Wednesday, July 28, 2010

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.

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