Who Can We Trust? By Jim Kirwan

Who Can We Trust?

By Jim Kirwan

Al-Jazeerah, November 27, 2004

There are so many major problems in this country now; so much that literally depends upon concise and accurate information, that this simple phrase –“Who can we trust,” may be the difference between life and death.

Too few Americans realize what has changed in this country since the Viet Nam war.

Like Iraq, that war was a futile and useless gesture, an exercise in the attempted use of Imperial power. The only difference between Viet Nam and Iraq is that then there were still a few independent media outlets, and some authentic journalists that did report on events in that war as it was happening. The nightly news then, brought the war into every living room with a television set. We saw the blood; we saw the chaos, and the failure of our military to win that war. Like Iraq, we won every battle, but we lost the war because those people refused to give in to our arrogant attempt to kill them and to crush their way of life.

After that war, those massive corporate interests who stood to gain from all that carnage, decided to destroy the public’s ability to know what any foreign adventure might actually look like. This they did, by buying up those media outlets that had cost them so much in both image and profits. Along the way, they soon realized that they could also use this new megaphone of theirs, to control major events within the USA as well. Here’s the story from 1983 to the present: http://www.corporations.org/media/

Now we’re down to 5 major interests that control almost everything we see, read or hear: http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/communications/tv/mediacontrol.html

This has been carried out under the banner of “free enterprise” – but the only thing “free” about this were the airwaves that these corporate bandits use to spin their lies and twist what so many thought of as the truth. All those billions that have to be raised for every election go back into the coffers of their own subsidiaries, to create new lies to spread over the carnage of the each previous performance. This complex shell game is generously termed “the media.” The corporations own the logos that were there during Viet Nam, but now NBC is General Electric, Viacom owns CBS, and Disney owns ABC. Why do these companies not air their programs under the logos of their real owners – that should be obvious! What happened to truth in advertising? If for instance we were told that GE and some of the other weapons manufacturers, were behind the reporting on these wars from which they make vast sums of money – might we not view what the networks say in a whole different way?

There is another problem with allowing the largest corporate interests on earth to own virtually all avenues of information – and that is - that the pubic only gets one view of this nation, of the political realities here and abroad, as well as how well policies (and wars) are being received by the general public. When those who are being criticized get to cover and report on the public events that are held to criticize those same policies – the impression can be skewed in favor of the corporatists, and the puppets in government that serve these special interests: the Congress, the Courts, and the entire Executive Branch, because they’ve been paid to ensure that the truth never gets heard, seen, or discussed.

The real problem for this nation is that the public, over the years has come to trust the media, and has not yet realized that while a lot of the faces are the same, the purpose behind their broadcasts and their information - is entirely different from any real coverage of real events. The media; has become nothing more than the segmented cubicles of transnational corporations, that are beholden to no state, to no national flag, and to no political actions except those that profit their bottom line directly. Due to the success of these ‘media’ acquisitions, and in tandem with the complete dominance of their views on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) overseen by Mr. Powell’s corrupt administration – their reign would seem to be secure.

However, if the public begins to realize who is really behind the microphones, and who is really calling all the shots – then there might yet be some real changes in the way things are done in this country. No society can make rational or intelligent choices about their individual lives or the direction of the country if they do not have accurate information. The entire point (aside from obscene profits) behind this wholesale takeover of the media has been to corrupt the truth of whatever the US government undertakes to do, both here at home and in the wider world.

Where for instance were the television specials, regarding the events surrounding 911? When was the last time a special report was aired that looked into corruption or government collusion in anything like the Enron scandal, or the massive bookkeeping and stock market frauds that were enacted upon the public and the stockholders? Likewise, where were the searching reports when over 10 million people demonstrated against the war, before it happened, worldwide? There are countless areas of massive cover-ups that the media has simply not reported on. These topics affect everything from health and education to the very real and growing problems of jobs, of out-sourcing, and of virtually every aspect of life for most working people.

The answer is simple: working people have been targeted by the transnational corporations for a complete takeover of their lives and of their dreams. In this adventure the government is their puppet, doing their bidding, and creating profits for those who have something to gain, from all the damage that we are inflicting around the world.

The next time you watch ABC “News” picture Mickey Mouse, and remember that this is only entertainment – they cannot in all candor claim that what they say is information is anything but propaganda. The same is true for GE, who makes weapons and actually has much to gain or lose based on how the wars are fought. When we do stupid things like trying to drive our invasion force full speed through a desert sand storm, so that we destroy a third of our vehicles, and damage a lot of what remains – then those vehicles will need to be replaced – same goes for munitions expended – so why should these people be bringing us “the news”? It’s true of all of the major networks, including PBS, all of them have major conflicts of interest, that should prevent them from airing the stories they routinely attempt to cover – or from censoring the ones they refuse to cover. What one leaves out can be far more important than the one covered in two sentences. In any case: the public is not getting anything like balanced coverage of anything that is happening in this nation, never mind the world.

For instance: the vote on November second was a fraud, and it appears that Bush did not win even the popular vote, much less the Electoral one. Yet there is a news blackout in the USA on all such stories that are swirling around this issue – but the world knows!

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/112504Madsen/112504madsen.html

The media has pronounced that Bush won, and that was that – no questions allowed – it’s a done deal! Because if it is proven that Cheney-Bush lost, then heads will roll, and a lot of “influential people” will be heading off to prison for the rest of their natural lives. This is one of the principal reasons for buying up the media in the first place, just so things like that can’t happen in USA incorporated – the new home of Fascism-To-Go.

To ensure their protection from discovery, Patriot II was recently passed:

http://www.rickieleejones.com/political/patriotact.htm

SECTION 102 of the new Patriot Act II states clearly that any information gathering, regardless of whether or not those activities are illegal, can be considered to be the clandestine intelligence activities for a foreign power. This makes all newsgathering illegal. Think about that, and while you’re thinking, why not begin asking your so-called local stations about why they don’t cover the things that concern most of us who work for a living?

If enough people think about the new Patriot Act, perhaps something might be forced to change this cozy relationship that is leading this nation into bankruptcy, and into international failure on almost every front. Of course if this is too much trouble – then I guess that would mean that you’re content with being lied to, and being taken for granted by the corporate henchmen who designed this little plot to steal the nation? In any event, you still have to decide – Who can you trust?

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

Apartheid Wall


The Israeli Land-Grab Apartheid Wall built inside the Palestinian territories, here separating Abu Dis from occupied East Jerusalem. (IPC, 7/4/04).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03).

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