How Dare They!
Reported by Eleanor - August 31, 2004 -
This week as I watch the corporate media at its worst, I have to speak for all who find this appalling.
How dare they, the national media, ignore up to 1,000,000 people on the streets of NYC carrying 1,000 coffins symbolizing our fallen heroes, and showing other symbols of their utter disgust for the Bush administration policies and actions? The national media is there in force, but very little of this amazing gathering of citizens is being shown to the American people, except on C-SPAN. When one million angry people are marching down the streets of New York City, it's big news.
How dare they, the national media, call attention to a few minor skirmishes, that are inevitable when you get hundreds of thousands of passionate people in one place at the same time. Why are they not having a thoughtful discussion of the reasons so many people left the comfort of their homes and went to the trouble and expense of coming to NYC, putting their own personal safety at risk?
How dare they, the national media, act as the conduit for the lies of a large group of vengeful war veterans and Bush surrogates, who with intense hatred, are attempting to destroy the candidacy of another veteran who voluntarily served with honor in that long ago war; and who helped to end that unwinnable war, when he took the risk of stepping forward to tell the nation the truth, from his own personal experience, about the hopelessness inherent in that war, and the horrible human waste, both American and Vietnamese.
How dare they, the national media, continuously, every day serve as the propaganda mouthpiece for an administration that has in four short years almost erased the gains of the 20th century, that brought millions of poor people into the middle class and made the government an instrument to advance the common good, rather than a tool to be used by the rich and comfortable to further their own interests. Under the current administration, the last half of the 20th century is becoming a blip in the progress of the human race toward equal opportunity, and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for everyone - a reality for two generations, and a memory for succeeding generations.
How dare they, the national media, act as a surrogate to the republicans in using a sordid personal affair, appealing to the basest instincts of voters, to bring down a president. They calculated that the republicans offered the best opportunity to take power away from the people, and hand over that power to corporate interests, who care for nothing except profits. With the help of their media propaganda machine, they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
How dare they, the national media, conspire to present a totally unnecessary war to the American people as an inevitable war against real enemies who attacked us on 9/11, and to continue to enhance the belief that anyone in opposition to that war is unpatriotic. The Bush Administration has continued to pile on layer after layer of lies, with the help of the media to keep that support, in spite of the stark truth of the daily carnage with no end in sight; while ignoring the ongoing recruitment of young Muslims, whose one goal in life is to get revenge for what they perceive as the invasion and occupation of their country. No one in the corporate media is asking questions about how we defeat people who have only guns and stones as weapons, but have a much greater weapon in their numbers, and in their passionate resistance to perceived enemies of their country and their religion. The two choices we have are to gain hearts and minds, or to wipe them out completely with our superior firepower. No one is talking about that, and this administration doesn't understand the hearts and minds solution in their own country, much less in Iraq.
Last but not least. Without the following outrage, none of the above would have happened:
How dare they, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and the republicans, with the complicity of the media, NOT apologize for allowing the appointment of a president by the Supreme Court to stand. The president and vice president had the power to apply at least four amendments to the Constitution - Articles 10, 12, 14, 15, and possibly Articles 19, 24, and 26 to what happened in Florida. No place in the Constitution is the right to stop the counting of votes, and instead of counting votes, appoint a president, given to the Supreme Court. Counting of votes and electors is reserved to the States by our most sacred document. This appointment was a Constitutional emergency, and if Clinton and Gore had any foresight, they would have treated it as such by calling out the National Guard, as Kennedy and Johnson did in the 1960's to protect our civil rights. The right to vote and have out votes counted is our most precious civil right. Every polling place in Florida should have been guarded by the military, and the votes counted by the State Supreme Court. Bill Clinton and Al Gore let us down. Hind sight is easy, and an apology from the republicans and the media will never be forthcoming, but Clinton and Gore should apologize for their part in handing power to big business with no restraints, in the name of George W. Bush and his surrogates.
