A recent conversation, on the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace (OMJP) listserve, attracted me to this article by Sahil Kapur. In the article, Kapur describes a speech by Michael Parenti. The topics of the speech included the condition of the mainstream media, and media manipulation by powerful interests. The following is a link to the original and a short excerpt from the article, although I recommend reading the whole thing.
"What can we say about the media?" asked Parenti, who alleged that the mainstream media offers a very limited spectrum of viewpoints, and suggested that it ranged from "far right to right center." Because the mainstream media has the crucial role of molding public opinion and controlling opinion visibility, he viewed this as a very significant social issue. "A multiplicity of news outlets does not necessarily translate into diversity of viewpoints," Parenti explained, claiming that the "whole left portion of the political spectrum is not represented in the 'leftist media'". He went on to talk about his views of the reasons behind this, and the numerous manipulation tactics employed by the media.
[...]
Parenti ended by suggesting that perhaps "reality is radical." He pointed out that in today United States, poverty is increasing, wages are declining and inequality is surging, and he urged us to ask ourselves who is benefiting from this. The reason that important issues like these are rarely discussed in the media, Parenti claimed, is because they makes certain individuals uncomfortable; the same individuals that have the power to limit the presence of those viewpoints in the mainstream debate.
The Tyranny of Oil: Antonia Juhasz on “The World’s Most Powerful Industry—What We Must Do to Stop It”
Along with so-called clean coal technology, both of the major presidential candidates also supporting expanded offshore oil drilling. We speak to Antonia Juhasz, author of the new book The Tyranny of Oil: The World’s Most Powerful Industry—And What We Must Do to Stop It. [includes rush transcript]
Guest:
Antonia Juhasz, author of the new book The Tyranny of Oil: The World’s Most Powerful Industry—And What We Must Do to Stop It. Her previous book, The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time.
AMY GOODMAN: Along with so-called clean coal technology, both the major presidential candidates—Barack Obama, John McCain—are also supporting expanded offshore oil drilling. Last month, the Democratic-led Congress let expire a twenty-six-year-old ban on offshore oil drilling.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is now pushing to also allow for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Palin’s campaign slogan has become “Drill, baby, drill.”
Some local street medics have traveled to Texas to assist the hurricane relief effort. Here is an article that I received via email about a situation where the help of the medics was rejected by an authoritarian police force after being called in by a private contractor with vested interests:
Street Medics Harassed by Police & FEMA during Hurricane Ike Relief
Sept. 22, 2008
By Iris Hilburger & Guy Dobyns
gray.dunia@gmail.com
Yesterday on Galveston Island in Texas three street medics were harassed and threatened by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and local police agencies while working on hurricane Ike relief efforts.
The three street medics, who are part of the Colorado Street Medics, traveled from Denver to Houston this past weekend to volunteer medical aid and assistance to those still affected by Hurricane Ike. Street medics traditionally provide medical support and emergency care in protests and demonstrations where access by EMS is restricted by police, but also provide medical care during natural disasters and other calamities.
Yesterday the three medics expanded their efforts to Galveston Island, one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Ike. Galveston Island is currently under high security. Police check points limit people's ability to both enter and exit the island and a 6pm curfew further regulates people's mobility on the island. Despite the restricted access the street medics were allowed to pass through the check point and onto Galveston after persistent negotiations and sharing of personal information and medical credentials. The street medics are all trained first responders and one individual is a certified nurse aid.
Ohio 2004 Election Fraud speaker at Traditions at 2:00 Sept 18th
In addition to speaking at Media Island at 7PM Thursday Sept 18, Richard Hayes Phillips will be at Traditions Cafe at 2 PM on Sept 18 for casual Q and A. Traditions is located at 300 5th Ave SW, Olympia.
