CNN, FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC and MSNBC decline PBS' interview request over the "Military Generals' scandal
By John Amato Saturday Apr 26, 2008 8:30pm
PBS did an excellent report on the explosive NY Times story which says: the Pentagon may influence the analysis of some retired military personnel who appear on television news programs. Oh, really? Wow, I never would have guessed. I've covered this scandal at length already, but since Network News refuses to comment on this report, I'll keep pushing it. And I thank PBS for also not sticking their heads in the sand.
Download | play 
Download | play (big file 30 mgs)
Woodruff: And for the record, we invited Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and NBC to participate, but they declined our offer or did not respond. We've been talking to the Pentagon since Monday about participating in this segment. But when we finally scheduled it today, they were unable to supply a guest on short notice.
Bob Zelnick admirably plays the media's chief apologist for this segment. It's not surprising that someone that works in the media defends them to the end. The Pentagon and the Networks thank you.
JUDY WOODRUFF: How surprised were you to see this report?
BOB ZELNICK: I wasn't surprised at all. In fact, when I covered the Pentagon, I often sought information from retired generals and admirals and colonels because I knew they were well-informed.
I knew they kept in touch. I knew they had drinks at the Army-Navy Club. I know they went to Army-Navy football games on special trains together. I knew that many of them were serving as what we called Beltway bandits or consultants.
So I wasn't surprised at all, except by the amount of space devoted to this piece by the New York Times.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Since the months leading up to the start of the Iraq war in March 2003, dozens of retired military officers served as analysts on cable and network television.
JUDY WOODRUFF: These former generals and colonels have been a mainstay of commentary and analysis. And the networks paid them for their appearances.
Now, a lengthy New York Times investigation, published on Sunday, revealed the Pentagon targeted many of these analysts as part of an information apparatus to generate favorable news coverage of the administration's wartime performance. (transcript below the fold)
Pentagon officials organized hundreds of private meetings with senior military leaders and the military analysts. They included talks with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
According to the Times, analysts were also taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated.
It was also disclosed that most of the analysts have ties to military contractors...read on
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Can anyone seriously doubt that corporations can and do engage in censorship? Any Libertarians care to discuss why it is that Public Broadcasting will take this on but not the Corporate Media?
What makes this story even more repulsive is remembering that one of the networks (CBS?) fired their military consultant (Batiste?) because he appeared in a VoteVets ad. So meeting with Rummy at the Pentagon and supporting the war is just fine, but give an opinion that goes against the Pentagon's script - and you're fired.
Or have the Libertarians that frequently troll this site all called it quits along with Ron Paul?
These companies are beyond reason. If you make them uncomfortable - YOU will pay a price, not them.
Since they are beyond reason, they will only change their behavior if made to change.
These are not decent people.
I dont know what is gained by a discussion about them that assumes decency and reason - neither apply. Instead, discuss what would be needed to force their behavior.
judy woodruff does not belong on PBS' Jim Lehrer newshour. she's a fucking mainstream media hack.
Nice job Professor Zellnick. You generalize the facts to make it look like this was standard operating procedure and then put on the rose-colored glasses to make it sound like this propaganda campaign was a good way to get information.
How to I sing up for you Journalism 101 class? David Horowitz would be proud.
Zelnick is the perfect shill. I'm willing to bet he's a paid CIA agent who poses as a journalist. Notice how he refused to address the fact that this was an illegal act and intentionally fudged the difference between a journalist approaching a source that might give a different story than the official one and the government providing prepped stooges to pretend to be objective analysts.
the ceo is now the highest rank in the military.
When a war has to be sold so deceptively, so forcefully you know that war is bullshit.
I'd give all the greedy sycophants immunity in exchange for testimony on Rumsfeld, Cheney & Bush.
Katie Couric cut her teeth in show biz as a Pentagon correspondent for NBC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPnGuIKmq0s
Biff Limbaugh @ 8:
This is what happens when a country *ahem*"elects" a CEO prez...
...or one you would want to "have a beer with."
Staggering incompetence.
:(
Snowball @ 3:
I think a lib would argue that we will all stop watching TV news and we'd stop patronizing all their sponsors, and we'd stop funding the military because we'd obviously elect govt officials who would protect our interests. Then (if we could afford it) we'd pay $50 to go to our local suburban security guarded park and read Ayn Rand and jump up and down about how free we all are.
