The Fourth Estate - Mass Media - Seducing the Masses

Oscar Wilde said,

"In old days men had the rack. Now they have the press... We are dominated by Journalism."

We are in very dangerous times, having lost any semblance of understanding. As information Technology has advanced the ability to find meaningful information has suffered. I think about the chaff used to defend fighter jets and bombers against radar guided missiles.

Countermeasure Chaff

"Radar countermeasure chaff is dispensed by aircraft to decoy radar-seeking missiles. Our chaff products offer high reliability, multiple broadband frequency protection, excellent operational radar cross section and a rapid bloom with minimal birds-nesting. Variations of products are available to suit specific user requirements."

If you can't outrun a missile just confuse it with what appear to be multiple targets. So it is with politics and the Mass Media. Misinformation is 2,000 times more prevalent that fact. We are inundated with molehills being made into mountains by the "Press," fake news shows (Fox), loud clowns like LimpBaugh, Beck, and even Ed Schultz on the left. There are Tea Baggers in 57 varieties (most radical some just angry and very few who understand the contradictions they espouse "Keep the government out of my Medicare"). There are Republican'ts that say they are for small business but vote against it and do nothing but make our government look ineffective.

No wonder we are all confused, clarity is in short supply while the amount of information has grown into one humongous cloud. I'm not sure but I think clarity in politics, policy and the media is a thing of the past.

Perhaps the acclaimed TV series "Mad Men" also gives a clue about how this all started with large, professional advertising firms and the honing of their craft. Branding, Weasel Words, Controlled Access and other techniques now dominate the news.

The political bible says Halderman begat Segretti who begat Atwater who begat Rove who begat Brietbart who begat O'Keefe etc... Dirty Tricks and false statements seem to get more coverage in the "news" than fact and now fact has been smothered by fiction.

I used to be able to discern easily right from wrong now I have to take days to get even a kernel of the truth. Perhaps I'm just becoming a skeptic but phone in polls on the Ed show are a joke because of the audience who watches Ed and Fox is worse having several hacks sit and call our president a racist as though they had the corner on sooth saying.

Everyone should rent and watch the movie "Network" to see what life has become with a fourth estate gone either wacko and influential or so affluent and droll they can't and should not be taking our time on the air.

A few notable exceptions are Bill Moyers, Rachael Maddow, Jon Stewart, Paul Krugman and E.J. Dionne.

I am tired of Chris Matthews fawning over Chuck Todd a young man with more snark toward our president and with almost enough brains to keep his commentary to himself and grow up to be a real "News" director. I am tired of Glen Beck crying and making connections out of thin air and Rush Limbaugh pontificating while both feed lies and innuendo to trusting followers and ditto heads. Sure we are angry but one day I hope they realize why and turn on the weasels who drove them mad.

The fourth estate has become a morbid joke that is tearing the country apart or do we need classes in critical reading, listening and thinking before a person is allowed to vote. The news business is almost non-existent and at this point has constipation of the facts and diarrhea of the bluster.

Headline: Chamber Of Commerce Calls Out Obama On Jobs

I was listening to All Things Considered on NPR yesterday and heard some interesting thoughts from the Chamber of Commerce on how to improve the economy. It was the same tired old Trickle Down, Voodoo Economics, No regulations, Lower taxes for the wealthy confabulated drivel. This time it was couched in terms of improving job growth.

How could anyone in their right mind believe that illogical, proven wrong theory any longer. I heard things that any thoughtful, self respecting middle income citizen knows deep inside is pure bunk, as in bunko.

Here is the transcript with credit to National Public Radio, Talk of the4 Nation, Robert Siegel, Michelle Norris and Tamara Keith the interviewer. This transcript can be found here


The following is a transcript with comments in Yellow

Chamber Of Commerce Calls Out Obama On Jobs
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a jobs summit in Washington this afternoon and posted an open letter demanding that something be done to improve the business climate.

NPR's Tamara Keith reports.

TAMARA KEITH: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce building is virtually across the street from the White House, there's a small park between them, and the building is plastered with these giant red, white and blue banners that spell out the word: jobs. It's a not-so-subtle reminder of what is quickly becoming the Obama administration's Achilles' heel, and it was a rallying cry at today's summit.

Jobs - The Chamber and it's members need to first answer this question. "Do you see jobs or maximization of profits as your first concern?"

Mr. TOM DONOHUE (President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce): The need to create more than 20 million new jobs for America over the next 10 years, it's why we're here today.

The Real Demands of the Chamber - Is that really why you're here Mr. Donohue or are you here to demand lower or no regulation, no serious efforts to seek alternate energy and deny climate change, or is it lower taxes on the wealthy.