From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr: "Richard Hayes Phillips worked day and night for three years compiling irrefutable evidence of how the Republicans stole the 2004 presidential race in Ohio. This landmark investigation is a testament to what private citizens can accomplish when government officials fail to protect our right to vote and to count those votes as cast. Every American - Republican and Democrat - should read this book, and join the fight for democracy's most fundamental right."
[via email from Monica Hoover:]
Hello all,
Richard Hayes Philllips will be in Olympia this Thursday, Sept 18, 7 PM. He will speak at Media Island (816 Adams, across Adams from the Olympia Library). Please see the attached flyer and forward this to anyone you know who might be interested.
Richard began investigating the Ohio election when he received an unsolicited e-mail containing obviously erroneous election results from Cleveland. He quickly found that hundreds of votes in certain precincts had inexplicably shifted from John Kerry to other Presidential candidates. He then spent 3 years compiling irrefutable evidence of election fraud in Ohio in 2004. His new book on his findings is Witness to a Crime, a Citizens' Audit of an American Election.
He is stopping on his way between Portland and Seattle and this just came together very quickly yesterday so we were unable to find a larger location. It is possible that he will be in Olympia as early as noon Thursday and could meet informally with interested people in the afternoon. If you would be interested and available, please let me know and we'll set something up.
Thanks,
Monica Hoover
Sponsored by Alliance for Democracy.
More information: a $5 donation will be requested, but you're perfectly welcome to give more than that - and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. More info from the flyer (shown above):
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., says: “Every American – Republican and Democrat – should read this book and join the fight for democracy’s most fundamental right.”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:00 p.m. speaking engagement at Media Island, 816 Adams SE, across from the downtown Olympia library.
Filmed in Salt Lake City, UT, by Doug Monroe and Rhea Gavry
2008 Presidential candidate Ralph Nader took some time out of his travel schedule this summer to have a conversation Cardozo the Parrot, who lives with Rocky Anderson, former Mayor of Salt Lake City. In this video, you can see Ralph and Cardozo discussing the media blackout and uphill battle faced by third party candidates and independents running for President of the Unites States.
Contribute now to help us try to get Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez in the presidential debates:
www.votenader.org
I heard some great segments (as usual) on today's Democracy Now! program. I wanted to draw particular attention to this one, because there is some choice testimony.
Ramsey County prosecutors formally charged eight members of the RNC Welcoming Committee with conspiracy to riot in furtherance of terrorism. On Thursday, other members of the anarchist group held their first press conference. One local activist accused the police of beating and torturing him in jail. [includes rush transcript]
WILLIAM GILLIS:... I want to see a world of anarchy without domination, without thugs, without warlords, without tyrants and without politicians. And as an American, I believe in actively resisting those who would rule us all.
The brutality and the lies of the state this week are not a surprise, but they are still deplorable. Police kicked down doors with guns drawn on families with their children at dinnertime. Reporters and the media at large have been repeatedly target for repression. Activists have been abducted off the street in unmarked vans and political prisoners held without access to medical attention.
The state has never really bothered with ethical justifications for its violence. But now we see that the agents of the law don’t even bother with internal consistency, ignoring the few rights they have pledged not to violate. Sheriff Bob Fletcher has unleashed a degree of repression that should embarrass and anger us all.
Inspired by Rick's Understanding Each Other post, I collected all eight episodes of The Prize, a series of videos based on the book, of the same title, by Daniel Yergin.
This book, and the video series based on it, is very informative to the problems regarding the unethical and immoral practices within capitalism whereby powerful individuals take the desire to dominate to extreme levels. Human beings, human societies and the world have suffered horrible consequences as a result of power politics.
Environmental degradation is ongoing. As the world becomes increasingly polluted, it is prime time to ask ourselves what we want to leave for the children of our time, and for all future generations.
Take some time to check out The Prize videos [linked]. You might gain some understanding into why PMR activists object to the imperial politics and policies of global domination. Are power politics the way you want the world to operate?
My resistance is based in environmental and social conscience.
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