Has this even been in any newspapers?
If people remember, the Pentagon started this "war" being fairly straightforward. As things turned to shit, the spin machine from the Vietnam era was tuned up. All the advances of Powells lessons of Nam went out the window. Now that giant shithole is worse than ever. Lie, grind the kids, lose and deny it. We took a step forward before bush pushed us back three.
Reminder: there is no victory, there is no magic window that is the perfect time to get out. We get out and save lives, or kill more people for no reason.
Teddy Phuf @ 12:
That is, if we can keep the corporations we boycott from hiring Blackwater to crack our heads in or doing this:
Corporate Spies
A private security firm employed former Secret Service and CIA agents to spy on Greenpeace, U.S. PIRG, Environmental Media Services and other environmental organizations on behalf of corporate clients including Monsanto, Halliburton, Wal-Mart and Allied Waste. Documents obtained by Mother Jones, which broke this explosive story, reveal the spying lasted from the late 1990s at least through 2000. The company paid private spies to collect phone records and other private information on prominent activists, to root through dumpsters and infiltrate the staffs of environmental organizations.
moniker @ 13:
... from the NYTimes
John
please stay on this story, the MSM and the Pentagon
someone has too
It also should be noted that while all the major media have had no hesitation in presenting the military point of view, they have also made sure that the military perspective was never going to be challenged by an anti-war voice, and that includes PBS and that quasi liberal, Keith Olbermann.
The only reason the official MSM machine chose not to participate in this discussion on PBS is because the Network executives all know that they consciously acted in collaboration with the Administration.
And they are responsible for the deaths of 4,000 young Americans, the maiming of 10's of thousands more, and the deaths of untold 100's of thousands of Iraqi civilians. As responsible as the Administration they supported and sucked-up to.
I watched this interview on TV (rare for me now). I was impressed by John Stauber. He said the following about Bob Zelnick and this scandal in a calm, professional manner:
JOHN STAUBER: Well, let me say I'm just shocked to hear Bob Zelnick depict and misrepresent what's going on here. And I have to wonder, Professor Zelnick, if you even read the New York Times article very closely.
This is an instant where these people were recruited by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld as agents of Pentagon propaganda and inserted into the networks.
Now, you can fault -- and we should fault -- the networks for not vetting these people properly, for not being much more careful about their credentials.
But the fact is this program began with the Pentagon, with the Bush administration, recruiting these people to be their surrogates. And those are the words that the internal documents used. This is the Pentagon Papers of this war.
Erroll @ 18:
PBS is not "quasi-liberal" as you erroneously state. It is however, significantly more objective (although far from perfect) than the Corporate Media. Conservatives conflate objectivity with Liberalism because, as Colbert stated so well, "Facts have a Liberal bias."
Sadly, im not surprised.
I'm a bit surprised that MSNBC (who is the the only news channel that I watch) did not chose to do this. Shame on you, Dan Abrams.
john @ 5:
she's married to that supreme asshole on the WSJ can't remember his name
Was it for " expert " analysis , well then the could have gone to collage professors or military school , to show some sense of of neutrality , no they went for the direct pipeline to the Pentagon , to get some nuggets of early info, maybe .
Did they care it looked like blatantly bias to hire only the military and intelligence officers to give their " opinion ' during the run up to the invasion ?
Did they think it was possible for them to be totally neutral , given the OBVIOUS conflicts of interests , not to mention those who worked for defense contractors or munition manufacturers and conversely how large would the uproar would be if CNN hired 20 HIPPIES or 20 ANTIWAR people . I mean there might have been no war or needless body parts laying all over the ground and SERIOUS questions might have been asked , challenging the well planned propaganda machine that infested cable tv , pounding away all with the same message, that this war necessary because powell told us Saddam was going to fly model planes with chemical weapons to America .
it's indefensible and blatantly offensive to everybody who want a neutral news media , to see these war profiteers, the corporations ; the " analysts " present not only one side of the issue , but misleading and false information to purposely mislead and sell these goddamn wars .
No Fox , CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS run like little cowards that they are , with their profits from selling the war , collaborating with the military as inbeds and don't forget what Abe Vreis discovered in the late 90's , CNN hiring Psychological Operatives from the military as " interns " , another indefensible act by cable lapdogs .