KEITH: Tom Donohue is president of the chamber. In his keynote address, he said the climate for business these days is bad, and recent actions by Congress and the White House are making matters worse. He points to health care reform, financial regulation and talk of climate change legislation.

Mr. DONOHUE: And all of this has injected tremendous uncertainty into our economy, and uncertainty is the enemy of investment, of growth and of jobs.

Uncertainty I - Investor uncertainty isn't about the economy but rather the confidence in the management of the companies they are being asked to invest in. When Steve Jobs illness was in the news it affected Apple. A company I worked for whose stock dropped dramatically was a market leader but when their main money maker had defects from lack of testing the stock went from about $60 to somewhere around $2.

Uncertainty II- is also caused by market demand or perceived demand for a companies products. When people (the average blue or white collar) cannot find work demand drops (as we can see today) and companies layoff more workers. Keeping the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy does nothing to improve demand for products and smart companies will not grow until demand rises with more employment either Private or Public.

KEITH: Of course, Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration don't see it that way. They say these bills and others will create jobs. Donohue is less optimistic. He says small business owners can't get the capital they need to grow. Others are struggling just to stay afloat. Many larger corporations actually have plenty of cash.

Mr. DONOHUE: But they're sitting on it. They cannot in good faith and responsibility to their shareholders incur the heavy obligations of expanding and adding to the payroll at this time.

Expanding Payroll and Responsibility to Shareholders - It isn't just the wealthy that are shareholders anymore but a mix of wealthy & middle class folks who own stock. Corporate responsibility is, if we are to believe the Supreme Court's recent decision, is like any other citizen. First responsibility is to our family and next our neighbors. When a corporation succeeds we all succeed but success is not unreasonable profit but sustaining profit especially in downturns. Of course you can't expand payroll without a well thought out plan but that requires wise management and some effort planning - get with it guys.


KEITH: And that's how you get stagnant job growth. Small businesses are the biggest engines of job creation, but most owners are like Jim Wordsworth. He hasn't hired anyone in two years. Wordsworth owns several small businesses, including a catering company that supplies food for White House events like the Easter Egg Roll.

Mr. JIM WORDSWORTH (Owner, JR's Goodtimes): I don't like the atmosphere in here. They're gray clouds of a business, and it's just a dark day.

Gray Clouds - What better time to plant crops?

KEITH: What is it going to take for you to hire again?

Mr. WORDSWORTH: I guess, if there was one word I would use, I would use confidence. I just have lost confidence in so many things.

Loss of Confidence - We have all lost confidence in a congress built on one group trying to get things done after an administration that put us in two unnecessary wars, increased the deficit beyond even the "Off The Books" wars, and brought this economy (the strongest in the world) to it's knees with lack of regulation and turning a blind eye to the sinking economy. And, by the way at the same time gave away over a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the wealthy, corporations (some Foreign) while not creating jobs in this country but over seas.

KEITH: One thing Wordsworth says would really help is also at the top of the chamber's agenda. A series of Bush-era tax breaks are set to expire at the end of this year, and the chamber wants them extended, at least for a couple of years.

Bush Tax Break Extension - How in he heck will tax breaks for the wealthy help when there is so much uncertainty and lack of confidence and no demand from the masses for lack of money. Wouldn't it be better to extend unemployment and have that money hit the streets. Does this sound familar

Stan Anderson is leading up the chamber's jobs campaign.

Mr. STAN ANDERSON (Legal Adviser, U.S. Chamber of Commerce): We'd like the president to say that that's the policy they're going to follow. We think that would have an enormous psychological impact.

Psychological Impact - Sure Stan that will perk up the economy. Reward the investors in stock while homeowners are losing $20, $50, $100 thousand in their only investment in their homes.

KEITH: The chamber's jobs strategy also calls for reducing the regulatory burden on businesses, cutting the deficit, expanding exports, even allowing more logging in national forests.

Regulatory Burden - Sure like the unbearable burden on BP (A foreign firm) who still cut corners and caused the death of it's workers, wasted a huge quantity of oil, and have fouled the environment for years to come.

Cutting the Deficit - Do they really think extending the Bush Tax Cuts will reduce the deficit? Did they think not putting the "Cost of War" in the budget helped the deficit or just hid it from view.

Expanding Exports - What are we going to export? Goods made in China back to China?

Logging in National Forests - Teddy Roosevelt must be turning over in his grave. Part of what makes this country great has been the conservation of it's wilderness and scenic recreational areas. I've seen "Old growth" forests and believe me it's isn't just the spotted owls that we should save those forests for but for places like the redwoods, or Constitution Grove of trees as old or older that the Constitution and other great parks.

President Obama held his own meetings with business leaders today to talk about what the administration can do to encourage employers to start hiring again.

