Iacocca Thoughts (Part 2) I see that Iacocca is openly calling for a revolution. Let’s take him on his word and ask him to lead this revolution!
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“Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?”

“We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.”

“Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.”

“Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.”

“Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when “The Big Three” referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?”

“Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem.”

“The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.”

“I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.”

“What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?”

“Had Enough? Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America’s greatest moments. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the “Great Depression”, “World War II”, the “Korean War”, the “Kennedy Assassination”, the “Vietnam War”, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this: “You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.”

“Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a call to “Action” for people who, like me, believe in America . It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the crap and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had “enough.”

There might be more of us that have long ago dumped the MSM than you might imagine expat.

Actually, I’ve NEVER paid any attention to televised news media. I’ve even gone for years (prior to the Internet) without even owning a TV. Since my family thought that was some sort of major hardship, they’d always find a way to get me one. (even though it should have been obvious that if I wanted one, I’d find a way to have one.)

Anyway, I don’t use the one I have now either. Matter of fact, the only channel that is accessible without cable subscription is ABC. Since I don’t watch ABC, and since nothing else is worth me paying for cable access, it’s been another 6 years since I’ve watched TV, at least in the environment that I control myself.

That said, the Internet HAS made the difference for a lot of people, which is how I happened to read this story from the New York Times before TD posted it here. It’s delivered to my email box.

Anyway, I said that to say that when we think of ‘media’ are you including print media, such as all of the newspapers/mags that have been around for decades and centuries? Because for the most part, that’s what folks seem to be blogging on. It’s been the only place I’ve relied on for news for decades, and yet...it is not perfect either.

For instance, as a regular reader of the NYT as well as my own LA Times, I was first flabbergasted and then appalled by the articles from Michael Gordon at the NYT, specifically in the lead-up to the war on Iraq, and since. But, how many folks would have seen through his stuff as the propaganda that it was? I mean, he might as well have been on the Dick Bush staff. And at the time, it was very frustrating, because like many people, those were publications that I relied on for information.

Same thing with the Washington Post. There was a time when they too provided excellent journalism, (at least in my opinion) and occasionally, they still do. But overall, they’ve done a really piss-poor job in keeping the public informed since the Coup of 2000, when these gangsters high-jacked our government.

For the most part, my hometown news, the LA Times is pretty much still in the ball game, but it would be hypocritical to say that they haven’t been as subject to the corporate corruption as all of the others, and that it hasn’t compromised their operations, at least to a degree.

So, I only say to cut us a bit of slack if it seems like we’re only blogging, and not much else. Fortunately for all of us, there IS more available now, in terms of the internet, and on-line journalism. But, it does take some effort to get through it, and judge it accordingly. There is as much junk out there, as there is on MSM.

Here’s a link to Greenwald’s take on Michael Gordon, which I was pleased to discover, if only because it was personally helpful to have confirmation of my own observations.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/02/12/gordon/

It hasn’t been that long really, since we HAVE been able to locate any measure of the truth in journalism, even on the Internet. That’s why I can remember so vividly when Truthout.org came to the space, as well as Democracy Now! And others since. Before that, there was that REALLY dark time, and especially since I spent several years of it in Texas.

So, we’re just catching up here. Doesn’t mean we aren’t ‘acting’ though, just as I did before the actual launching of the war on Iraq. Remember all of those millions of people protesting and demonstrating world-wide? Ah…maybe some people DON’T remember, because back then, NONE of the US media covered any of it!! At least not the print or televised media.

So, we’ve come a long way since then. And, this particular piece from the NYT is one of their better ones. The interactive features provided a lot of information as well.

This program is going to have a backlash.

Look at this motley group of generals.

When the Bush cabal has sucked them dry, when their pentagon contacts have dried up and their ‘consultant’ value is zero, and they are forced to find real work.....and you drive up to a Jack in the Box, and they ask for your order.....are you really going to buy used food from one of these mopes?