Fixing America In 500 Words Or
Less
Chapter 27
IS THE AMERICAN MEDIA
REALLY
LEGITIMATE?
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that American media habitually fails to address issues at a fundamental core
level that would actually serve to achieve legitimate reform? Instead, we are treated to a giant merry-go-round
shell game of opposing pundit charades; both “sides” belittling and whining about the other and neither offering any
coherent plan for actually achieving reform.
For example, amidst growing public outrage over corporate bailouts and other corrupt political shenanigans, why aren't
political pundits on either the so-called “liberal” or “conservative” side calling for a national cap on interest
rates at a reasonable 5%? This would do far more to stimulate the economy, insure the long-term health of the
banking industry and actually help the average citizen, than all of the trillions tossed down the historical sewer
and all of the nonsensical cosmetic “reforms” offered up by both “sides” combined.
In the debate over universal verses private health care, why is there no discussion regarding the obvious immediate
and long-term ramifications of contagious diseases? If conservative mothers actually knew how severely in danger
their own children are, even when insured, we would have had universal health care long ago, like any reasonable and
sane government today should and does provide.
Amidst much feigned “outrage” over political corruption, why is nobody on either side calling for a constitutional
amendment banning all political contributions of any and every kind except by private individuals and, limiting
individual donations to 1% of the median income? Given the historical track record of the Supreme Court siding with
business interests against any and all legitimate political reform legislation, it should be obvious even to someone
without fancy degrees attached to their name, that the only way to achieve true political reform is by
constitutional amendment.
And, when obviously crooked and entirely corrupt leaders in White House and congressional halls decide to engage in
foreign wars of aggression, obviously designed to consolidate political power and enhance corporate bottom lines, why
is the American media in total lock-step mentality, found proudly “embedded” in flag-waving “patriotic” support of such
atrocities? CBS featured the oft-maligned “liberal” Dan Rather embedded right on cue in real time during Bush's
illegal invasion of Iraq, whispering in hushed, reverent tones describing in detail how adept our military is at
invading and bombing a city full of civilians into “democratic” submission?
What is the real agenda behind the carefully controlled piece-meal information dolled out by the New York Times and
Wall Street Journal? Is CNN, Fox News and MSNBC giving us the information we really need? ¹ Why aren't
mainstream media outlets informing us correctly and adequately regarding various major issues of the 21st Century?
Is American media really legitimate, or is it just a big waste of everybody's valuable time? Would we be
better off burying our radios and televisions in our backyards, that is, those of us who still have a backyard to
bury them in?
You decide.
NOTES:
1. American media has long focused on the so-called “health” of the stock market as the leading indicator for whether
our not the economy is doing well. This in spite of the well known historical facts that often during a prolonged
bull market, the majority of Americans continue to lose economic ground. Whether or not the market is doing well
in the short term Wall Street reality has little to zero bearing on the economic lot of the majority of American
citizens. Media would be informing us far better if it focused on rising energy, food and housing costs relative
to the median wage and better yet, the minimum wage, as leading economic health indicators. What good is it to
average Americans, if a few more billionaires are created, when less than zero percentage of growing market
prosperity “trickles down” on the vast majority of our citizens?
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