What President Obama and Congress SHOULD do - If corporations refuse to plan better and invest in this country President Obama should call for major government projects in partnership with companies both large and small to lead us to energy independence just as John Kennedy led us to the moon.


Tamara Keith, NPR News, Washington.

Let Them Eat Dirt - Republicans to the Unemployed

For all the talk by the Republican't Party about Barack Obama being all eloquent words, about lecturing, about being a celebrity, about naivety, and the rest who is it that simply will not lift a finger for those in need?

The Republicans refuse to allow the majority to pass a supplemental unemployment bill. The Republicans, in fact, seem to only care about extending the Bush Tax Cuts to the wealthiest people in and out of this country. Yes, I did say out of this country. How many multinational corporations benefited from the Bush tax cuts...?

"the tax package had grown into a massive giveaway that will add to the complexity of the tax system and end up rewarding multinational companies that move jobs overseas. " ~ MSNBC

"President Bush signed into law late Friday $136 billion in corporate tax breaks, including a one-year reduction from 35 percent to 5.25 percent on foreign profits for U.S. multinationals. The provision was strongly backed by the technology industry despite criticisms that the break rewards corporations that outsource jobs overseas. "... "The final version of the bill also eliminated efforts by Democrats to attach anti-off shoring provisions to the legislation. " ~ Roy Mark (IT MANAGEMENT online)

What will it take for the Independents, Libertarians and Tea Bagger Supporters who think they are grassroots to realize their grass is being spiked with Roundup® and being killed. Those people could give a flying flip about anything other than a vote even if it means destroying the country.

It's not really the original Country Club Republicans but the John Birch Society, blowhards, one issue haters of government that captured the Republican Party and are holding it hostage not to help the country but to destroy a good administration trying to help the average American who is lost in the rush to maximize profits no matter the costs or collateral damage.

GTL - Gun Toting Liberals Mass at Town Hall

Palin Forced to Leave Stage Under Heckler Heat

Curly Alexander
CBC Staff Writer

Sarah Palin speaking at a town hall in South Carolina had to walk through a crowd of liberals holding signs saying she was the anti-Christ. Other liberals in the crowd were openly carrying pistols.

One of the LRR (Liberal Ready Reserve) when asked if his 357 magnum was loaded said, "Of course it's loaded otherwise it is just a hunk of metal."

One placard depicted 1/2 Gov Palin drenched in oil and the words spill baby spill, That group is called SPOIL (Sarah Palin's Oil)

Other liberals shouted Palin down when she mentioned "Redistribution" of wealth shouting out we are already doing that and it's all being redistributed up to the wealthy and waving a placard saying "That's why they call them wealthy all of our money goes up"

Sarah Palin finally gave up trying to speak took a sip from he bendy straw and left on her private helicopter shooting down into the crowd with a Bear Rifle.

Absurd isn't it! Of course none of this happened or will ever happen.

I think it's sad that today the conservative minority keeps working on the notion that civil discourse is bad, frenzy is imperative to keep their troops in line. They are embracing racism, sexism, fanatic militias and fostering tyranny against the government we the people elected. They even call the effort to help the less fortunate "socialism" as if socialism is the same as communism.

So a group of people meet at a community building to discuss issues in their community and work together to solve problems. The fringe Republicans call that socialism, communism, Nazism. The world is coming to an end what will we do.

That group of people is the Grange:

The Grange, is a fraternal organization for American farmers that encourages farm families to band together for their common economic and political well-being. Founded in 1867 after the Civil War, it is the oldest surviving agricultural organization in America, though now much diminished from the over one million members it had in its peak in the 1890s through the 1950s. In addition to serving as a center for many farming communities, the Grange was an effective advocacy group for farmers and their agendas, including fighting railroad monopolies and advocating rural mail deliveries. Indeed, the word "grange" itself comes from a Latin word for grain, and is related to a "granary" or generically, a farm.

Whether it's the grange, or any other community group it is NOT "socialism" it's just common concern.

Hecklers are a conservative tactic much like a child holding their breath because they didn't get what they wanted. Now like sore losers all they can do is shout, intimidate, threaten, and lie.

How does it sound? watch this video created by Politico.Com VIDEO: Town hall heckler highlights - Politico Staff - POLITICO.com

How to Save the Economy

I just happened to be flipping through the Channels and came upon Charlie Rose talking to Paul Krugeman PhD. While I wonder how ideas form and take on a life of their own, I do know it happens best when all the distractions are eliminated. I guess kind of like a retreat or a time to think our own thoughts.

I listened as doctor Paul Krugman talked and wondered why the thoughts he expressed rang such a strong clang in my head and stopped wondering why he won the Nobel Prize. Mr Krugman while an academic did not sound like an "Ivory Tower" theoretical professor but like a thoughtful analyst looking for answers in a morass of information and historical fact.

