
This is of course false. The nation would be infinitely better off if its current crop of craven, corrupt Financial and Political Elites were revealed as financially and ethically bankrupt and delivered from great power into ignominious disgrace.
A truly independent media would have been highlighting this reality daily since the financial house of cards began collapsing in 2007. Instead, the Corporate Media has presented the saving of the financial and political Status Quo Elites as the equivalent of saving the nation itself. This is self-serving, of course, but it is also fascist: the Corporate Media and the Central State are now essentially one.
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A lot of folks who piss their lives away sitting on a couch in front of a teevee are assholes. You might end up regretting taking away their babysitter.
CHS couldn't be anymore accurate about this.
Though it was interesting that Salamander (oops I mean Newt, I get the slimy amphibians mixed up sometimes) said in his rant yesterday "the press makes it harder to govern this country..."
The lame CNN guy just withered. What he should have said is :
"yes Mr. Gingrich, we have something in this country called freedom of speech and a free press. It's supposed to make it harder for governments to do what they please and deceive and lie to the people. And yes the question of whether you lied to your wife is relevant. One of the things we do in free American elections is try to understand the character of the candidates, so it's completely relevant"
Of course I know the press is not free; and CNN should have left that divorce question for last; but face it folks, guys who say "it would be much easier to govern if we could just limit what the press says" are total fascists.
For the record: I voted for Obama but am apoplectic at what a fraud he is; and will be voting for Ron Paul no matter what, writing in using a Sharpie if I have to.
"Your ex-wife gave an interview to ABC News, another interview with ‘The Washington Post,’ and this story has now gone viral on the Internet,” King said. “She says you came to her in 1999 at a time when you were having an affair. She says you asked her [for] an open marriage. Would you like to take some time to respond to that?”
“No, but I will,” Gingrich shot back, causing the audience to erupt with applause. “I think the destructive vicious negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. I’m appalled you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”
I believe Newt was suggesting that is more difficult to govern because in doing so you are not, as a result of the viciousness destructiveness of the media, working alongside America's best and brightest....In other words, it is tough to govern when you are forced to work with clods like Reid and Boehner and on and on...
Thanks but actually he said "it makes it harder to govern" AND THEN he said "it makes it harder to attract decent people to run for office".
My point stands. Anyone politician who says the press is just an annoyance and should be limited doesn't understand the principles this country was founded on.
Even if decent people wish to govern, they won't be allowed to attain a position of power or influence. As for the press making it harder to govern...WTF? The press is aiding and abetting! I agree with the poster upthread who saw the question as a lob for Gingrich to muster his outrage and appear to be the victim. Sure as hell looked like a setup to me.
There are many of us who feel the same as you. No Hope. No Change. No-bama. Ron Paul is the only candidate running who stands for anything. The rest are shills who change their tune depending on the audience. And why is Gingrinch even eligible to run for ANY office? He resigned in disgrace didn't he? How could the GOP even consider him as viable?
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave them kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey teacher leave them kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
Televison the Drug of a Nation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOWTM5R2DA
the oil soaked newsfakers would make satan blush or maybe they are satan
Looks like the SLV is in a short squeeze today. GLD is flat, and the SLV moved up 5%. Someone's takin' it in the arse right now ! Silver b!tches.
That is why the big media scum are sliming Ron Paul... when they are not ignoring him... he stands for everything that they despise...
One day a group of patriots will seek out the scum that has so damaged our country... one by one... and the justice will be harsh.
For you TV fans out there: Did you know you can watch HDTV at home, for FREE? Just unplug the cable, pick up a $10 indoor antenna, plug it into you HDTV set, run channel scan, and see what you get. Lots of folks get the big 3, Fox, PBS, and others, many in HD. Also, consider a MoHu Leaf antenna, $40 on Amazon, works better than the cheapo antennae. Plug one in an tell the cable idiots to pound sand and get their wires off your home and outta your life.
for you tv fans. the majority of you are brain dead/washed. anybody watching tv seriously is most likely insolvent. and the rest of us paying taxes are being brought down by you. but yes. go ahead - watch it for free please. give you more of our tax money support to spend on ipods.
free shite is still shite
ZIO-MEDIA-PROPAGANDA IS A DRUG!
1-19-12
http://www.dailypaul.com/206080/zio-media-propaganda-is-a-drug
Just have to say,
It is really bad when you have a tax cheat predator and a womanizing two-timer hypocrite running for office. Both of these corrupted rat bigots romney and gingrich are evil to the core and are NOT for the American People and their records PROVE IT!
THE CRIME IS THE ZIO-MEDIA-PROPAGANDA TV DRUG COVERS IT ALL UP!
Why aren’t people asking more about mitt romney’s tax havens and his tax cheating? Why is he above the tax requirements of the American People? How many tax haven shelter bank accounts does he have? This is where the poor people’s money whose jobs he took is stored. How many in Switzerland too? How about all those poor people he put out of work for his personal profit? Is this what america wants? Another cheating lying predator corporate sock-puppet for the banksters that are supporting him? The people do not support him, the wall street zio-bankers do. How can anyone be so dam stupid as to vote for any of these two faced zio-puppet hypocritical criminals?
Why aren’t Americans asking about the CFR newt gingrich and his two faced disdain and disrespect for all women in his treacherous actions in his marriages? Is this what the American family is all about? Women in America are complicit with, Honey, I hope you are OK with me having an extramarital affair and if not, I will divorce you and go home with her. This disgusting two timing rat is actually trying to be president of America?
