Turn off your televisions and stop reading your newspapers. The internet is the new home of democracy. Get involved. Create content. Interact with other people. Join the movement.

We should get rid of the FCC. What have they done for us? I don't believe anything from television or radio news anymore. I say every station should be independently owned. We have this one size fits all and I don't like it. They decide what music and what news we will hear.
We the people sit by and are ignored while our government officials do the bidding of foreign and financial interests. My own congressman [Rick Larsen of Wahington] votes more like a Nazi than a democrat. Do they have some sort of mind control working on these people we don't know about?

"There is a simple elegance to all of this. The administration is so corrupt, so completely willing to sacrifice the needs of regular Americans and democratic discourse itself, that virtually no amount of reason, ethics, or rationality is required."

...but they succeeded. That's the bottom line, and that's the message and example that's being sent. It's ENDS justify the MEANS pure and simple... same MO as organized crime or religion.

Read IRON HEEL by Jack London: "You have forgotten the editors. They draw their salaries for the policy they maintain. Their policy is to print nothing that is a vital menace to the established. The press of the United States? It is a parasitic growth that battens on the capitalist class. Its function is to serve the established by moulding public opinion, and right well it serves it."
Don't become a "Good" American. Think for yourself. Protect your rights by exercising them, not having them legislated away.
Hoa binh

Did YOU know that Britney Spears' little sister may be pregnant at age 16? It's today's headline on TV.

peace coup, EXACTLY.

I'd also add that we need to ABOLISH the FCC because its purpose is long lost and in no way represents the public interest.

Why does the FCC have the right to say what happens to print media. They regulate telecommunications

Oligopoly for the oligarchy.

Raising hell is one approach, of course it does so within their rules -- and hinges on the likelihood that they'll change their ways, progressives will get enough influence in D.C., etc.

Raising a good web site is another method, and let consumers decide with their feet.

I'm fairly optimistic in this regard. Apparently cable news caused network TV new viewership to drop markedly. And undoubtedly the intenet offers even a far larger range of possibilities.

National news coverage and local news coverage already are at a horrible level. I also realize it could get worse, a la "1984" or "V for Vendetta".

However fighting against media consolidation or specifically cross-ownership will leave us where we are... news coverage and government already in the pocket of big / oldest business interests.

We need to democratize the FCC so their decisions reflect the views of the people. Congress should pass a bill that creates a new FCC where the board is not the decision maker but rather conducts hearings and manages binding voting by all attendees at the meetings. They should also allow motions from the floor.

Let's fight to democratize the FCC.

The minority diversity situation would improve also because this is quickly becoming a nation of minorities who respect and value other opinions.

What can you expect when the the FCC is stacked 3 to 2 with Republican operatives. All that crap about hearings (as with Michael Powell at the helm)was just cover for what Martin and his other two board members intended from the beginning. They never had any intention of paying attention to the American public. What the hell are we going to do to get rid of this FCC? Back to Congress and get them to repeal this latest vote! This is an unending battle for damn sure!!!!

Eric Barth:

What the hell are we going to do to get rid of this FCC?

We are going to elect a landslide of Democrats at The White House and Congress. Or you aren't going to get rid of this FCC.

If we lose 2008, you're going to be asking the same question about a large majority of the Supreme Court.
And there you will have no recourse at all.

This is a very, very significant election.

The FCC serves as an extension of corporate tyranny, as with other agencies, insidiously bought and sold. Take a look no further then your portable phone, if, like many Americans you've been thoroughly indoctrinated, you have no idea how badly this convenience radio is usually crippled, stripped of privacy and control, manifesting indebtured servitude with ridiculous contracts, draconian software licensing and a nice monthly tax.

dlnelson7
"Why does the FCC have the right to say what happens to print media. They regulate telecommunications"

While the FCC does not regulate the print media, they do regulate the broadcast media. The question they are ruling on is whether broadcast media can also own the local print media outlets and influence everyone in the areas opinion.

Why doesn't the FCC have to heed our anti-trust laws? The anti-trust laws are still on the books. That's the problem, they are just on the books and ignored by the last four Presidents. Let's see a candidate now running for President force equality and invoke another Fairness Doctrine? It's baffling today to think just how little truth in news is allowed in America's air space, let alone in the newspapers. This FCC ruling will force even more ignorance on the public. Fascism rules without a fight because the Speaker of the House caters to the spoiled brat.

May God bless Corporate America/Saudi Arabia, one nation ABOVE the law.

"I'd also add that we need to ABOLISH the FCC because its purpose is long lost and in no way represents the public interest."

Sorry to say, but there are a few technical issues involved here.

