Reply #71: Well, unfortunately.....

[RandomKoolzip]

the definitions have changed. What used to be called "objectivity" is now called "liberal bias," because it's really hard to make the GOP's massage look attractive if you look at it objectively; it counters humanity's instinctual desire to do good by their fellow man, as well as the basic American character of our government, which is in place to do the most good for the greatest number of people. Give people minutes form PNAC meetings, or some of Grover Norquist's "Wednesday Morning" get-togethers, and I guarantee most "objective" voters would say, "Jesus, this is some scary shit!" Which is why they have to wrap their massages in gaudy but emotionally appealing packages like "moral values'" and "patriotism" and "rugged individuality." (BTW, a world made up of * billion rugged individuals kinda limits the definition of "individuality," dunnit? I mean, somewhere, there's gotta be some "rugged individual" copying another "rugged individual's" behavior unconsciously....but I digress)

Yeah....anyhow. The RW machine has shifted the definitions now so that "objectivity" (facts supported by other facts) is branded as "liberal" if those facts differ from the image and the message emanating from GOP CentCom. And the word "liberal" itself is now so larded with icky connotations for the average American simply because they've heard GHWB and Limbaugh and Gingrich, etc. countelss times spit out the word like it was a bad piece of meat. So no one wants to be identified as "liberal." So basically, instead of reporting facts that do not support their "reality," they change the facts to fit the "reality," when the model ought to go the other direction.

If there were really a "liberal" media, Grover Norquist would be synonymous with "Joseph Stalin." The reality is, however, that barely anyone knows who this shmuck is, even though his power is enormous and he sets the GOP agenda, because exposing him to the light would make most "objective" observers sick to their stomachs. The other night, I got into a discussion with a freeper on DU (they're unavoidable now! Worse than cock-a-roaches!) who could tell me the coutless evils Michael Moore has perpetrated on the US, but didn't know who Richard Mellon Scaife was. Ladies and Gentlemen: our media in action.

Against this machine, just reporting facts is not good enough. The facts have to be tied to an unconcious trait latent in the human character that Americans identify with and try to summon forth when they're at their best: altruism? their sense of humor? Resiliance? Maybe even patriotism, if the RW hasn't already cornered that market. The basic American character is liberal, after all; democracy is a liberal idea.


(BTW, not to toot my own horn, but I've been pushing this idea on DU for several months now, this idea of a well-funded counter-structure to buffet and combat the RW machine......it's good to see other DUers running with it!)