We look at the economy today and hear calls for belt tightening austerity as if spending less will solve the problem. Doctor Krugeman disagrees in his article titled Myths of Austerity and in the more at depth interview with Charlie Rose makes a cogent and fact based argument against austerity as the answer.

Sadly, however, he also points out that austerity sounds good to conservative politicians and the remedy will never be addressed by congress. We all respond with our own proclivities and ingrained beliefs in crisis much like self defense mechanisms we exhibit in our daily lives it is no different in this case.

Myths about economic policy are much like "old wives tales" and quack medicine. People try something - it seems to work - it becomes a hard belief. The odd thing about austerity theory is that it doesn't work if you believe in growth that keeps pace with the population.

Some people see cutting back as being the same thing as efficiency and waste reduction and that just isn't the case. Debt (their concern) is not just caused by spending but it is also caused by decreased revenue.

The crux of this issue and our economy is not spending (by the government) but lack of spending by our consumers. It is true! The causes are many and include outsourcing, two wars, the decline of our educational system and work force , loss of the innovation edge, etc.

Jobs is the best indicator and lack of investment in the future and short sighted corporate management follow closely.

Maximizing profit replaced growth and market share back in the 1990's and smaller more profitable ventures were seen as "hot" and constant but moderate companies lost favor. Consistently strong but non-flashy companies continue on today doing well but not always making flashy profits.

If we want to lead the world we cannot abdicate by shrinking our economy but we must have a national priority for job growth and company leadership enrichment.

Confidence in this economy will not happen if we "turn tail and run" hunkering down and thinking we can save our way out of debt. We MUST improve revenue, strengthen business practices, award innovation, create opportunity, inventory our resources, and create a plan for the future. It will cost money but the growth that follows will soon over shadow the debt if we do it right.

Entitlement programs will decrease as jobs are created and we can reverse and minimize dependence on Medicaid in the future.

We are on the verge of success or failure what we do as a country will determine the outcome.

Timelines Do Make Sense in the Big Picture

Peter Feaver in a blog for foreignpolicy.com says,

"In short, the timeline made no military sense, no strategic sense, and little political sense -- except in partisan terms of enabling Obama to shift any blame from a potential failure from himself to the military. Clarifying who insisted on the timeline and who is merely accepting it is a useful function in an otherwise less-than-dramatic congressional hearing. "

It makes me wonder about wars and timelines, boots on the ground, strategy and tactics. Still it has never been stated clearly what the objective in in this or the war in Iraq. What is the goal and where does it fit into the National Goals and even further what are our National Goals?

What do we really want from government? This country was created to throw off the oppression of the English Kind George. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." one of the best-known sentences in the English language.

A lesser quoted but just as valid statement was this grievance against King George. "He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power." The military is an honored, loved and respected part of our country but they do not set goals or strategy but they do participate in developing strategy and creating the tactics necessary to achieve our goals.

No one can or should criticize General McCrystal for expressing his passion and views about the execution of the war in Afghanistan. I would, in fact, expect him to fight for those views. The problem is that he is part of a team of informed people and public statements disparaging the team was reckless and regrettable. Bringing the public into the debate only brings uninformed opinion and well intentioned but uninformed support creating a very fractured front for our country.

Timetables - With the economy of the US in critical condition, job creation slowly moving forward, people losing their homes and their investment in those homes and other pressing issues just how long can we afford to stay in Afghanistan and even better question why. 2...3....5...10...20...50. years? If half the money spent in Iraq and Afghanistan had been invested in public/private investment in technology, housing, manufacturing we would be a much stronger country with a bright future.

Knowing when to quit is not a sign of loss when we understand the full reason this country exists and the responsibilities of our government to we the people. There is a time to say we cannot spend our future and our wealth to fight a war with a few thousand gangsters while people are losing homes and jobs and self respect in this country.

Believe it or not most people just want to do their job, run their business and live a good life with their families and friends. They want a hamburger or hot dog at the beach, mountains, lakes or backyard and a few laughs. They want to better themselves, do sports, shop, eat out, see good entertainment, create beautiful, abstract, impressionistic art, race cars and smile.

Of course it isn't so easy to forget 9/11 but we need to understand the horror and inhuman acts we the acts of individuals not Iraq or Afghanistan or the Muslim faith. Hunt down the terrorists but we don't need a "Nuclear Bomb to kill and Ant".

What we do need is to get our people back on their feet working and back in their homes smiling.

Timelines in this case Mr. Feaver are necessary for our country to find solid ground and the reason we are a great country "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"

Timelines Do Make Sense in the "Big Picture" for our country.