Media’s 24/7 Sliming of Dems Will Happen. And we will…?

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

I can’t prove the assertion in the title. I’m not connected to any “inside” track. And anything a lowly wage-earner like me could possibly know about conspiracies is almost certainly disinformation.

But the assertion is true, and I bet you know that. And so we must ask some questions.

It might possibly be illegal, and it’s certainly anti-consumerist, to entertain the mental state they used to call “remembering.” It’s a superstition of mine that remembering is indispensable to being prepared for the future. It seems if you notice something happens again and again and again, over a period of years, that you might expect it to happen again in the future. Now, if you find that notion a little whacky, it’s best we part company here. Otherwise, here’s what I remember about our Media, our Democratic politicians, and our elections:

I remember the Media going 24/7–literally–on the horrible crimes of Bill Clinton. And the need for him to remove himself from office immediately. No other thing in America was discussed for over a year. Just the evil that was Bill Clinton. Any rumor, whether pushed by his declared enemies, and whether it be of children begot with prosititutes, murdering his best friends, etc was worth reporting AND commenting extensively upon. If you were his friend, or a political associate, even a family member, no charge, whether proven or not, was beyond the pale. While everything he was charged with and worse was a matter of routine with Republicans. But you wouldn’t know that from the Media.

I remember 2000, when Gore was ridiculed by Media. Where his quotes on record were then falsified and the falsification endlessly repeated by Media pundits. Where Gore was painted as a phony, an elitist, out-of-touch. At the same time Bush, from a family every bit as patrician as Gore’s, was painted as a regular Joe. Bush–a man known to be afraid of horses–buys a ranch (with no animals) just before running, and the Press treats him as though he were John Wayne.

I remember 2002, when Democrats were portrayed as being cowards, and Media coverage underlined the strength of George Bush and the weakness of Dems. Where lie after lie was told about the Democrats, and Media merely reported the lie and provided no connected dots.

I remember 2004, when Kerry was successfully portrayed, with Media’s eager promotion, as a coward and a fraud in connection with his War Hero medals. Where Media joined the Republicans in protraying Kerry, and his wife, as effete, wild-eyed liberals. With no critique at all of George W Bush, who had already committed several publicly acknowledged crimes against the Constitution and people of the United States. (And yes, the mofo was wearing a wire in the debates!)

I remember 2006, where Media continued to bury Republican scandals, treat alleged Democratic scandals as being true, and in general–while having to admit a growing disaffection with Bush–did little to highlight his crimes. While still echoing false charges against Democrats.

I remember a lot more, but it’s all of the same type. Well, besides memory, there’s other things that apparently aren’t too legal, or valued by Corporate mass-reach Media. By which I mean Reason and Foresight.

Applying those two capacities together with Memory, I can say with 100% certainty that right this moment the wheels are being greased for a  24/7, prime-time-all-the-time, “story” which will be utterly contrived, and which all America will see for weeks on end. And this story will slime the Democratic candidates.

You could bet money on this. Republican operatives are at work on, and Media pundits are set to amplify, all manner of false charges. Which will be presented to the American Public as having some measure of legitimacy. Even if proof to the contrary is easily accessible.

They’ve already been test-driving Muslim/Hamas/Radical with Obama, and we’ve all heard of legitimate (LOL) news outlets perpetuating the disinfo. They’ve been quiet, relatively about Hillary, but rest assured that Vince Foster’s ghost lurks in the wings. Along with dozens of other scandals. (And remember, in shotgun advertising, it’s not the quality, it’s the quantity.)

So that all brings us to this point:

What the hell are we going to do about Media’s upcoming 24/7 destruction of the Democratic candidate?

The Netroots to date has managed a very limited grasp of what Media is up to. Everyone, even frontpagers at DKos, seem perpetually astonished that Bill Kristol, Matthews, or any of the other Twits posing as journalists, is being dishonest or willfully blind. It’s as if we had neither memory, nor reason, nor foresight. Or that we prefer the lazy pleasures of being wronged but morally superior to the necessary difficulties of making things right.

To quote my comment in a dairy by clammyc over at DKos:

We are woefully unprepared for

the upcoming “scandals” invented by the rightwing and presented as legitimate news by the media. It will last at least 2 weeks, probably more, and be 24/7. As sure as water is wet.

If we are true to form, we will be completely reactive, spending our time and energies on debunking (which will not ever be covered the same way), writing eloquent, outraged, essays, and being shocked! shocked! that the media would behave this way.

And we will lose.

Unless we begin, today, to discuss and focus on how to neutralize the corporate media.

It’s a big ugly problem, and I can understand that no one wants to do the hard work of changing our established pattern of moaning and whining and being victims.

But unless we come to grips with the media’s enmity to democratic and humanly decent principles, and figure how to sabotage their lies right now, put them on the total defensive so Media will fear the consequences of slanting the news, we are all going to be fucked over.

