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Echoing at the Extremes
This weekend, at a panel on the U.S./Mexico border in Marfa, Texas,
GRITv friend, reporter Mark Danner discussed the "thinning out" and
hardening of politics.
When there's insecurity, violence and threat, he noted, people flock
to those who promise to deliver security and stability even at the cost
of their personal liberties. Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico—whomever offers
protection attracts popular support.
But that's not only true in visibly war-torn countries. It's true here too. Don't you think? The economy hasn't recovered, no matter how many reports proclaim that the recession ended and millions cast about for answers, for someone to blame, someone who promises to help.
The middle of the spectrum, Danner noted, thins out while the extremes thicken and grow more powerful. Funny how here in the U.S. we've only heard about one extreme: the Tea Party movement, the angry, anti-government, pro-gun, far white. The money media loves their rallies and their politicians. Wacky views make great cable news.
So what about other views? Views that might be considered the other end of the "extreme" spectrum remain unspeakable. Suggest that Obama is a socialist Kenyan Nazi Muslim and you might end up winning a primary campaign. Suggest that Bush and Cheney ought to be prosecuted for torture and other war crimes, and you're ostracized. Why is that?
Perhaps the reason that we've only heard from one extreme in this time of crisis is that those in the money media fear that the other, leftist sort might actually gain traction. As Americans feel the ground shifting beneath them, nothing's more critical than controlling what's out there, on offer, on which to hold tight.
15 Comments so far
Show Alland who is going to prosecute Bush and Cheney? Their co-conspirators in Congress and the white house?
Why is putting the perpetrators of these imperial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on trial considered EXTRREME? Is the rule of just law an extreme concept?
The "rule of law," in its current incarnation, is there to be used by the Powers That Be to keep themselves in place. Hypocritical contradictions are there to be ignored, or prattled on about. If points of view from the Left Extreme were to gain currency, the ignoring would quickly stop and those espousing this stuff will be declared "enemy combatants" and will be rounded up and swiftly dealt with. Sites like this are tolerated because they DON'T have any effect beyond reinforcing the beliefs those who already believe this. The attack on "net neutrality" is an attempt to rid them of even these annoying dissident voices.
Ted Rall, whose writings sometimes appear on this site, just published a book called "The Anti American Manifesto" and in his blog commented that he was surprised at how little attention it has received. I was not surprised. He is in the same marginalized no-consequence media space that Noam Chomsky, Michael Parenti, and other anti-establishent intellectuals reside, in a place where they will NOT be sought out for sound bytes.
Without the propaganda of the mainstream corporate media, the dirty rotten system would collapse.
Damn it, Ms Flanders, you are in the media (in there somewhere), and if you, from your insider's position, can only speculate on why the money media (nice term!) distorts and suppresses the news, where do we go to get to the root of it?
The title of this article is misleading.
The "echoing" we hear most often and loudest is of the right-wing so-called "security" state.
This includes the vast majority of those who speak for the democrats.
Why?
Two things;
1. The left tends to be open to "other" ideas and thus, things can get complicated.
2. It is because we are told by both sides of this right-wing government that our security is dependent upon following orders from the rich and powerful, not thinking beyond the limited range of "free" market capitalism (the big lie), using force to justify avarice, and religiously striving to be a "team player."
The key is the emphasis on security (superiority) above all else.
We are told to believe that the accumulation of huge amounts of money and crushing any competitors are the only ways to achieve security. Sort of like most religions.
The reason they need to surreptitiously dismantle the constitution is because it leads people to see that we need to respect differing points of view and THAT might lead to some of those leftist complications and less security for the rich.
The saddest aspect of this is that the majority of people in the United States of Global Domination cannot conceive of doing otherwise.
I've been seeing less mention of the "mainstream" media lately. Maybe it is because we are more aware that it really isn't main stream. Hoping this isn't too far afield for this site, I would like to propose that we replace the MSM term with another term-- Corporate Run Press. (CRP) And people are free to fill in any vowels they like to make that easier to pronounce.
I prefer a phrase that is more accurate: The Plutocrats' Propaganda Machine. I will keep calling it this and I will say it or write it the long way each time.
Wow, hard to believe in anyone or anything. Hard to believe that the evangelical christians aren't telling the truth. Hard to believe the rich are greedy. Hard to believe that Fox News is a propaganda outlet. Hard to believe the right wing is wrong. Hard to believe that the conservatives destroyed confidence in the government. Hard to believe the president is a socialist. Hard to believe he is a Muslim. Hard to believe that jobs are shipped overseas. Hard to believe he wasn't even born in Hawaii. Hard to believe that Timothy McVeigh listened to Rush Limbaugh. Hard to believe that a million + people went to the Honor rally in Washington D.C. Hard to believe that 30,000,000 people now have health insurance. Hard to believe people are out of work. Hard to believe what I read. Hard to believe Americans are so afraid of their own government. Hard to believe that most of the world finds us ignorant. Hard to believe good things are bad and bad things are good. Hard to believe that we have a free market. Hard to believe we are a free country. Hard to believe we are a christian nation. Hard to believe that it is hard to believe. Hard to believe that people are so naive. Hard to believe experts. Hard to believe that the king is dead. Hard to believe that Moscow has more billionaires than any other city. Hard to believe that facts are not believed. Hard to believe that opinions are more persuasive than facts. Hard to believe that anyone would vote for a republican unless they were terrorist in sleeper cells. Hard to believe any republican. Hard to believe the rich would trickle down their wealth. Hard to believe that millions of Americans are out of work. Hard to believe defense doesn't increase taxes. Wow, I think I just realized that it is hard to believe. Vote like the countries future lies in the balance. Hard to believe.
for at least one of us it
ain't hard to believe
that
security
is an illusion
ken
It is hard to think of an "extreme" opposite to the one offered by the Tea Party, etc. When was the last time the Communist Party marched in the streets? Yes, we on the left are angry, too, but of course our side is ignored by the media. Conservative corporate capitalists are always going to promote right-wing ideology, no matter how extreme, because that is the kind of wild horse they can ride.
--Joshua Hendrickson
More junk from one of the arms of the Democratic Party-- The Nation.
Few Americans think critically. Few vote. Few do the research to do look for some objective truth. Because of that we have the braying voices and extremism. Why? Because it sells. It sells because too many do not think. Those loud, extreme media voices are little more than propaganda machines which would not exist if we had a large and informed electorate.
ThanX MUJERIEGO
Indeed it is that QUESTION that TRUTH that our brothers & sisters mostly brothers on the side of the other consciousness or lack of it. Nobodies fault call it evolution, we never leave, we come back, there is a price to live & be alive, EVOLUTION.
The consciousness of authentic truth has no boundaries in time or space & it is certainly not linked to religious or corporate dogma.
The same brothers & sisters must seek that AUTHENTIC truth, It requires moral strength & tenacious courage.
You may look @ your bible but above all, START walking toward the window, open it and have a good LOOK, than walk toward the MIRROR and do the same, than & only than everything will become limpid clear, i promise YOU.
Between the gates of hell & heaven lays a million DOOR mostly unexplored. that's where TRUTH lives.
To be accountable is to HEAL & be healed.
No terror, no torture, just TRUTH.
In soulidarity.