Robert Kennedy, Jr.: 'Endless Negligence of Press' Top Threat to Democracy

[kerrygoddess]

Robert Kennedy, Jr.: 'Endless Negligence of Press' Top Threat to Democracy
11 June 2005


In the past few weeks I have referenced Robert Kennedy Jr.’s recent article in the May issue of Vanity Fair, The Disinformation Society, numerous times. Kennedy’s article explicitly laid out the Republican Noise Machine and it’s effects on the election. It appears he’s even drawn some attention recently from the Republican Noise Machine itself, in an article in the Weekly Standard written by PNAC deputy director Daniel McKivergan. The article was a typical (and ridiculous) right-wing attack piece on John Kerry, but it should be noted that McKivergan pointed out and attempted to debunk Kerry’s recent reference to points made by Kennedy in The Disinformation Society.

The SierraSummit2005 has a recent interview with Robert Kennedy, Jr.: 'Endless Negligence of Press' Top Threat to Democracy. It’s no small wonder he’s making the Noise Machine nervous. Here’s a few quips…

Planet: What is the biggest environmental problem we face in this country today?

Kennedy: George W. Bush, without any rival.

Planet: The Sierra Club obviously feels much the same way. But we found during last year’s elections that when we criticized Bush the person, many people—including Sierra Club members—were angered, and consequently less open to our message. How do we oppose the policies without criticizing the person?

Kennedy: I think you have to do both. Winston Churchill said that you have to just keep telling the truth, and telling it, and telling it. And ultimately, people are going to believe it. It can be frustrating, and of course industry and its indentured servants use every method to discredit you, including saying that you’re tree-huggers, or radicals, or against the president. But you have to persevere. There’s a huge systemic problem in our democracy now, which is the endless negligence of the American press and the huge corporate consolidation of the media. That’s the principal threat to American democracy, and it’s an issue that environmentalists have to take an interest in curing. We have to develop outlets and methods of getting our message across to the American public that don’t rely on the mainstream press, which is now controlled by the right wing and giant corporations who are interested not in informing the public but in entertaining us in order to increase their own revenues.

MORE & LINKS - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=1063

[rzemanfl]

1. Stuff like this is why there is a band called the "Dead Kennedys"

but there will never be a band called the "Dead Lying Republican Motherfuckers."

[Warren DeMontague]

2. And he's right, it is endless.

RFK Jr. is easily one of the most lucid voices out there today.

[DeepGreen]

3. I completely agree ! A result of which is complacency !

It is hard for me to believe the overwhelming
public complacency. We can thank the media for
that as well!

:mad:

[Paladin]

4. RFK Jr. Deserves an Award.......

....for coming up with the phrase "emasculated stenographers" for the D.C. press corps. (Saw it this past week in Arianna Huffington's blog site.) Talk about a perfect description of the current-day MIA media.......

[SpiralHawk]

9. "emaculated stenographers" ? Hmmm? Bush's White House

seems to have a real thing for emasculation, apparently a Republican speciality.

Where, oh where, is "Jeff Gannon" when the White House fervently, nay urgently needs a "hot 'military' stud gay prostitute/journalist top" who it can rely on?

[ailsagirl]

20. How about "castrated" instead of "emasculated?" Even better

[MelissaB]

5. RFK, Jr. is on of my favorite "truthtellers".

:kick:

[AuntiBush]

6. Hit them in the Pocketbooks. C-SPAN is now on FM Radio, 4 Free!

Get a Satellite radio (XM) airs Air America, Progressive and Liberal shows along w/a slew of other stations. Plug and play into your cassette. Getting free installation and rebates at Circuit City right now.

My Satellite TV is only on for C-Span these days. Why should I pay for propoganda bullcrap. History channell sucks, all on war and anit-FDR crap. So, when you start calling your cable and satalite companies and say "turn it off," I'm fed-up - no news, all for Repuks/Bush, religious stations of the ying-yang (700 Club on more then several stations at a time taking advantage of the elderly for their bucks) and spewing anti-american, anti-democrat crap - it's time to turn off the Tube.

They're investors will take note. Fight them with the only thing they understand: You're money, what little we have left.

[welshTerrier2]

11. C-Span on FM radio for free ??

any idea where i can find a list of FM stations that carry C-Span ??

[flpoljunkie]

13. C-Span Radio available at 90.1 FM only in Washington/Baltimore area

90.1 WCSP-FM: C-SPAN RADIO 
C-SPAN Radio is available in the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area at 90.1 on the FM dial. Area residents can listen to C-SPAN Radio in their homes 24-hours a day, and commuters can listen to "Washington Journal" and "Today in Washington" in the morning and afternoon drive-times respectively.
  
