"Free Press"-principles reduced to recycled-rubbish, issues are ignored.
(SALEM, Ore.) - America’s most crucial citizen decisions in more than a century are being “slobbered-over and stupid-ified” by overly-pretentous “ratings-fed pundits-of-the press and broadcast-media”.
They profess portentiously-probing knowledge of national-issue significance, while burying their actual participation under tons of minor trivialities; program-time/wasting repeat-accusations; false-celebrity sayings, and the most-recent/rumors of political rape and revolt; ad nauseam.
But what you REALLY get is simply recycled rubbish-quotes, while the major issues demanding desperate democratic attention at once are ignored or trivialized by trite and dangerously-deficient short-and-terse discussion if mentioned at all.
Honest, open, truly-democratic dialog by those who should speak up in deepened detail about these monstrous impacts on all our lives --the candidates -- either are not heard at all; or are overly/condensed/summarized and in turn totally cut off from the demanded clear definition of “where they really stand --and what they must now surely deliver, too.”
What’s right must lead today, one can almost hear these pundits declare to their producers: “No matter if it’s really-right and what Americans really need to know.”
Broadcast ratings, rather than profits-alone, have become the real reasons for far too many pundit-content/choices; while “profits uber alles” still drives management more-than-ever to acquiesce in this mutual, ongoing personal/professional self-denigration of on-air channels STILL, for now, recognized as common property of all the people, and surely meant for use to build, strengthen and preserve the commonweal.
It is truly amazing --as well as totally disingenuous on their part -- to see-and-hear the millionaire Clinton's, the millionaire McCain, and these also-millionaire pundits, all pretentiously attacking Obama, whose major career has ascended from his years of service remediating and representing the lives of those who are captured on Chicago’s notorious South Side.
But that denigrating, highly-defensive tendency does depict and display the realities of this political-posturing, stale, old-and-tattered return to the politics we may deserve: IF we let it continue and consummate in still another wasted democratic vote 'gone the wrong way for lack of common sense and common political-civility' --the cement binding us in community and concentrated common-sense decision for most of the past two centuries.
It is perhaps ironic --as well as very/strong warning-situation-- to see-and-hear that occurring just as the 21st Century takes off. Can we expect better things in the coming key-decade, the bare-beginnings of what should be a reaping and wonderful Century for our true-republican democracy, despite the despoiling and denigrating impacts of the old politics of confrontation and its inevitable consequences?
ANY remaining pretension to serving the most essential pure-principle of our faltering democracy -- clear statements for citizen clarity and comprehension on major issues and their resulting problems-- may well confuse, if not founder beyond any rational rescue, what this election must demonstrate: Redemption, remediation and return to the Founder-given basic democratic principles for a republic/shaped democracy, seen by millions as now-collapsing under political/nostrum neo-con weight.
Dismay and deep disgust by many of those same millions, now confronted once again by repeat-performance from past politicized punditry which swept us into a “preemptive war” via lies and links to sorry-level journalism, is now also affronting many more millions of Americans.
They too have, very recently, become much more painfully aware --and deeply concerned-- with the failed-role of our vaunted “free press” to “inform them wisely and well on the economy, on true unemployment-figures, and on the remorseless mounting of inflation”; right when we need that basic open, honest, democratic dialog like never before.
One overriding, overwhelming reason is the irresponsible rationales they have encountered, imposed on major and many minor national issues and problems by an administration deeply driven by neo-con motives for self-protection --and, until recently, political preservation, too.
That destructive impact on American public trust in its most essential instrument for public understandings --our “free press”-- is perhaps among the most potent possible motivations for Constitutional punishment of those so-committed; and openly still-committing, too.
From many sources, both public and professional, one now finds extremely sharp and growing deep distrust of the public media, in all their roles, and in every channel. Three decades of demonstrated deeper concern for ratings, by “professional”-staff; and “return on investment” by corporate ownerships in command after, too often, superseding traditional family-owners; has altered the very working-foundations of our vaunted “free press”.
One striking example shared in media channels: Now-recurring “incidents when public servants, clearly owing information to the people, are now refusing to discuss public business with media-persons they’ve come to distrust”, citing previous patterns of flawed and interest-flaunting coverage.
False-economy platitudes, even though plentifully disarmed by two centuries of real-field experience; heavy and repetitive staff-slashes; and penny-pinching poverty for that most essential of all journalistic activities --the investigation and comprehensive report to the public of diverse and desperate doings at all levels-- have been allowed to water down, and often to wash away completely what our open-and-honest press-and-media have long done for all of us: Report the reliable realities of the world in which we live, and must continue to exist either as citizens of a strong democracy, or as corporate serfs serving out self-imposed sentences, well-short of our stolen freedoms and full democratic opportunities.
Where that major, driving demand for disclosure of deeply-hidden truths, in true public interest, has continued to operate, it still does prevail and even prove-up again as the still-potent remedy for dwindling circulations and profits, too.
Again, we have chosen to lay out for you the factors now clearly evident making this mess so malodorous and malign; while presenting the worst dangerous-situation for our democracy since the Civil War and perhaps since our own original Revolution was followed by the world-shaking --and shaping !!--actions of our Founders; leaving to us the solid/strong and well-tested principles on which we have achieved so much, for so many, over such long and dangerous decades.
NOW it appears that “the Oregon primary vote may well be the chosen instrument for decision” on the Democratic candidate in this extremely important national election. SO we leave it with you what YOU do, now that you know the “big picture-surround” --and can consider rationally, and thus reasonably, whom it is that can serve our nation best --NOW, in the 21st Century’s opening and most dangerous phases.
See Reader’s Note below for a careful selection of top Internet source-documents, sent to you solely to allow your “see with own eyes” examination and evaluation with ‘your OWN mind” --probably by far the best offsetting information we can share with you for the sort of learning situation demanded for responsible, accountable American citizen actions in the face of such desperate, despoiling attacks on democracy by both parties and all three candidates.
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Reader’s Note: Quotes are combined, summarized, shortened for space reasons here. Verbatim sources are available on request to Editor Tim with ID. Among the most intriguing of sources-used for this Op Ed are:
1. The Nation, 5/9/08; “Bitter Politics”: “Voters and super-delegates now have to ask, at what cost is Clinton willing to continue this fight ?”; www.thenation.com/doc/2008059.
2. Clinton Camp: “There Are No Rules”; Steven Rosenfeld; www.alternet.org/module/printversion/84692/?type=blog
3. Clinton: “Damn The Pundits, Full Speed Ahead:’: David Corn; MotherJones.com; 5/7/08.
4. The Nation, 5/19//o8; “Our Lapdog Media”;The Editors: “What should we do when Big Media fails democracy ?”; www.thenation.com/doc/20080519/editors/print.
5. After the Primaries, A United Progressive America: Bill Scher; www.ourfuture.org/print/24861.
6. The Course From Here: Terrancer Heath; www.ourfuture.org/print/24877
7. Working Class Elitists; Ali Eteraz; www.huffingtonpost.ciom/ali-eteraz/working-class elitis...
Op Ed: 'Pretentious' PunditsSalem-News.com