The Mainstream Media most recently has been in a "self-contemplative mode," questioning their own coverage intensity over these past few days as demonstrated in a number of columns, as well as a particularly nauseating sequence of verbal give-and-take between several journalists on National Public Radio. Finally! One might think they are regaining their collective journalistic sanity?

 

 

Alas...Not this time, I am afraid.

 

 

No ...The manifestation of this apparent "mind-linked Borg-like questioning" of the Media’s role was not about the particular angle of their views or their own objectivity as most might think. Rather these journalists were wondering if they might be the cause of the proliferation of over-flowing town hall meetings all over the country against The HealthScare Bill (HR3220). Their reasoning was that by covering these "not-really events" (their terminology), they actually caused an avalanche of anti-government sentiment against the pending legislation. In other words, the Media, in its own immodest summation of its role, has resorted to a form of "self-absorbed narcissistic navel-gazing" for heaven’s sake.

 

 

Their main inward-looking question being: “Did WE, the Mainstream Press, CAUSE all of this?”

 

 

When considering their current mind-set in conjunction with the long held theory concerning the symbiotic relationship between the Mainstream Media and “The Statist’s Agenda," this relationship certainly seems to have been played out for all to see when looked at from a certain point of view (see Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin).

 

 

This led me to wonder if perhaps the White House in a "strongly worded talking point" has purposefully sent an entire sector of the journalistic community into a spiraling tail-spin of guilt for actually reporting events as they unfolded. Unquestionably, a majority of Americans would be happy to relieve these "Navel Gazing Pundits" of their neurotic guilt by loudly proclaiming "NO"! You had very little--if –anything—to do with all of this.”  Rather bizarrely, the Media’s guilt seems to lie in the fact that they unwittingly exposed in their coverage of these events the outrage of the Citizenry (to itself) which ultimately was a detriment to the Administration’s agenda.

 

 

These journalists can honestly then be heard trying to deceive themselves and/or someone outside of the "Beltway Loop" that the continued gathered voices of an America Populace, which is still Conservative at its core and beyond, is not gathering up en mass and speaking out in force against the Radical Liberal leanings of a President (whom was not nearly as vetted as his opposing Vice-Presidential Counterpart).  They then proceed to blame "corporate interests," as if the entire Citizenry were paid to attend? Now that would indeed be a stimulus! Despite all evidence submitted to those "trained-to-observe” journalists, they do not wish to see the meaning in these events unfolding.

 

 

The simple truth is that the Media's reporting of an event does not necessarily strengthen the natural intensity of the event. The intensification thereof will always belong to the event itself. Journalists can no more impact an event's outcome than they can the strength of a hurricane--both a populace and a hurricane being natural forces.

 

 

Please. "Get real.”

 

 

We Can help You with that...

 

To wit, the "Civil Society" of the United States has lost so much confidence in this particular government that they have "awakened" and become actively involved in their own governance. This came about through a conflagration of diverse items: From a nearly rammed-through HealthScare Bill, which belongs more in a "B-Grade” horror movie than in the Law Books of the United States, to criminalizing our Foreign Intelligence Services, such as the CIA, while sending self-proclaimed terrorists to an unlimited vacation in the Caribbean Islands (among many other things too numerous to recount in this article).

 

 

Sen. Sue Myrick (R) NC, put forth an amendment to HR 3200 requiring the White House, its staff and the President himself to automatically enroll in the public option created by America’s Affordable Health Choice Act. Myrick’s initiative was tabled by a vote of 36-22 (see Myrick press release dated 7/31/2009,”Myrick Healthcare Amendment Fails in Committee”). Another earlier, but similar, bill from Sen. John Fleming (R) LA, put forth a measure to require that both legislative branches of the government could not pass the Healthcare Bill without being subject to it. Fleming’s measure was tabled in a Senate Committee without as much as a vote (see Congressman Fleming’s website, http://fleming.house.gov). The Senators in effect could be heard saying, "You want us to do WHAT with OUR Healthcare?”

