The Press Has Gone Wimpy Again

[Stevendsmith]

Not that they ever (in my memory) operated like a free press in a functioning democracy should, but for a while there--during the SOTU "flap"--I was naive enough to think that the mainstream media had finally begun to get tougher on Bush. I thought this generally tougher stance might become the norm in light of the obvious deceptions of the administration. Boy was I wrong. The media is back on their knees (along with the Democrats).

I think Chomsky is correct in his assertion that the state-corporate media displays only the minimum amount of dissent necessary to create the illusion that it is objective and critical. The SOTU controversy was one of those moments. Now that they got "tough" for a few days, the media have reverted back to giving Bush and Co. a free pass to continue its defrauding of our country.

Isn't that special.

[mistertrickster]

1. I agree--the "lights out" in NY

doesn't seem to have hurt our fearless leader one bit, even though it's a direct result of Republican "de-regulation" (read: ratepayer rip-off and wholesale pillage of the existing infrastructure).

That the Democrats can't link the Enron debacles to energy de-regulation shows that they are either inept or in-bed with the same "market forces" (again, read: vicious capitalism) that the Repubs are . . .

[papau]

2. I agree - only "scandal" is poor performance of lower level Bush types

anything and everything is not discussed as problem of Bush or Bush higher up levels.

An interesting con - as mainstream goes "fair and balanced".

Must be because our 53% approval, 46% would re-elect President is so popular that saying bad things about him when he causes or allows bad things to happen might lose a tenth of a rating point.

[tom_paine]

3. Don't think they ever stopped being wimpy

I'd never heard that from Chomsky, about them displaying just enough to create the illusion of objectivity.

But it appears he's right. It's just that the "minimum necessary" does tend to approach zero in an Empire like the one we live in.

When it hits "zero", the bad shit REALLY starts because the Bush's know that they can do ANYTHING. They are so close now, you migh ask what the difference is?

Beatings, murders in the open as opposed to making them look like accidents, roundups and Gitmo for Demnocrats will be signs of this. Any, all or MORE could happen.

The cork is off the bottle, what the Totalitarianism Genie does and how low he'll go is still and unknown.

[benfranklin1776]

4. And that is a prospect Thomas that should strike fear in the heart......

......of fredom loving people everywhere. As any bully or thug this crew will go as low as they can get away with. The question is what will freedom loving people do in response, take back democracy or immerse themselves further in the Laci Peterson case or football scores.

By the way is there an article with a link that is being discussed here?

[samsingh]

5. too soon

to look a the political impact of lights out. It took SOTU a few days to ramp up interest.

on the other hand, it has not helped shrub at all.