Night Gaunt, when I referred to the large
corporations owning and dictating to the networks
their news programs, I was definitely referring to
GE. GE is the largest stockholder of NBC. The
network’s news programming is run on the basis of
profit and not principle. We have no large scale
independent news organization in the US any longer.
GE, one of the largest military contractors in the
US, building engines, planes and other military
hardware, owns one of the big 3 networks and surely
dictates policy in regards to news.
During the run-up to the Iraqi war, a war which by
any standard was uncalled for and illegal, NBC and
MSNBC did not so much as raise a stink regarding the
necessity for such a debacle. Sure, some of the
outlets anchors and pundits spoke out against the
war, but on the whole, there was tacit approval of
both the Iraqi and Afghani wars.
Mind you, the idea of a free press, is no longer a
viable option. We have only news/entertainment
organizations run by large corporations.
I cannot think of one major news source in this
country that is not run by and accountable to a major
corporation.

It’s well our journalists report these obvious betrayals of heart, soul and mind by self-proclaimed guardians of the arts in “gee golly how do we make more money wood” but we who profess concern over the moral decay deconstructing American freedom and economics should be well beyond shock and indignation at the baboon antics of immoral baboons.

  Great observations one and all but Wall Street grifters, whore Repub/Dems and the international black market thugs they serve have carried themselves beyond redemption. They have made themselves inconsequential to the core reality that now defines survival in America. Like any ponzi scheme their obscene illusion, as any lie would be, is headed for collapse. Don’t let it fall on you.

    The Chinese people can take care of themselves. So can we Americans.

    POWER TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY!! INDICT WALL STREET THUGS NOW!! REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT!! FREE MANNING!!

Corporate America has no better friend than China, so it is not surprising that they would work together on matters of censorship. China’s cheap captive labor have allowed corporations around the world to fatten their profits while killing off domestic labor unions. There is symbiotic relationship between corporations and autocratic regimes because both entities forbid dissent. China’s mastery of censorship is best demonstrated by the fact that no one in China dares discuss the 45 million people killed in Mao’s Great Leap Forward of 1958-1962.

JSD, you must be familiar with Thomas Friedman. 
He wrote the Lexus & the Olive Tree; his most recent book is Hot, Flat & Crowded—and an op-ed piece in today’s NYTimes echos some of what you’ve written.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/opinion/27friedman.html?_r=1&ref=columnists

Youth will be served.
Victory for the World Youth Movement is inevitable.  Once they have won, however, the new world will be THEIRS, for better or worse.
By then a new, budding spirit of youth will emerge.
(Happens like this every generation.)

They took that name from their football team mascot in the original film that was retro when it came out in 1984. Why would anyone want to do a remake? I like it because it is so ridiculous and unbelievable.(The John Birch Society wet dream of fear if there ever was one.) Just couldn’t happen. And remember in the end the USA won it all back in a flash forward.

Another one in the same vein was the miniseries “Amerika” fun but improbable. In the novel they blame womens’ emancipation for the USA’s down fall. No joke.

Well its the worship & fear of Mammon that should be the star of the movie not China or Fredonia. Hint, China is now become a fascist state not that different from the previous years. Just more obvious.

Photoshock I get more real news from MSNBC than CNN and Fox combined. But you can inform me where they made up stuff, will you?

Yeah, well . . . here in the “democratic” US also, self-censorship is “starting to work the other way as autocracy gives orders to American culture.”  Only difference:  our “autocracy” is not formally associated with the Communist Party, which of course makes everything they do okay because it’s “private enterprise”—even when it’s at public expense!

We would do well to recognize our own faults and limitations at the same time we are so alert to the faults and limitations of others—especially when they so closely resemble us.

Maybe a movie which portrays a third world middle eastern country who whas insidiously taken over the congress, media, judicial and bamking interests in the United States, forcing us into unpopular wars and unconstitutional laws.

[...countering our First Amendment ethos with a push for what Times reporter Ben Fritz calls pervasive “self-censorship”—the kind in which America’s media industries…]

Yep, as the world turn, so do the influences of so-called free marketeering; the calling card of Wall Street. Decisions to usurp the fundamentals of our national philosophy are subject to the scrutiny of hedge fund managers.

Peter Knopfler ~ I appreciate your comment. The decrescendo of American values, fabulous at best, may only be assuaged by global warming. Scientists’ models call for extreme drought in NW China, which will impact Russia in terms of mass migration. The next battles may be over rights to water. We can, with the wherwithal, confront and perhaps prevail in energy transformation, as per H2O, the task is monumental:

•It takes about 1,000 gallons of water to grow the wheat to make a two pound loaf of bread, and about 120 gallons to produce one egg.
•About 1,400 gallons of water are used to produce a meal of a quarter- pound hamburger, an order of fries and a soft drink.

