Knowledge Is Power

When Knowledge is Power: Top ten signs your media information may be of inferior quality

By Tom Johannsen

By now most Americans know of the new "Information Awareness Agency" created to collect detailed private personal information on each and every American. Run by convicted felon John Pointexter. Hand picked by GW Bush. This new agency aims to make sure government has every scrap of data on you your children and your children's children. No worry you say. You trust your government besides; the media would quickly expose any shenanigans the felon might pull. For the moment let's try to put aside the fact that a convicted felon is running a government agency.

Let us instead examine the trust Americans have put in their corporate media to assure the quality of public information meets or exceeds that of Mr. Pointexter's. After all if knowledge is power then whoever has the best quality knowledge shall ultimately hold complete command and control. Should this level of power ever be with anyone other than "We the people"? GW Bush thinks so. The American people by their silence appear to provide "implied consent" to this outrageous unconstitutional tyranny. Apparently, neither CNN nor any major news outlet, has couched the question in this fashion. Ever wonder why?

Could it be that corporate media has business agendas beyond the reporting of detailed news? Could it be that advertisement revenues and political - military access have an impact on the quality information delivered to you daily?

There can be no rational argument against the fact that corporations in their compartmentalization of employee visibility, personal responsibility and executive accountability have created enormous problems for the American people.

Enron is but one shining example. There are corporate pension funds feeling the pinch of the failing US economy. Their participants recently informed their retirement allotments are now permanently less than half of what was originally promised. How can this be? "Corporate reporting changes" retort the lawyers. There are countless 401K accounts reeling from the recent criminal acts of Wall Street insiders. Yet very few prosecutions and even less real legal action to fix anything. Why? The perpetrators are hiding in the color of corporate law financed by political action groups. All safely hiding from criminal accountability in their corporate cubicles. All except the naive American public who will once again foot the entire bill for their crimes.

Remember, corporations "legally" diffuse accountability and responsibility, lawyers openly admit this to be a major reason to incorporate to begin with. Guess what? The majority of the information and news delivered to you daily comes from corporations "legally" operating under similar conditions as those described above.

How can you tell if your knowledge is of the quality required to make sound judgements as an American citizen? First: You must understand there may be a problem. Second: YOU must pay attention to a bit of detail.

Here are ten ways you might begin:

10. Channel Surf - Often and always. Do you notice the same stories popping up in the same relative time slots? Are the local networks competing for your attention to their advertisements based on the current "big draw" or trying to bring you the most accurate detailed information? Is the opening of a new local Deli really news?

9. National content - Does your local news channel present anymore than two or three national or international stories each night? Does your local news department have any reporter following out of town or out of country stories? Does your news channel rely on the "network" or "wire" alone to provide national and international news? You already know the answers to this one don't you? In order to cut corporate expense all major national and international stories are processed at the "network" level. This nicely consolidates control of cost and by default control of critical information.

8. Channel surf - Repeat number ten with the major networks - notice any similarities? Are the major networks competing for your attention to their advertisements or trying to bring you the most accurate detailed stories? Does it ever seem the real news is not spoken but flashed on a ticker below the screen? Reading is not real popular these days. It's an old technology

7. Follow the money - Know who owns the network you view? Corporate ownership is a legal maze of misinformation designed to obfuscate agendas and finances. Yes, it is legal now. Remember ignorance is never an excuse.

6. Know the Law - Pay attention to federal regulations regarding broadcasting Pay attention to the fact that PAC's have lobbied their way into the FCC and are now consolidating ownership of all media at an alarming pace. Whatever your ideas of FCC regulations are. Check them again. Here's some help http://www.naplesnews.com/03/01/business/d868974a.htm

5. Diversity of opinion - Is there any? If there is, what is the depth? How often do you find yourself turning away in disgust at the shallow and misleading views of so called experts spinning their agendas for who knows what reason? Do you ever feel you could do a better job? Guess what? My money says you can.

4. Does your news source respect you? - Do the talking heads insult your intelligence by regularly explaining in excruciating detail any and all statements made regarding whatever rhetoric has just fallen from some speakers mouth? This presumably because you're not capable of understanding what you just heard with your own ears. Can you feel their love and respect ?

3. Meet your local news reporters - I'm talking TV reporters now. It's fun educational and sometimes frightening. Many are pretty to look at. Most can recite well. But with the exception of some of the older experienced anchors. I am not betting these folks are going to keep up with the Washington felons when it comes to real information.

2. Read - Written word conveys fact like no other media. It is transferred into your memory banks with integrity that exceeds that of TV and Radio. In this case the old technology is still superior. There are numerous reporters still in print that understand what a detailed story is. Thankfully these writers last longer than talking heads primarily because no one has to look at them (I'm joking, sort of). Most of them are serious journalists. But the masters are consolidating print just as quickly. So even the newspapers are fading. Remember the link at #6?

Before we get to #1. Let me say this: I am well aware of the fact that tracking the subjects above requires time. I sympathize with the distractions of life. We are all in this together.

REMEMBER: When someone tells you "Freedom isn't Free" they really mean that attention to these kind of factual details are amongst prices to be paid for freedom. They really mean that spilling blood should be the last resort of ALL free men. They really mean we ALL have to keep a CLOSE eye on our government. Otherwise: None of us can really be free.

1. Download this link - http://www.takebackthemedia.com/bushnonazi.html. If your computer is slow be patient. It is well worth the wait. Herein you will find more information to determine just how pure the quality of your information is as an American. This for those of you who have given up heavy reading.

This is not an attack on the workers of mass media. In fact, my guess is most of them agree with me. We have all been devalued and dehumanized by corporations. Media Executives and Editors who promulgate situational ethics in the name of their personal beliefs and bottom lines. It is getting worse every day.

By now I think you get the general idea. In case you missed it. Consider this:

http://www.aspeninst.org/presscenter/archives/2003/20030113_president.html

WALTER ISAACSON, Chairman/CEO,CNN announced on PBS' Charlie Rose show (1-14-03) he is going to the Aspen Institute as soon as he finishes producing the current Iraqi war for CNN. Let's hope the "War" production goes well for Walter. After all this is a great opportunity for him to rub elbows with the elite. Watch the show; check out the Aspen Institute. Then decide for yourself.

How can "We the People" keep up with the Washington felons under these circumstances? How can we as Americans make decisions based upon bias or incomplete information? How shall "We the People" preserve our Republic without the cold hard facts? What is to become of our posterity?

You should know: This governmental-corporate tyranny ends when "We the People" say it's over. Are you ready yet? Millions of Americans are already organizing. How about you?

Let us ALL remind these tyrannical idiots: Without "We the People" they are nothing. Let's do it "for the children" - after all isn't that always their first claim?

Keep your Faith!