NOW watching CBS 60 minutes has the " heroes " of the Israeli attack on Saddam's nuclear reactor , with interviews and even cock pit video of Israeli fighter pilots . Wonder how thy got that via FedEx or UPS from the mossad . But of course this is linked to the attacking Iran propaganda campaign , another needed and "justified ' attack, manufacturing consent .
Here we go again , and for the same reason CBS won't do a serious report about the inhuman conditions in Gaza , the malnutrition; the oil cuts ; the food cuts ; the electricity cut by ISRAEL , they work in concert spreading lies and misinformation for Israel and the W.H.
votingvet @ 19:
I often wonder if it's not the Republican party that controls the Corporate Media, but the Corporate Media that controls the Republicans. The media is, after all, owned by major corporate interests that profit mightily from war.
marko @ 23:
Al Hunt...I think.
The Networks won't talk about this; the Pentagon won't talk about this. Now that they've been busted, they'll just stay mum and move on to commit the next atrocity against our Constitution.
I hate to shout - but I'm right:
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO READ NOAM CHOMSKY'S MANUFACTURING CONSENT.
(The book, not the film.)
Filter #3: "Experts"
Chomsky was calling this shit out during the Vietnam war.
Do you really think these institutions started doing this shit with the advent of Fox News?
Yes, Al Hunt is married to Woodruff. He writes books about American politics for the American Enterprise Institute. No wonder Judy kept trying to step on John Stauber's points and throw them to Zelnick. If the Corporate Media shills had accepted PBS' invitation, Stauber would not have been able to get a word in edgewise.
BOB ZELNICK: So I wasn’t surprised at all, except by the amount of space devoted to this piece by the New York Times. I mean, what? You really expect us to do critical journalism? Puleeeze.Are you aware how not cost effective that is? How are we in the television media going to turn a profit unless we tow the line and use those cheap experts that we know are pawns of the government? Com'on Judy: I knew you were a terrorist sympathizer, but a commie too?
Since govt and media collusion are as obvious and as well reported as, oh say, penis and vagina collusion, this isn't surprising or interesting. Its like you say, "hey, you know that guy with flesh rotting disease? His flesh has open running sores so you can see how diseased he is." and I say, "Yah, I know, he's flesh rotting-disease-guy."
I will say, that as much as I love the Newshour, I can't stand Judy Woodruff. It was about 2 weeks ago, and she was interviewing someone over a satellite hookup, audio and video. All of a sudden the video for the guy cuts out, but we can still hear what he's saying, and Judy, INTERRUPTS him, saying they've lost the video, and the guy a bit put off pauses and says, "But you can still hear me, right?" and Judy realizing what an silly thing that was to do, sort of trails off, losing steam as she replies: "Yes, but we wanted people... to... see... you."
It was to laugh.
i'm actually in favor of a class-action lawsuit aganst the entire msm on behalf overy man, woman & child in america for conspiring to not only cover up 9/11, but to mislead our nation into endorsing illegal preemptive war on a nation that never threatened us.
take every penny they got, cut checks for everyone.
bet that'll kickstart some economic stimulation.
*every
(although i do enjoy me some ovaries)
Ex-generals, just like ex-presidents, often have a hard time in "retirement." Their egos just can't stand being "sidelined" after they've been the center of attention, their hands holding the levers of power in our society, calling the shots.
So, Rumsfeld's Pentagon contacted many of these "mothballed" ex-generals, appealed to their "retired" bloated egos, fed them disinformation based on the Bush administration's policy of "fixing the intelligence around the policy" instead of basing policy on factual information, sent them out on their mission as right-wing pundits on MSM outlets, where they proceeded to act no differently than some Communist generals spouting Kremlin propaganda in the old Soviet Union on the old Soviet MSM.
These ex-U.S. generals have disgraced their uniform, and have abetted the damage done to our military, especially the damage done to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marines, with none of these ex-U.S. generals apparently having the courage to tell the most corrupt administration in American history to go shove it. But why would they? Many of these ex-U.S. generals sold their patriotism long ago to the Military Industrial Complex for thirty pieces of silver. Thus, these ex-U.S. generals have served their purpose, and served their corporate/neo-con Republican governmental masters well. These ex-U.S. generals have helped merge Corporatism with Militarism with right-wing Governmentalism...which equals Fascism...which represents a "clear and present danger" to all that U.S. citizens hold dear.