With no agency to allocate frequencies and power outputs, only those rich enough to build the most powerful transmitters would be heard over the white noise of others talking over each other fighting for space on the spectrum. It would be dog-eat-dog and the most powerful would win.

Now some here may suggest that aside from cellphones and wi-fi, the EM spectrum is "so 20th century" and should be replaced by the internet. But the internet sites at an even more vulerable state for takeover by powerful corporate interests.

So we don't need to abolish the FCC. that's called "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" we need to get it to resume defending the public interest again, while we pass laws extending common carrier (aka "net neutrality") protections to the internet as well.

With regard to the internet, I am rather pessimistic. The MSM by virtue of the stupendous size of their megaphone and their influence over the huge McISP's like AOL, has has succeeded in completely dominating internet news also. Alternate opinon gets relagated to the little corner of the WWW reserved for the fringe. This site, CD is probably the most successful site for progressive opiniopn and news. yet, how many average US citizens with internet access have even heard of this site? One in several hundred? One in a few thousand? If they do stunble onto this site, or Informationclearinghouse, or Znet, or Counterpunch, or Democracy Now, they dismiss them. Why should they take them seriously? If they blunder into say, a Amy Goodman/democracy Now webcast, they will hear and see stuff the likes of which they have heard nowhere else, so why should they take her seriously? If I hadn't ever heard of the analysis of Chomsky and Herman, or Mcchesney, or Danny Schecter, and was getting my news from the MSM, I would dismiss Amy Goodman as a kook too.

It's time to give media back to people who own it. Of course I mean the advertisers. Let them find new and more powerful ways of persuasive control over the jello headed magnetized watchers. This should keep them sufficiently occupied while the the unruly mob prepares to tackle the real problems facing the future of life on earth. Or at least life as we know it.

PJD,

The FCC is already funding the rich elites and corporatist interests. Their presence is only eating away at our tax dollars. I'll be fine with democratizing it but it's best to ABOLISH it and rebuild it anew and for the people's interests. When in doubt, DEMOLISH and REBUILD. Sorry.

Back in '94, '95, when I was just getting familiar with the WWW,I printed out a portrait by my ancestor on the PA Academy of FIne Arts site. I got a dialogue bax that I had performed an illegal act and the computer promptly shut down!
When I discovered Democratic Underground, at first it seemed like a suv=bversive, furtive activity!I was sure the computer would shut down.
( I'm 68 from a liberal family; boy do they gov. schools train us well with the anti socialist doctrine!)
But our library gets The Nation and purchased Molly Ivins book,.
I was active in the 2004 election and found several oother liberal sites,..now I find the DU a little more centrist rthan I am.
At the basis, the body language I was reading while watching cspan. the reading material just verified!

I assume most if not all in this post have already acted to sign on:

http://action.freepress.net/campaign/sbmopenletter/

If 100,000 people demand it, Congress has to listen and it's more effective than complaining.

Leverage the systems to change them.

It's time to boycott all commercial media. I will cancel my dish network tv (I'll miss CSPAN). I'll not even consider subscribing to a commercial newspaper again. I'll continue to support community radio, which includes NPR--a mainstream-lite source. If enough of us can make monopolizing media feel pain, we'll render the FCC powerless.

marxymark
Make sure you tell them WHY you are going to cancel or it won't make any difference. I told them off when I pulled the plug.

I feel about my country's seemingly-noble promise-of-democracy like I would feel about a close familly member or friend dying with horrible-to-wittness gasps - while some known, but officially doctor-rejected, medicine might still save him/her.

Politically, in real life, we citizens are supposed to be the doctors to our Democracy - but there doesn't seem to be enough of us who care to demand an overrule of the official doctors (in this case, the FCC.)

Because of what's been happening to my country for the past 7 yrs - and happening to the world, by inerlinking, I haven't slept well for for years; just like I wouldn't sleep well --- or, more so welcome Christmas -- if my Mom or Dad or sibling or close friend were dying needessly by the design of demented doctors -- and me and my good but too few sane friends weren't powerful enough to stop it.

marxymark,

I agree with approaches along those lines. Trying to battle the FCC does a few counter-productive things: (a) it legitimizes their penchant for monopolization, (b) it puts us fully at their mercy when, indeed, there are other alternatives, and (c) it's all part of the head-banging co-dependent approach.

We shouldn't hesitate to complain, certainly, but until D.C. is populated with progressives, I think we're better off focusing on making our own news venues, entertainment venues, promoting the indymedias, etc. and encouraging everyone we know to switch.

