We could learn something from the Republicans on exploitation of the media. When I watch the US media I see why many countries regulate their press and sometimes censor them. I don’t think censorship should be necessary for a professional news agency, but I think I could make the case for it.
I happened to turn to Fox News this morning just in time to hear Dick Morris and Fox News promote the idea that the US, Iran, and Israel are locked in a nuclear stand off. He painted Iran as the equivalent of Nazi Germany quoting Benjamin Netanyahu (the new Israeli prime-minister) “Netanyahu put it plainly, its 1938 and they are heating up the gas ovens”. I guess this is where the problem is, these people still think they are living in 1938. Morris states Israel must respond if the US will not, chillingly Morris declares “Israel is getting set to attack, they need to and they ought to” the interviewer Brian seemed to agree with Morris throwing his two cents in saying “Iran is basically laughing at us” and egging on not Morris but the larger audience.
It is not Dick Morris’ comments because he is there to push the republican point of view, but why is Fox News promoting a nuclear war. Why is this obviously propagandist agency able to masquerade as a legitimate news organization while promoting a destructive and violent agenda? Since his election they have launched a vicious attack against President Obama by saying he is associated with fascism, and socialism, saying that his policies are threatening our democracy and freedom and wants to take their guns. They are harping on whether he should have bowed to the Saudi King, or he hasn’t been to church--what I consider another attempt to say he is a Muslim and that he thinks “Islam is more superior to any other religion” according to one Fox News commentator. Fox News is the most irresponsible news organization and are an obvious extension of the Republican Party, preying on Christians and ignorance.
It makes you want to start talking negatively about Christians and religion but every time people advocate for the separation of church and state these zealots is able to say they are being persecuted, playing into martyrdom. That’s what the fanatics want, that’s how they recruit members because it ties into their bible philosophy about the “end of days”. I remember going to church and being taught about the end of days, when humanity would have to choose sides, and the earth would be consumed by fires and plagues, massive deaths, where good would have to confront evil face to face. I think I might have been about ten years old when I realized that nuclear bombs could be one of the destructive forces the bible spoke about. But the bible was also talking about telling truth in spite of lies, some of the bible is fable and some is history, there are lessons in fables and history repeats itself. Man could be aiding his own destruction by creating the very tool for our demise, in the bible days it could have meant flaming arrows raining from the sky; today it might mean radiation consuming everything in sight. I see the landfills of garbage that were not biodegradable and learned that flaming rocks from out of space could penetrate our sky and destroy our earth, and I have came to a conclusion; the bible was right about something.
We do have free will, I thought; a) we could destroy ourselves by our own hands by not respecting the earth and the environment, b) we could also go for total annihilation and launch a nuclear war taking care of our environmental problems, or c) we could settle our differences and band together to combat the natural threats that face us. What choices will we make? Save the world or destroy ourselves, sounds like a blockbuster movie or a very successful television series, but the entire story cannot be wrapped up in a single season or two hours of action. This is a most crucial time in our history because we cannot feign ignorance. We know the challenges that face us, We Are SELF AWARE.
Some people are itching to use the bomb and their voices are growing louder chanting if the US will not do their bidding then Israel must. They have been successful in planting themselves in the media and are marketing their strategy. These same people thought Iraq was a good idea. It feels like some people might want the earth for themselves because they seem to be pretty sure they are going to survive a nuclear disaster. They are willing to contaminate the earth with poison to promote their ideology.
Why are the Republicans willing to be so apocalyptic, if you ask what Jesus would do, they stand dumb founded. Jesus overturned the tables at the Temple because the church had become corrupt and was too heavily involved in politics and getting rich and not enriching the community. Was Jesus a protestor, or was he a war monger? If he were alive would he have thrown a shoe at George Bush, or propagate the total destruction of Iran?
I think Jesus believed in sharing what he had, he believed in giving people a chance even a second and third chance, isn’t that the story of the “Prodigal Son” and Mary Magdalene. Wouldn’t Jesus forgive, the story of Judas is about forgiveness, and one could get stuck on the betrayal and if Jesus had done that he would have probably killed Judas right there on the spot.
Would Jesus be a socialist or a capitalist? I think we have enough information to make a call. Why are the fanatics willing to ignore the very teachings they say they believe in? Pat Buchanan on MSNBC this week in talking about Somalian pirates, “we’re killing people left and right in Pakistan, for heaven sake you’re telling me we can find someone in Somalia” --- happy Easter!!
I am weary they are going to cause something to happen, and it is going to be a direct result of what they say on the air, they want anarchy. We have already had the marketing of the Iraq War and the manipulation of the media by the Bush Administration, we have already had the Rev. Wright fiasco and had Obama being called a socialist, and terrorist and someone yell “kill him”. These things are happening because of the hate spewed by this Republican spin machine, these things pretending to be unbiased. We have to recognize that these guys are not different than the radicals that we fight against in Al-Qaeda, the Limbaughs, Becks and Hannitys. How different are they from some Islamic radical teaching in a madrassa. It is from this group of listeners comes the Timothy McVeigh’s, or the one who killed three police officers. People who listen to them have access to weapons, it is one of the core message, they stand on the Bill of Rights—Fox News puts out a call to action, and then hide behind the First Amendment... They exploit our laws using them as a platform for their rebellion. The stuff I hear coming from Fox News is tantamount to calling for Jihad. Does Hannity and Beck love America, I am sure it is not the same America I love.
The things they are saying now do not reflect love or respect for the country, so I’m wondering which America they are talking about. I think some people might still be fighting the civil war. The Republicans are effectively using the media to tear down our democracy. Fox News is a very influential network and their words resonate, people believe what they hear on the news and talk radio. I know because I had coworkers repeating the points to me at work. Fox News in particular has been constantly “reporting” unsubstantiated outrage against President Obama, they and Rush Limbaugh are deliberately trying to incite the public. Their news is slanted and reflects a particular agenda, the Republican Agenda. These positions are being fed through Fox News an obvious Republican Trojan Horse.
They have found a way to destroy our democracy from the inside. I witnessed what they did when they had the power, the patriot act, the war, Katrina, and the secrecy. They were the ones promoting the “if you are not with us you are against us” mentality; Bush could not have done it alone the media helped. Republicans cast themselves as fighters for the blue collar, middle class, and small business,--average Americans--they say they respect Americans but they are only using our own kindness and tolerance against us, they are very dangerous and should probably never be allowed back into power. I am sure there are some Republicans who do not agree with the party leadership. The rhetoric of the right wing Republicans has heightened, they are at war with someone and I fear it is America.
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