He talks about jobs? Does anyone remember this newt clown was a major supporter of NAFTA and Agenda 21? That whooshing sound of your jobs going overseas? Look at his voting record is not in the interests of America, but for the globalist profiteers. He is a CFR NWO PUPPET!
Both of these clowns talk about jobs and yet their records show they have actually done more to kill jobs in America than to create them. Wake up people!!!! Do you all really want more of this criminality and corruption in your govt? Do you really want MORE WAR???
And how about those warmongering democrats pushing for more big govt and obama care taxes on every single thing the people can buy that went into effect on the first of January? The BFD they would not talk openly about. Every big govt agency profits from obama/romney care taxes. Never considered that after eight years of the bush agenda and profiteering wars, the democrats would push that exact same republican agenda and romney care package and still actually want four more years totaling 16 years of useless WARS and higher taxes.
It is unflipinbelievable to see how many of these stupid sheeple still support all the wars and corruption of obama the illegal alien puppet. It is in fact, totally ludicrous! On the cover of time’s yellow journalism magazine it asked, what is wrong with those who oppose obama? The real question in Orwell’s world is, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE OBAMABOTS AND ZOIDS THAT SUPPORT HIS WAR MONGERING HIGHER TAXES AGENDA FOR THE WALL STREET PUPPETEERS OF PROFIT AND PLUNDER?
And what has that done for you America? What has obama done for you personally? What have the senseless wars that only the oil companies and bankster rothschilds profit from done for you? How many people do you personally know that are doing better in their lives after 12 years of war AND THE BUSH/OBAMA TAX AND SPEND BIG GOVT POLICE STATE AGENDA?
If you feel a need to be sensible, look at the records people and vote for who has the record of PAST honesty to stand on. The choice is quite simple this coming election, if we actually have one. The people will vote as zazi’s and for more totalitarian police state wars, or as Americans and for peace and resolution to our financial and foreign policies. It is a no brainier for anyone who can read. War, or not? Bring our troops home, or send more. Recover our economic structure, or all fail and depression and more war comes. Nazi Isramerica, or America the good ol USA? Easy choice. Only one candidate stands head and shoulders above all the others and it does not take a genus to figure it out. Ron Paul is America’s Last Chance. ANY OTHER CHOICE FOR LEADERSHIP WILL END AMERICA AS YOU ALL KNOW IT! Choose well.
Just GO AHEAD AND MAKE A CHART comparing the past voting records of all the republicans and obama too and then you will see the truth. The question is, will you still deny your own eyes and heart of truth for what you believe on the drug TV and zio-media-propaganda following course with the sheeple headed off the cliff, or will you turn into the wind and lead the pack out of danger and destruction?
Follow your Heart and NOT the zio-media-propaganda.
Please add to your list:
Why isn't the press raising the issue that neither Santorum's or Romney's fathers were born on US soil, technically making them both ineligible for the office of POTUS, much like the current POTUS.
<=== wtf? this is a pretty dumb!
<=== this is the funniest post i have read all day!
Yeah, it's flippin hilarious.
Exactly but we need a new category: Fistpuppet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIfK_-_uddI
Great article and so very true. You'll not get real news from any of the MSM outlets. Alternative media is where you'll find truth and TPTB are trying their damnest to wipe that out with SOPA, Protect IP, etc. This war is far from over.
The other thing that concerns me in the content of the MSM network programming. Look at all the "cop" shows which could indeed be clones of one another. Seems there is always a victim that's Female, dead and usually bloody, scantilly clad, usually several morgue scenes. Shown over and over night after night, can you imagine how this is twisting the minds of younger viewers?
Meantime the FCC is being petitioned to loosen the rules up even more to allow profanity in prime-time.
I'm no prude but when are we going to consider the toll this crap takes on humanity and our society?
And don't get me started on ultra-violent video games.
GM and XO told you there is no global warming. MCD and KO told you junk food is good for you and doesn't make you fat. disney and mgm told you violence in the media has no effect on people. monsanto swear that genetically modified food is ok. etc. etc. the TV exists only to get you to buy this stuff that you don't need with money you don't have. learn to love big brother and life will be better. i'm trying, believe me, i'm trying.
Lamestream Media
Ene-media
Dino-media
Doesn't matter what you call it... people are slowly starting to wake the fuck up and realize the State is at war with us. For now, it's propaganda bombardment by state controled patsies calling themselves journalists and TV personalities. Folks, the TV is their conduit, don't let it into your home.
the first avatar to make me thirsty
LOST was awesome tv.
BattleStar Galactica.
911 was pulled off by Muslims - Iraq had weapons of mass destruction - Momar Kadafi was a bad guy who deserved to die - OSB was killed in a compound raid - Israel has an honest caring government - Al-cia-ta is running rampant in Afghanistan - ......
Please feel free to add to the "truths."
our economy is getting better
That means the media is more influential than the efficient market.
For anyone interested, Melissa "horseface" Francis left CNBS to go to FauxBusiness Network. Also, Trish "Legs" Regan left CNBS to go to BuffoonBerg.
Buried stories. A good recent example is the story of the smuggling of 69 Patriot Missiles from Germany to an unknow destination and listed in the manifest as "fireworks".
Why haven't we yet heard of the serial numbers of these missiles, and to whom they were originally delivered? Investigative journalists being "discouraged" to dig deeper?