SATELLITE RADIO 
C-SPAN Radio is also available on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, each transmitting up to 100 radio channels. of music, news, talk, sports and children's programming.

[welshTerrier2]

14. thanks ...

too bad they aren't available all over the country ...

[AuntiBush]

23. Yes. I found it on AM Radio... about mid-way thru the dial.

Give it a try... and good luck.

[Pepperbelly]

7. excellent article ...

He gets most of it. Very, very good.

[Lowell]

8. Excellent analysis by RK jr

I am so fed up with the right wing bias in the news I go to foreign sources for the truth anymore. I am tired of listening to the right wing chorus of "liberal media bias" every time there is a hint of criticism of the asshats in the WH. Thank god for the BBC and Le Monde.

[goclark]

12. I love RFK Jr.

He is brilliant and a class act.

[welshTerrier2]

10. the principal threat to American democracy

i'm somewhat torn about whether to agree totally with RFK that the "endless negligence of the American press" is the "principal threat to American democracy" ...

an alternate candidate for that shameful distinction is the assumption by far too many Americans that democracy is automatically self-sustaining and that they need not do anything to protect it ...

i suppose both of these problems share the blame for where we are as a nation ...

[LuPeRcALiO]

17. maybe they're the same problem.

especially if the media is telling people to stay home and stop worrying.

p.s. I saw a "public affairs" show before right the 2004 election that actually ended with that bow-tie guy making a little speech to the camera about how "if you don't like the way things are, just don't vote."

And this was freakin' PBS!!

[kerrygoddess]

18. If you haven't read The Disinformation Society you should

The link to the PDF is here - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/downloads/the_disinformation_society.pdf

Kennedy is on the money with this and so much more.

[ailsagirl]

21. Why IS the MSM so stupidly ignoring the real news? Is it because

they're owned by the right or is it because they're cowed by the WH?

:shrug:

[spanone]

24. Follow the Money....news is entertainment. It has ceased to be journalism.

News is all profit driven. The context is 'product' and certain 'product' sells, i.e. Michael Jackson, Aruba, Runaway Bride, Scott Peterson, Robert Blake...International news is complex....tabloid news is titillating.

[ailsagirl]

26. But didn't Randi say that Faux News' ratings are w-a-y down??

[LuPeRcALiO]

27. So are the terror alerts, their bread and butter.

Coincidence? I don't think so. Wait until the midterms roll around, when we'll be hearing from Osama again.

[ailsagirl]

30. I'm sure you're right...

But I do think people are catching on that Faux is just that: phony and prejudiced beyond belief.

[kerrygoddess]

31. The meida is primarily owned by the Right Wing

Read this -
http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/downloads/the_disinformation_society.pdf

The explanation of how they control the media is neatly laid out here.

[stickdog]

32. The bullshit, brainwashing, complicit media and fraud-o-matic voting

machines are 1 and 1a.

[flpoljunkie]

15. RFK directly ties rise of R-W media to 1987 repeal of Fairness Doctrine

The Heritage and Scaife Foundations helped persuade Ronald Reagan and his FCC to eliminate the Fairness Doctrine in 1987.

The FCC's rule-- the 1949 Fairness Doctrine "dictated that broadcasters provide equal time to both sides of controversial public questions."

Eliminating this Fairness Doctrine "was a 'godsend for conservatives,' according to religious right pioneer and Moral Majority co-founder Richard Viguerie (a pioneer of direct mail fundraising) opening up talk radio to one-sided right-wing broadcasters (Rush Limbaugh nationally launched his talk show the following year.)"

[LuPeRcALiO]

16. It sounds like he's figured out the only strategy

that will produce electoral results, which is hijacking the noise machine, then using it to tell the truth about these suicidal policies.

Now all we have to figure out is how to unscramble the egg.

[H2O Man]

19. Robert is a powerful man.

DUers should be supporting his efforts.

[CityDem]

22. Rock on RFK Jr.

A democracy is dependent upon an informed electorate. Our democracy is crumbling because the media are a bunch of corporate whores and the sheeple don't give a rats ass. The end result is 8 years of ALOW in the oval office and a republikan congress. We are living in very dangerous time in our country's history.

[NVMojo]

25. He's right, the media is killing this country and its democracy.

I hate most of them with a passion, the corporate media whores!!!

[GreenArrow]

28. not "negligence"

but complicity.

[wiggs]

29. RFK's "Crimes Against Nature" very much a worthwhile read politically. nt