“So it is that democracy without honest information creates the illusion of popular consent, while enhancing the power of the state and the privileged interests protected by it. Democracy without accountability creates the illusion of popular control, while offering ordinary Americans only cheap tickets to the balcony, too far away to see that the public stage has become just a reality TV set.”
We’re now into nearly 48 hours of non-stop coverage on the death of Tim Russert. By contrast, I wonder how much Dan Rather’s blistering critique of the press a week ago (he did not exempt himself) was covered? Here’s the speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97SzcumnYdc (21:36 minutes)
Text of Rather’s speech: http://www.truthout.org/article/dan-rather-slams-corporate-news-conference
At the same Minneapolis meeting (National Conference for Media Reform), Bill Moyers spoke for nearly 40 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0r71L7cojE (39:56 minutes)
The subject line (from a Cherokee tribal elder’s advice to his grandson) and the introductory quote above are from Moyers’ speech. Since most of you won’t (or can’t) spend an hour listening to these two speeches, here’s a much quicker summation by that Faux News giant of fairness and balance, Mr. Bill O’Reilly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0r8a5c9Wag (4:06 minutes)
A glimmer of sunlight in this gathering gloom was Keith Olbermann’s response to O’Reilly a few days later (before he was hobbled into the round-the-clock task of mourning Mr. Russert’s passing):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN-vrcbHJVA (6:05 minutes)
“We now know that a neoconservative is an arsonist who sets the house on fire, and six years later boasts that no one can put it out.” (from Moyers’ NCMR speech)
“Patriot’s Dream” by Arlo Guthrie (1976), was quoted by Moyers near the conclusion of his NCMR speech:
Living now here but for fortune
Placed by fate’s mysterious schemes
Who’d believe that we’re the ones asked
To try to rekindle the patriot’s dreamsArise sweet destiny, time runs short
All of your patience has heard their retort
Hear us now for alone we can’t seem
To try to rekindle the patriot’s dreamsCan you hear the words being whispered
All along the American stream
Tyrants freed the just are imprisoned
Try to rekindle the patriot’s dreamsAh but perhaps too much is being asked of too few
You and your children with nothing to do
Hear us now for alone we can’t seem
To try to rekindle the patriot’s dreams