And don’t say you didn’t see it coming, people.

Or am I completely wrong about this? Can we do anything that would work besides surrender in advance? Or shall we content ourselves with losing again?

Sorry, but I must retire for the evening soon. But if anyone has anything to develop on this notion, please do so.

21 comments

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  1. about the inevitability of the assault to come and love this statement:

    It might possibly be illegal, and it’s certainly anti-consumerist, to entertain the mental state they used to call “remembering.” It’s a superstition of mine that remembering is indispensable to being prepared for the future.

  2. period

  3. and good to see you Jim!

  4. getting de-programmed during the Clinton era.  We were “on the economy” and removed from any American media save the single channel coming from the military base.

    What you see as dire consequences of real life I see as a subdivision run by Agent Smith from the Matrix movie series.  The global organizations that manufacture your world are many, CFR, Trilateral Commission, Club of Rome, Bilderburg and thousands of other corporate subsidized NGOs.  Most of these people would be very happy to de-populate any one of us simply to maintain their mighty elite status and total control over you and I.

  5. so when they slimed him, I ignored the media for the right-wing fascist-enablers that they are.

    As for Kerry:  He should have fought back.  Hard.  The ammunition was there; but he didn’t use it.  It seemed that he was trying to run a “kinder, gentler” campaign–and that will never work against these bozos.  You can be kind and gentle once you’re in office; you’ll never get there without attacking back.

    It does seem that some of our allies realize that (I’m thinking of the new “100 years in Iraq” ad): we need these types of things, 24/7, until it sinks in.

    Jeez, once again, McCain has given us all the ammo we need: now we need to volition to use it.

    • jim p on April 30, 2008 at 03:20
      Author

    Okay, so if you are reading this, let everyone see what you think can possibly be done about media. We need every angle.

    Or demonstrate that mass-reach Media isn’t the key element to our political life, and tell me why I should not think about these things. But please, don’t walk by without adding something.

    Here’s what Arianna had to say today:

    Probing a Political Paradox: Why the Discredited Right Still Sets the Agenda and Dominates the Debate

    It’s a paradox: the political center has clearly shifted; what used to be considered “left wing” positions have now become part of the mainstream, and the views of the Right are now at odds with the majority of the American public — and with reality.

    Yet, despite this seismic shift — grossly underreported by the media — the Right remains as powerful as ever when it comes to setting the national agenda and dominating the national debate.

    …on Iraq and the exercise of American power, on economic fairness, on corporate responsibility, on the environment and climate change, on the universal right to healthcare, the progressive policies and positions long championed by the left have moved [to]Main Street, USA.

    Nevertheless, the traditional media — and most politicians — continue to insist on looking at every issue through a right vs left frame,

    It’s a long piece, and very well written. I disagree with her emphasis, and figure that the media is much more a deliberate, conscious, policy–in fact, a deliberate psyop–than she would have it (a collection of milquetoasts buckling to rightwing pressure). But heck, there’s room for both to be true.

    Please read it. I’ll just quote the part that I was excited to see in print for now:

    …I concluded that there are three main areas to look at, not only to help us understand how we got in the mess we’re in, but also to help us get out: the media, the role of fear in our politics, and the failure of political leadership.

    [my bolding]

    Now I’d argue that points 2 and 3: the role of fear and the failure of leadership, go right back to point 1, the Media. And when I’m talking about mass-reach Media, that’s not just the news. I’m talking about the entertainment and even the advertising. (Anybody but me notice a trend in commercials of people’s family and friends trying to steal the prized product, pushing people out of the way to get it, etc?)

    It is a fact that how threatening the world seems to a person is in direct proportion to how much television they watch. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. So, why is fear such a sure-bet to manipulate the public? It might be connected to Americans watching 250,000,000,000 hours of tv a year. (One-quarter trillion. Just tv, not radio, or print media). So, back to Media to explain the fear factor.

    Why does the political leadership fail? The answer is a question: Who in all of media is allowed to speak directly and fully about problems the national community faces? Who decides whether politicians get favorable treatment or get trashed or are just simply ignored? Again, back to Media.

    Anyway, I’m thrilled I’ve been given something of a platform. I just will feel like crap if nobody comes up with what we are going to do. Both in the short term of the ’08 election, and the future beyond ’08. So put those words and ideas down, please.

    • RUKind on April 30, 2008 at 06:06

    It’s well worth the jump. Great weekly newsletter, too.

    http://mediamatters.org/items/

    • RUKind on April 30, 2008 at 06:19

    An excellent starting place for…

    What you can do from Media Matters.

    • Will2b on April 30, 2008 at 11:46

    Theodore Roosevelt lived in vain, apparently.  The Trusts rule everything, these days.  I truly do not see a solution, short of a new round of trust-busting.

    We might have to have 80 percent of the Senate and House to get anything done along those lines.  

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