[155527] in Zephyr_Bugs
The Greatest Threat to Liberty and Democracy
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (William Rivers Pitt)
Tue Jul 12 21:28:09 2011
Message-ID: <567456706.627247186@org2.org2DB.mail.democracyinaction.org>
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:28:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: William Rivers Pitt <messenger@truthout.org>
Reply-To: messenger@truthout.org
To: zephyr-bugs@mit.edu
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t r u t h o u t | Dear Friends,
This week Truthout is working to make our monthly budget as quickly as poss=
ible. We've gotten a boost from a dedicated foundation that will match ever=
y dollar we receive in donations from our readers, and we hope you will tak=
e this opportunity to contribute[https://members.truth-out.org/donate] to o=
ur work.
However, this is not just a fundraiser. This is an exercise in preserving a=
space for independent, non-commercial journalism. And we need your help.
Ask ten different people what they think is the greatest threat to liberty =
and democracy, and you'll probably get ten different answers. Someone with =
a rightward bent might say "radical Islam," "taxes" or "big government." So=
meone with a leftward bent might say "the military-industrial complex," "co=
rporate power" or "environmental degradation." You might hear "unemployment=
," or "illegal immigration," or even something deranged like "birth certifi=
cates."
Shake me awake in the middle of the night, put the question to me, and I wi=
ll tell you to your face without hesitation what I think: "The accumulation=
of power and influence by a small cadre of corporate media elites."
Period, end of file.
We face many terrible dilemmas and threats today, but none of them - not on=
e - can or will be addressed in a democracy without an honestly informed vo=
ting populace =E2=80=A6 and when that populace is spoon-fed lies and misinf=
ormation by corporate news media outlets which have a vested financial inte=
rest in keeping the truth out of American ears, any effort to seek a soluti=
on to those dilemmas is doomed from the start.
The most recent, and perfect, example of this came after the financial melt=
down and resulting recession. Bankers, hedge-fund managers and immoral mort=
gage lenders did this to us - with great and ongoing assistance from their =
friends in Congress - but the corporate media elites have managed to convin=
ce whole swaths of the populace that the fault lies instead with unions, pu=
blic-sector employees like teachers, and a lack of tax breaks for the wealt=
hiest among us. It is utter nonsense, but people believe it, because they s=
ee it on TV.
The world has recently been given a vivid crash course on the insidious nat=
ure of these corporate media entities, courtesy of Mr. Rupert Murdoch. Murd=
och and his vast media empire have come under deep scrutiny, especially in =
Britain, over a phone-tapping scandal in which they allegedly hacked into t=
he voicemail boxes of the families of murder victims and soldiers killed ov=
erseas. A New York police officer, now turned private investigator, has acc=
used Murdoch's people of trying to get him to hack into the phone messages =
of 9/11 victims, so they could get their hands on the dying declarations of=
those trapped in the Towers, who were trying to say farewell to their fami=
lies before the end came.
That's what we're dealing with, and while Murdoch may be the vilest example=
of the phenomenon, it is the phenomenon of corporate-controlled news itsel=
f that sits at the heart of all that ails us.=20
Ask me what I think is the biggest threat to this nation, and I will tell y=
ou straight: "The accumulation of power and influence by a small cadre of c=
orporate media elites." After that, the second sentence out of my mouth wil=
l be simple: "That's why I work for Truthout."
We're currently $17,000 away from making our match and concluding our fundr=
aising drive. If you can help preserve media that does not profit from mise=
ry and consumerism, we could certainly use your support.
Please click the link below to make a tax-deductible contribution (https://=
members.truth-out.org/donate), or click here (https://members.truth-out.org=
/donate/monthly-recurring-donation) to become a monthly donor.
https://members.truth-out.org/donate
You can also donate by check, made payable to:
Truthout, P.O. Box 276414 Sacramento, CA 95827
(Please help our effort to go green by including your email address on your=
check.)
Yours,
William Rivers Pitt, Editor and Columnist
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Support Truthout with a tax-deductible donation by clicking here: http://ww=
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<!-- TemplateBeginEditable name="content" --><p>Dear Friends,</p>
<p>This week Truthout is working to make our monthly budget as quickly as possible. We’ve gotten a boost from a dedicated foundation that will match every dollar we receive in donations from our readers, and we hope you will take this opportunity to <a target="_blank" href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=n61zHe0DLP7v9%2BpGOQL9aFjpxnCRhwTL"><font color="#cc0000">contribute</font></a> to our work.</p>
<p>However, this is not just a fundraiser. <strong>This is an exercise in preserving a space for independent, non-commercial journalism.</strong> And we need your help.</p>
<p>Ask ten different people what they think is the greatest threat to liberty and democracy, and you'll probably get ten different answers. Someone with a rightward bent might say "radical Islam," "taxes" or "big government." Someone with a leftward bent might say "the military-industrial complex," "corporate power" or "environmental degradation." You might hear "unemployment," or "illegal immigration," or even something deranged like "birth certificates."</p>
<p><strong>Shake me awake in the middle of the night, put the question to me, and I will tell you to your face without hesitation what I think: "The accumulation of power and influence by a small cadre of corporate media elites."</strong></p>
<p>Period, end of file.</p>
<p>We face many terrible dilemmas and threats today, but none of them - not one - can or will be addressed in a democracy without an honestly informed voting populace … and when that populace is spoon-fed lies and misinformation by corporate news media outlets which have a vested financial interest in keeping the truth out of American ears, any effort to seek a solution to those dilemmas is doomed from the start.</p>
<p>The most recent, and perfect, example of this came after the financial meltdown and resulting recession. Bankers, hedge-fund managers and immoral mortgage lenders did this to us - with great and ongoing assistance from their friends in Congress - but the corporate media elites have managed to convince whole swaths of the populace that the fault lies instead with unions, public-sector employees like teachers, and a lack of tax breaks for the wealthiest among us. <strong>It is utter nonsense, but people believe it, because they see it on TV.</strong></p>
<p>The world has recently been given a vivid crash course on the insidious nature of these corporate media entities, courtesy of Mr. Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch and his vast media empire have come under deep scrutiny, especially in Britain, over a phone-tapping scandal in which they allegedly hacked into the voicemail boxes of the families of murder victims and soldiers killed overseas. A New York police officer, now turned private investigator, has accused Murdoch's people of trying to get him to hack into the phone messages of 9/11 victims, so they could get their hands on the dying declarations of those trapped in the Towers, who were trying to say farewell to their families before the end came.</p>
<p>That's what we're dealing with, and while Murdoch may be the vilest example of the phenomenon, it is the phenomenon of corporate-controlled news itself that sits at the heart of all that ails us.</p>
<p>Ask me what I think is the biggest threat to this nation, and I will tell you straight: "The accumulation of power and influence by a small cadre of corporate media elites." <strong>After that, the second sentence out of my mouth will be simple: "That's why I work for Truthout."</strong></p>
<p>We’re currently $17,000 away from making our match and concluding our fundraising drive. <strong>If you can help preserve media that does not profit from misery and consumerism, we could certainly use your support.</strong></p>
<p>Please click the link below to make a <a target="_blank" href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vCQUvti5JciPGPi%2BpOD5pljpxnCRhwTL"><font color="#cc0000">tax-deductible contribution</font></a>, or <a target="_blank" href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZagcXbO%2B1XJCf5O9RtHcUFjpxnCRhwTL"><font color="#cc0000">click here</font></a> to become a monthly donor.</p>
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William Rivers Pitt, Editor and Columnist</p><!-- TemplateEndEditable -->
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