 

 

This congressional rejection told the American People all that they needed to know about this Bill. Let me point out that being born and raised in a "Let the Buyer Beware" Free Market Society does, indeed, have its advantages. How ignorant must those in power think We are?

 

 

It should also be pointed out that any Senator(s) with the integrity and courage to put forth such measures as this redirected Bill Addendum indeed have "We The People’s" best interests at heart and should be celebrated and remembered at re-election time as to what is good in our government. The Lofty Legislative Folk whom tabled the measure should also take note that their legislative time in the "would be-Oligarchic Government" might be short-lived with regard to the next election. The political memories of your Constituents-Dear Congress Folk- will not be as short-lived as in years past—especially after this most intense of all rounds of political upheaval.

 

 

 

Dangers of Diversity Czar to the Media

 

Ranging deeper into the mystifying aspect of much of the Mainstream Media, and with regard to the Obama Administration, the latest installment of Deferential Governance, which involves a "Diversity Czar," has (strangely enough) been left out of most editorial pages. We have seen several Op-Eds addressing this most concerning of items; however, the Mainstream Press has been "strangely silent” about the whole affair.

 

 

The Diversity Czars' main focus is to monitor and fine local radio stations due to a perceived "disparity" in the amount of Liberal or Progressive or Statist (take your pick) commentary as opposed to Conservative Commentary. Due to this disparity, the White House intends to make corrections for the good of all.

 

 

Now, if I might weigh in for a moment. The fact that there is a considerable lack of conservative "viewpoint" covered among Network News and at least 80% of newspapers in circulation apparently does not mix into this particular equation. Why? Well, in a nutshell it is because the aforementioned outlets carry the Administration’s' water quite well (remember the Health Bill's network debut?). In "Local Radio" we have a medium which is difficult to control in that it is "We the People’s" medium. The Agenda is to silence this Medium. In addition, the United States' leading voice, like it or not, against the White Houses' agenda is well known to be Rush Limbaugh.

 

 

Does anyone see the connection here?

 

 

Rush Limbaugh's listenership has been estimated at anywhere from 35 to 50 Million voters at varying times, but Rush is not the only catalyst here. We also have Hannity, Beck, Lewis, O'Reilly and Levin among many others weighing into this mix--all with a solid listenership.

 

 

The White House states that the free-speech squelching “Fairness Doctrine" that was put into play a number of years ago and later shelved is not being re-mandated.

 

 

No, this over-reaching play is an end-run around the Constitution in the form of, once again, "The Czar Initiative.”

 

 

Make an "Executive Branch Draconian Post,” and then trample all over the US Constitution by setting rules that play into your own favor.

 

 

The simple fact is that this practice is extra-Constitutional and should be challenged by every means at our disposal. Please refresh your memory with the following:

 

 

US Constitution, First Amendment:

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.

It is simply not the Executive Branch’s job to make law. This function belongs to the Legislative Branch. It is not the Executive Branch’s job to "judge fairness"; this function belongs to the Judicial Branch. Both Congressional and Judicial Branches, I should think, would be very sensitive to the Executive branch’s seeming usurpation of powers that do not belong to it.

 

Therefore, if they cannot make law (and politically monitoring radio stations is not within the purview of the law), then they cannot "legally censure" any broadcast for political content.

 

 

The rationale for this action, as put forth by the Executive Branch, is to insure fairness for the good of The People. Were I a member of any of the other outlets, I would be screaming bloody murder about the first incremental step into abridging the Media’s fundamental right of Free Speech. Simply put: Any logical person knows that the first step in censure is just that. The next step may well come into their own fold; or perhaps they are simply too giddy to see it just yet.

 

 

 

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”

 

~C. S. Lewis
English Essayist and Juvenile Novelist (1898 - 1963)

 

 

 

Barry L. Secrest