1984, Here We Come!

by Mary Pitt
4/29/07

Years ago, I developed the habit of watching the cable television Sunday news channels in order to learn what was happening in the world. Today I watched but not for the same reason; today it was just for comic relief! I snickered, snorted, and even laughed out loud as the vaunted pundits lied, alibied, and wriggled out of their share of responsibility for the mess in which our nation now finds itself. They discussed the stories about Tilman and Lynch. Why did they buy into them with such gusto? Well....... they had those twenty-four hours a day that they had to fill and they were such good stories! And, besides the tales were spoon-fed to them by the military!

On to critiques of the Democratic debates. Who "won"? Who "lost"? They are all married to the "tier system". Hillary did well, and Barack was not up to par. For "some reason" the major question posed to Edwards was his $400 haircut! Mike Gravel made the most of his "moment in the sun" but he has no money and probably will not be heard from again, while Dennis Kucinich was also there but nobody paid any attention except the "loony left". The talking heads have decided that it is going to be Hillary vs. Rudy in 2008 and they are all slavering over the number of "big stories" they will glean as the year wears on.

Howard Fineman delivered a touching eulogy for David Halberstam and reviewed his efforts against the Vietnam War and the suppression that he suffered at the hands of the Kennedy-Johnson administrations. He did not compare him to any of the brave journalists who are risking not only their lives but their careers by "telling it like it is" in today's ill-conceived war. In fact, he studiously avoided mentioning the parallels between the views of Halberstam and those of the "loony left" today.

Barely, if ever, mentioned was the death count of 100 troops for the month of April, the most deadly month to date despite the "surge". They seemed almost relieved to have the looming elections to discuss in order to avoid the bad news and the fact that, if Congress does not stand firm and re-enact the funding bill with the deadlines attached, it may go on forever..

The "big story du jour" was, of course, George Tenet's new tell-all book. There was no shortage of Republicans who were available to deny its authenticity, (as there were with all the other books on the subject.) "There were no plans to invade Iraq; everybody thought Saddam had weapons of mass destruction; we had tried every option to bring Iraq into compliance with U.N. orders; etc., etc, blah, blah, blah."

They are still going at it as I write, but I have about had my fill of derisive laughter. As Democratic Representative Jane Harmon is trying mightily to downplay Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment against Dick Cheney, she and Republican Representative Adam Putnam are still groping around in the dark, trying to find a "middle way", I turned to my computer to learn the truth.

I know that I am not in the minority in my frustration with the items that are chosen by the mainstream media as subjects for discussion. I can only think about the old adage of "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel". The "third rail" of politics is no longer Social Security; it is now the honesty and integrity of the people who have our nation in their deadly talons and threaten to destroy it if the people do not rise up as one and depose them. Short of starting a fund to put a computer in every home in the country so that the truth is available to all, is there a way that we can educate the public short of a campaign to destroy television as a medium? We know that most Americans get their news from television but how do we get our views aired on TV?
Phil Donahue was cancelled rather promptly as the war began because he was opposing the administration, and now Rosie O'Donnell is "voluntarily" removing her opinions from daytime television. How much longer will Keith Olbermann last? And then who is next? Jon Stewart? Stephen Colbert? It seems that the noose is drawing more tightly as the most outspoken critics of the administration are being deprived of their public voices. What's next? Tapping our phones? We have that. Monitoring our computers? Done! Censoring our television? Completed! Monitors on our streets? Coming right up. Listening devices in our pillows? Don't be too sure.

Mary Pitt lives in a house by the side of the road in a little rural village in Kansas where she can observe the world both as it is and as she would like it to be. Questions and comments will reach her at mpitt@cox.net