Democracy and the Media

In recent history we have seen that in case of all revolutions, uprisings, coup d'etat's, regime overturns, the first thing that happened was always the take over of the national television stations, major newspapers and radio stations. Controlling the flow of news and information brings success to your cause. People need to know what's happening in order to side or oppose the events.

Democracy could not have been achieved without the help of the Media. The Media has a duty to defend Democracy. The Media is the watchdog of events unfolding and protector of democracy. It is the duty of the Media to inform the masses with fact based news and authentic stories.

I don't expect the media to join the conspiracy theories over the internet. That would be wrong and misleading, and would make people lose confidence in the system. But it is the Media's duty to investigate and dispel doubts about conspiracies. I believe that the conspiracy syndrome is a result of the failures of the Media to investigate, discuss and digress the anomalies of the political and physical events.

What really concerns me, that the Media fails to prevent disaster. Just like in law enforcement, preventing crime is more important than investigating a crime committed.

If the party in power, under the watchful eyes of the Media, purposely ignored the faults of the system before this election, and collaborated with the weaknesses of the law regarding elections, to consolidate it's power, how you fix it now?

The Media among a million other anomalies, failed to bring the stories about all those law-suits and legislative proposals (never brought up in Congress, because Tom DeLay didn't want them acted upon) to get a law voted on, requiring paper trail to the electronic touch-screen machines.

I may sound a doomsday prophet, but I see how the moral fiber of the society is eroding. And I mean the real moral fiber, not the fake one, so much attention given to it by the Media. They never talk about the loss of honor on a great scale in this society. Looking back at the election campaign, where the motto was "anything goes", when a whole mass of population accepts lies, deceits, and dishonest insinuations, and the Media gives them a forum (swift boat liars) to spew hatred to the masses, it horrifies me, you, and other people like Walter Cronkite, Carl Bernstein, or Bob Woodward, who established the norms of investigative journalism.

My concerns about the country turning fascist are real and based on previous experience. You may not see it, but I lived 33 years under totalitarian regime, and I see the writing on the wall.

Every time I bring up the subject, I am dismissed condescendingly, that it could not happen here since we're "thee democracy" we have the longest standing Constitution on earth. Well, I studied the "The rise and fall of Adolf Hitler" and experienced on my skin how totalitarianism evolves.

Fascism will sneak up on you. They can't change the laws and the Constitution by radical means. If you study Mussolini, you will see that first, you move consensus, then rewrite the laws. Hitler came to power in 1933 as Chancellor. They had also 2x4 years term limit; that would end his reign in eight years. Just before that date, in 1938 ( by then, he moved and intimidated the consensus ) they passed a resolution changing the tenure of the Chancellor "for life".

Moving consensus. Let me give you examples from our era.
Before Howard Dean, the consensus for war was so great (if you remember) that you would not dare to bring up a counter opinion in a discussion without being a fist shoved down your throat. (remember all those SUVs decorated with the American flag?) Dean came out and reminded us that it is O.K. to dissent. So, we have overcome (kinda) that danger.

How you move the consensus? You create an appearance of majority opinion in your favor with the help of favorable Media propaganda, dispatch foot-soldiers into social communities to intimidate dissent from your agenda, slowly reducing some of the timid dissenters to silence. Then marginalize the remaining dissenters "as enemy of the state" using the argument "if you're against our policy, you're against the country, or the military etc."

Steal an election, then use the defeat of the opposition as a tool to intimidate their psyche and move their position closer to yours. Now, I see this so called "moral-value" issue that came out of this election, plaguing the country. (i.e. Saving Private Ryan broadcasting controversy, the Monday Night Football fiasco)

Are we turning into a puritan society??? No, it is a ploy to send the Democratic Party into disarray, and soul searching. While they'll do that, and their defense is low, you'll crush them for good.

Then, one day you wake up and wonder: where is my country?

I truly love this country, and am concerned by everything happening to democracy and if I can in any way influence events or people for the good of this great country, I will do so. Perhaps my opinion can make the Media more vigilant and help them become true protectors of democracy.