Riverman;

It is absolutely unbelievable what the press in this country reports and
what it does not report.

When the government in Spain changed in the recent election, most
networks described it as the "Convervatives being voted out of office."
Ditto for the recent French regional elections. No mention was ever
made of the party names that defeated them. They can't bring themselves
to us the "S" word.

Last weekend, a few folks gathered in Washington, DC. There was
some mention of a DC rally, however, the US Park Service has stated
that "it is not the job of the Park Service to count people." The rally
permit was for 800,000 people. Some attendees estimated the actual
number close to 1 million, others only 700,000. Either way, there were
more people in attendance to support their cause than the total military
active in Iraq, little or no mention was made on the news. While the
"Liberal Media" might broadcast news in support of its political agenda
and generate an outcry, no notice is made when the "Conservative Media"
edits out stories which does not support their agenda. If you don't hear
about it, you have no way of knowing. Very effective.

It may not be an overt policy, and it may not be anything more than a
side effect of gaining more efficieny by consolidating smaller networks
into larger networks, but I would be very worried if there were only one
or two news networks. The best anyone can do is make sure that at least
one of the news broadcasts you watch is from outside the US. (BBC, CBC,
or French newscasts). Clearly one has to ask "Why are they telling me this."

Amy Goodman recently described the press coverage in the runup to the Iraq war.
392 interviews featured people advocating war with Iraq. 4 featured opponents.
There are choices made that influence the content that is presented to the
American public. And this is the American public glued to it easychair,
watching
reality TV and thinking they are getting the truth. For a country that prides
itself
on it's individualism, most Americans little realize the degree that their
views are
quietly being shaped. Repeat the mantra over and over and over again, and it
will
take root.

The reality will interfere ultimately. You can't fire every photographer that
publishes
photos of a plane full of coffins being returned in the middle of the night.
Sooner
or later, everyone will be only two or three degrees of separation from someone
who
was killed in Iraq. And sadly, it will ultimately become more intimate than
that. Nearly
everyone my age knew someone who died in Vietnam. Only when everyones friend,
son, nephew, or cousin was killed did the political tide turn.

I find it interesting that most of the war hawks are always those who have
never
traveled outside of the US. On my last trip abroad, I spent my time looking
at
my shoes,embarrased to be an American, wondering if I could pass as a Canadian.

Meanwhile, back here in Fortress America, we continue to not hold our
government
accountable, fail to exercise the democratic process we attempt to impose on
others,
continue to accept the opinions of national newscasters as fact, and evade
asking the
hard questions.

I do not blame Bush for being who he is. The real problem in this country are
the Sheep
that eatup the crap presented to them without question and march their young
blindly
off to slaughter.

RailTramp

Blakely LaCroix
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
RBP Clique member # 86.

The best adventure is yet to come.