Saturday, August 28, 2010

Media attention...

Why is the far right getting so much media attention? How can anyone take seriously Glen Beck and friends going to Washington to try and co-op the Civil Rights Movement with a big crowd of angry and afraid white people? This is not to say they do not have some legitimate issues. The concerns of our government being out of control and unresponsive to citizens I think we can all agree are real problems. But why so much attention to "birthers", government take over of health care, FEMA camp fear mongers and they are coming to take my guns away nonsense?

It seems somebody or somebodies want us to slide even further to the right than Bush Chaney and company. Obama, fairly or not, is being portrayed as weak and ineffectual despite having got some things done. We are also developing an unhealthy reverence for all things military. This is not adding up to a bright and sunny future. It looks like we have been dummied down so far that the lunacy of the far right appears okay. Few dare to question it. Meanwhile, the people who really run the country get richer and grow more powerful. I'm thinking finance, energy and so called defense. All three may have a lot to gain from a dumb and docile public. Finance can continue to sell us on the importance of a "good credit score." Energy can continue to pollute unabated and poison the food supply via fertilizers and other chemicals. Defense can get plenty of new recruits from the ever expanding lower class, not to mention new and expensive toys. And all three feed off of each other.

Look at the bottom of many yahoo articles and note all of the left right bickering. Given a lot of people posting are high school age, many are not. I think the sad thing to note is the both believe there is substantial differences in the two parties. Not only that, they view each other as the enemy. The civil concept of loyal opposition is out the window. I think this may be one reason the far right gets so much attention, they set themselves apart. The far left on the other hand gets little attention because the changes they are calling for less suit the suit if you will. Taking better care poor people, having real health care reform and taking threats to the environment seriously lets' face it are not so hot items on corporate America's agenda. The far left is also marginalized as being naive and weak.

It is so difficult to get other narratives out there for people to consider. Why do we allow huge donors to run our politics while we are fed the tired old left vs. right story line? Why is it we cannot consider doing politics in a more constructive and collaborative manner? What will it take to break this destructive cycle?

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