George Neumayr Ping
If the Discovery channel can make money on its own, why not PBS?
In this day and age of cable/satellite TV & the internet, PBS is beyond irrelevant. Kill it.
BUMP!
As always, thanks for the ping. George is terrific.
Liberals are whinning like the Sunnis in Iraq.
Not just PBS but broadcasting as a concept is based on the idea that the government should enable us to get the word. But the First Amendment says something different:Each aspect of freedom mentioned in the First Amendment reinforces all the others. The federal government is explicitly forbidden to conduct the religious discussion. But the fact that government noninterference in religion, politics, or any other public discussion is mandated in a single sentence rebuts the conceit that bright lines can separate religion, journalism, and politics. The public discussion ought not to be conducted by the government.Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The law purports to assure fairness in PBS, and the "Fairness Doctrine" purported to assure fairness in all broadcasting. But he natural tendency of government is to censor dissent.
So naturally, government "fairness" censors dissent. Government attempts to enforce fairness in radio had the effect of enforcing as the Establishment the inherently arrogant, negative, and superficial perspective of "objective" journalism.And it is not to be thought that what the Establishment labels "dissent" necessarily is such in fact; "establishment dissent" is a classic oxymoron. In America only those whom the Establishment labels "conservative" truly dissent from the Establishment.
Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate
Here's what I suggest: Cap the PBS subsidy at current levels. Decrease funding (from current levels) 10% per year over the next five years and then 25% per year for years 6-7 until PBS operates without any subsidy in 8 years.
On the other hand This Old House has stopped being about real world projects and now builds 2 million dollar spec homes in a Boston Suburb or restores a Bermuda Bed and Breakfast for a million dollars. Not too much public in those public shows.
Dozens of companies have create big succesful businesses like TOH and Muppets yet they repay PBS almost nothing for the airwaves. Time to make changes not only in content but who pays - cause nobody is going to kill PBS.
Of course you are a BIG LIAR, going along with the administration's BIG LIE. Your slants are part of the problem. Sorry, but blind obedience and acquiescence is not what our forefathers envisioned for this country. Seeking out the truth is not a liberal conspiracy. It should be every citizen's duty.
What is wrong with some independent thinking? Why must the administration control every message that passes through the media to the people?
Most of what passes for news these days, is just mind control! Message control is mind control. Read George Orwell, if you don't know about the concept. It seems the president and pals, use Orwell's 1984 as a game plan.
There is a great need for non-government approved information. The truth is, these government planners, via the K. Tomlinson appointment, are trying to do something about the "Moyers" problem, the independent voice problem. Voices like Moyers' are not conveniently agreeable to the presidential talking points of the day - they are not "on message." So they have to be silenced? Apparently you agree with the administration, that, yes, they do.
As Moyers himself notes elequently - what people try to hide from us, IS THE NEWS. On the other hand, what people in power allow you or encourage you to know, is mere PUBLICITY. The job, the real work of journalism, is about uncovering the truth, even that which lies behind the "official version." It's not to pass along the official story. When that happens, we have no real, true information. Uninformed, we happliy go along with the flow. To whatever unwise ends.
From Moyers - An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only on partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda, is less inclined to put up a fight, to ask questions and be skeptical. That kind of orthodoxy can kill a democracy – or worse.
From Moyers again - Without a trace of irony, the powers-that-be have appropriated the newspeak vernacular of George Orwell’s “1984.” They give us a program vowing “No Child Left Behind” while cutting funds for educating disadvantaged kids. They give us legislation cheerily calling for “Clear Skies” and “Healthy Forests” that give us neither. And that’s just for starters.
From Orwell's 1984 - "Has it ever occurred to you, Winston, that by the year 2050, at the very latest, not a single human being will be alive who could understand such a conversation as we are having now? The whole climate of thought,” he said, “will be different. In fact there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking -- not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”
Orwell and even Hitler - great models for communication and control aren't they? And that is what this administration does try to emulate - keep free thought and responsible questioning, much less dissent, out of the picture.
Sorry, again, blind obedience is not what our forefathers envisioned for this country.