I've found Bill Moyers' program to be very helpful in understanding the Big Media issue. I think it was the November 16 episiode that showed a meeting in Seattle where the people told Martin in no uncertain terms that he was wrong, wrong, wrong.
The FCC may be partisan, but the opposition to this overreach by the FCC is bipartisan with Trent Lott and Olympia Snowe, among other Reps, wanting to rein in the commission, along with many Democrats. If Congress can't address THIS issue...

rucognizant:

I think the dialogue box probably said that the computer had performed an illegal operation - we all used to get that message on Windows 95.

It just means that the software broke down. Not that you were breaking any laws! Nothing sinister going on. :)

Paul B. said:

"...but until D.C. is populated with progressives..."

Conservatives believe chaos is opportunity. The more chaos, the more conservatives.

I do think there are two issues at hand here. One is to trying forcing billionaires and their politicians to act differently. Good luck there -- totally hopeless without a repopulation of the halls of government.

The other is to work at a grassroots level, and slowly change people's viewing habits. This is happening by itself. The Boomers were the first generation to grow up in a highly narrow/confined age of network monopolized radio/television.

The Y/Z generations will be the first to grow up in a far more decentralized reality of content. Getting news, information, entertainment, etc. from one another as much as from the corporate teat of ABC/NBC/CBS/GE/Westinghouse/Disney/Fox.

The beauty is that younger people are finding one another more relevant, at least up to a certain percentage of their viewing time, than the bullshit the formula the corporate MSM must remain limited to. It'll eventually become a victim of its own irrelevance at this pace.

You got to be kidding me, if that's a surprise for You. Since its beginning, this rightwing administration has done everything to abolish our constitutional 'rights'. Before 9-11 and especially after 9-11. This is just another step into constitutional extinction.
To do what against it?
The only way to change things in the 21st century is through consumer boycott. Show those cretins who the real masters are in the Good Old U.S of A.!
Don't go shopping for anything else but bare necessities, don't switch on that goddamn TV. Not even to look whether You get coverage with Your boycott.
Don't listen to radio, or limit it to NPR where You can at least listen to some classic tunes in between that goddamn Repiglican propaganda their shoving down Your throat.
Why is it possible to be so oblivious to the facts, that all this happened before in history. Exactly the same way. I can only imagine that it must have to do with the 'stupidification' (instead of education)
of the American people that takes place since the early 20th century.
This is how Germany slid into one of the most assholish spots in human history.
Don't even try to blame Germans for all the things that happened there. Don't blame anybody that tells You 'he/she didn't know'.
Why? Because it is all too apparent that humans are prone to all this madness. Throughout history. Regarding the FCC I can only urge You to go back in time and check out how Hitler manifested his power position and how he led the Germans into a devastating 'world' war, planting the worst kind of propaganda into the heads of the German people, just as it happens now here. What are You gonna do, if there is a 'Tonkin' event and ALL 'news' provider lie to You about what happened? Like in Iraq? Who is actually dumb enough to buy the shit the dark house serves? The same mindsets the Germans had in 1933. We are looking not only at a mofo recession, we are looking at the end of it all. Thanks to Your 'Most trusted News-Spin Providers' even that fact is downplayed to a degree, where I can imagine that some people will ask themselves, why the weather report had not reported three feet of water in Your front lawn. Why nobody told You that the wind speeds of the 'jet-streams' have not only changed their direction, but their intensity too.
'Media' and I use that word only to make myself unmistakably clear about the 'News Content Providers' in this country, has done the bidding for bush and cheney and their corporate puppet players.
You can either way

1) keep on going lamenting about what's wrong with our beloved America, or
2) pull out Your only trump that You have. Your life is depending on it. Consumer Boycott.

Boycott everything that goes against Your grain. Don't go to church for forty days. That amount of time should ring some bells. Don't drive around, unless You run out of food. Don't use electricity, unless it is for life saving devices. Don't spend period, it will be for Your own survival.
How much of Your money will You be able to pull out of Your bank, if You need it? My bank puts a hold on any customers check that is not local for a minimum of two days. Two days in which I can not
get the equivalent of the amount that the check is made up for.
We are at the mercy of a right wing ideology that saturates our very life, from idiotic local decisions,
up to the endangering of our species.
Dry them out. No more GE-Tax. No shopping no taxes it's really that simple.
I think that's enough for now. You can go back to the TV now, or read some newspapers.
In five years from now I will have the time of my life, watching all the expression of total dumbness
on the faces of the bush enablers.
It is about time the destructors of this planet go extinct.

How could a young twit like this be in charge of such an important issue (does he even shave yet?)...oh, I almost forgot...this is the Bush administration...silly me.