"The percentage of those enjoying Free media in 2009 declined to the lowest level since 1996, when Freedom House began incorporating population data into the findings of the survey.”
I'd say it is a sad but accurate accessment of where we are globally and in the US. And that statistic was compiled 8 years ago.
From your 2nd source.
"The organizers of the literary festival had held up Kolkata as the “cultural capital of India.” The notion that any cultural capital would try to silence speech — or punish artists who do speak out — is, of course, preposterous.
Is this any different than what is happening at UC Burkley or many other Universities?
From your 3rd Source.
"In most of the big media newsrooms, top editors who receive astronomical salaries operate regularly as reverse gatekeepers, or censors on the payroll, whose job it is to reject stories and comment that would frighten the proprietors and infuriate Erdoğan."
Is that really different from what exists in US Media and the Universities? That is a horrifying statement. Of course the US has in our Constitution the 1st Amendment. In spite of it, we have similar filtering due to economic throttling of "news sources". Imagine the propaganda effect in Turkey where there has NEVER been even a pretense of the freedom of Speech and the Press?
Note: I am troubled about the lack of response to this post. I'm concerned that my focus on the Turk/Kurd conflict has reached a point where even those on the ping list avoid this subject. Or is this a taboo subject that people fear? I thought this was an excellent article.
Thank you for the response. The 3rd source you gave is excellent. It reminds me of a book I have in my library, "The Rocket's Red Glare" , when America Goes to War, the Presidents and the People. (1990) Here is one of the lines I underlined as I read it, there was a time I could quote it from memory. It was not highlighted or emphasized in the test of the author.
"To market official truth so at variance with reality or to engineer consent to policies that mock American values or to bypass public opinion all together, government must now so thoroughly misinform the public as to poison the wellsprings of democracy.
Very Sobering
sobering, indeed. Especially since this administration has declared that nation building is no longer a priority, and democracy, if not wanted is not established.
Their alliance with Israel is VERY interesting from a scriptural point of view.
Speaking of Turks and Kurds, Turkey bombed the PKK because they shot rockets into Turkey recently? Blew up ammo.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118320&NewsCatID=352
(2 black hawks just flew over my place of residence—I miss being in NC)