We have always had censorship of one form or another since the dawn of the U.S. We cannot escape the idea that censorship is an all pervasive element of our society.
The problem remains though in giving into the idea of self-censorship.
What are we to do about the self-imposed rules on ideas? Is there nothing that can be done? Well, in the face of avarice and the bottom line, NOTHING! For when profit trumps ideals and democracy, ideals will always lose.
Face facts, Amerikkka has lost the battle of hearts and minds a long time ago.
When the Chinese asserted their right to censor the material that was introduced into their country and the movie studios happily gave in, for the chance to have their products seen by the world’s largest audience, then profit trumped principles.
But as insidious as that seems, Fox Channel is even more insidious, besides the other major networks being owned by large corporations and run on the principle of profit. We have no real large scale independent news organizations any more. News, and the gathering of news, used to be an inviolate thing.
It was part and parcel of the ‘fourth estate.’
Now though, we are faced with large corporations, much of whom are in the war business and the production of weaponry for the military. So war, has become a profitable and seemingly endless cycle of production and use. Rather than stand against the lies that brought us into conflict, the ‘fourth estate’ nows plays up the role of ‘embedded’ journalist. What the hell does a journalist embedded with troops do, when he/she finds these self-same protectors committing war crimes and atrocities? Nothing but sweep the crime/crimes under the rug. Why? Because their bosses have already dictated the policy that war is good for the bottom line and nothing will interfere with their pockets.
What should be done in regards to the independence of the journalist? As far as I can tell, until the
journalist is freed from the restraints of corporate Amerikkka, nothing will happen.
This is a situation which has no remedy, until journalism is again free to report the truth good or bad.
With this said, we have to again demand the freedom of the press. No longer should the ‘press corps,’ cozy up to the governmental newsmakers. There should be no relationship between those who report the news and those whose job it is to make policy. Yet, for the sake of profit, the ‘reporters’ have cozied up to those whose job it is to set the policies that influence all our lives. We are at the mercy of a ‘press’ that is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the corporations. To remain a free nation, freedom of the press must again become a hallmark of our nation. Until this happens we will sink lower and lower into the abyss of fascism and authoritarianism.
Amerikkka will no longer be the bastion of freedom of thought and speech that it once was, if it ever was. Now though, we are faced with a rapidly expanding and rapidly growing authoritarian state. Which state is enhanced by the dull and uninformative reportage that is the hallmark of today’s news. Who cares whether ‘bennifer’ goes to the mall or not?
We cannot long sustain the ideal of freedom faced with a lack of knowledge. Should this continue we well may face in our lifetime, dictatorship and ruthless murder of our citizens.
The solution is for the citizens to stand up to the corporatocracy and demand real news, not the fake news of CNN, Fox Channel, MSNBC and all the rest. Real news which gives objective and unbiased facts.
Until then, nothing will change.

China bashing, again, and this time by D. Sirota.  The film industry, as well as
other industries, have always tailored their products to fit the demand from the
most profitable sectors of the market.  What has this got to do with China?  Why
can’t they buy what they want to buy?  Nobody tells US film distributors which or
how many foreign films to buy—in fact they are buying less of them than ever.
This is the only developed country that doesn’t have a culture that regularly sees
an appreciates international films. Big business and its overwhelming advertising
apparatus is our autocracy.

ARE WE ALL IN A COMMUNIST CHINES TRANCE OR JUST STUCK
ON STUPID:
Communism is dangerous because it takes away your
desire to know and walk into the unknown where
creativity is at its best. Communist China has had no
original thoughts since Mao, General Electric has
been feeding their communist wishes for over 100
years, know your history. We stopped using the label
COMMUNIST so you would feel better about buying their
down graded, contaminated products. This year ,
Chinese year of Rabbit run around kiss and shit on
everyone. The following Year is the YEAR OF THE
DRAGON, AND THAT IS WHEN THE COMMUNIST CHINESE WILL
SHOW YOU EVERYONE WHO THE NEW BOSS IS! Shadow
government. Corporate dictatorship ruled by COMMUNIST
CHINA! YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN SLAVES TO
COMMUNISM. How you like them apples!

It’s a shame that China, which had the opportunity to become a shining example of a reborn nation, is slavishly following the US examples of hypocrisy in self-censorship, and ‘Mendacity Rules’ overriding the rule of law and all other ‘democratic’ principles.

Too bad we couldn’t practice a little “self censorship” of our own right here in the good old U.S.of A. Starting with Beck and company.

As far as exporting “culture”, I think the world has had enough already.

Say what?

“Why the fear of upsetting such an odiously anti-democratic government?”

China, of course, holds elections, which may be more “democratic” than those in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_the_People’s_Republic_of_China

Certainly the vector for the people of China is on the up, unlike the vector for Americans and their government.  How come Al Jazeera can’t get on to American TV?  Is it because of the “despots” who run America?

This article just comes across as an example of the American disease.  A cancerous case of jingoism.  Foreigners are icky.  Communism is evil.  America is wonderful or at worst just a little confused.  Don’t think about any of that.  Just obey.

Ask yourself if Hollywood is more likely to produce a film criticising the Chinese army or the US army.  Of course the US armed forces have their hooks into Hollywood and essentially have complete veto power over military films which they use to promote their propaganda.  This is all well known except the extent of it perhaps.

But would David Sirota call the US government “odious”, “despotic”, “anti-democratic” and “authoritarian”?

Hey Sirota when was the last time the Chinese invaded another country?  When was the last time the Chinese killed a million people?

Oh but they are commies so the blinders come down and the jingoistic prattle comes out.  We know commies are evil because our wonderfully democratic overlords tell us it is so.  And they’d never lie.

so watch Atlas Shrugged, already.
http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/?gclid=CPCT-eza6acCFRRigwod5Hokrw