And I really doubt that any of these ex-U.S. generals will apologize to the American people for what they've done. They have been too corrupted by Corporatist greed.
Joseph Geobbels understood the power of "images..." and controlled public opinion of the Motherland masses.
KKKarl Rove understood the power of statistics and mailing lists... and took over control of the Republican Party.
Dick Cheney understood the power of SECRECY, INFORMATION, and INTIMIDATION... and KILLED A DEMOCRACY.
To some ‘people’, war is just business and the analysts they hire are taking care of the infomercials they need to sell the public their product, which is war. This won’t change as long as politicians, thanks to the voters, leave this situation as it is.
Two and a half thousand years ago Sun Tzu had written that war can't be sustained without popular support at home. He wrote that leaders must consider the enemy's ability to drain the morale and treasure of the people back home as a potential cause of defeat. He wrote that leaders should be careful to ensure that there are legitimate reasons to go to war so that the people will give their support.
Our leaders think they've found a shortcut. One of the dangers of putting businessmen in charge of the military is that they will start to think that they can best the most brilliant military strategists in history by instituting a clever marketing strategy. That may work when you're selling Diet Coke but it doesn't help you win wars in real life.
When I hear this story unfold, I don't think of our leaders as sinister masterminds, I think of them as fools who are heading towards defeat.
anon @ 4:
These companies are publicly owned. You and me and everyone that has a 401k owns a piece of them. These CEOs are a group of parasites that have stolen myne and your property and are stealing money from me and you.
bullfrog @ 32:
If there are legal grounds, they should be investigated, and held accountable if found guilty. If they go, it makes space for something new and good.
Uh, I believe you meant misinform Bryan
It took the NYT 6 years to figure out that the TV networks were shilling for the Pentagon?
Wow, the CPM - Corporate Propaganda Media won't answer legitimate questions, whoddathunkit?
The most important question is, "Now that we are aware of what the Corporate Propaganda Media is feeding us will we refuse to listen when they trot out other 'analysts' who have been hand selected by the Bu$hco Admin to try to expand their already disastrous wars by, say, a nuclear strike against Iran or something similar?"
and how many of you
dumbassesstill think this is a democracyand not a fascist state? well, i hope you can hold your breath while
your head in under the sand.
The structure of our government is different than the old Soviet Union. In the USSR the government controlled the companies and the media, including Pravda.
In our country, corporations control the government, and corporations run the media, with the control of the FCC. Whether it's the old USSR or the USA, the media objectives are the same, limit diversity of viewpoints. In other words, confine the news to government endorsed propaganda. That is likely the objectives of media consolidation, as well as keeping Aljazeera off US cable and satellite systems.
It used to be us who brought Voice of America and so forth to other countries in order to bring diversity of viewpoints. Now it is our country that needs media from abroad to bring diversity.
And I guess we're limited to the internet in focusing the dialog in the upcoming elections to the economy, the war, and health care. I notice that practically every advertising minute on the nightly news programs are bought up by pharmaceutical companies. That makes sure that health care reform maintains a low presence.
Zelnick follows standard MSM line whenever an inconvenient truth is dropped in their laps: i.e., pretend that it's old news and everyone knew about it, so why all the fuss even though the MSM never bothered to let the public in on the story that the Zelnicks (Woodwards, Kleins, Humes, Friedmans, Brooks, Broders, et al ad nauseum) claim to have known all along.
The America's MSM are, with few exceptions, beneath contempt.
Andrew @ 28:
good man andrew
he is all over youtube as well...watch him pwn charlie rose ChomskyPWNSrose
Do you really think these institutions started doing this shit with the advent of Fox News?
dadams @ 44:
luckly for them the dream never ends ,too bad the dream is a nightmare, no real elections here , move on folksnothing to see here next president same as the old one!
Perhaps they're worried about legal consequences
Everything you say can be used against you. The networks don't seem to have been entirely, or even mostly, unwitting victims here. And I would think that the networks involved have may well have problems with violating FCC regulations and laws pertaining to classified information based on their actions in this matter. Of course there is no chance of prosecution under the current administration, because they are themselves responsible for this program that could well have criminal aspects to it. But control of the prosecutors and custody of the evidence seems likley to change in January 2009. The networks probably have more substantial reasons than just embarrassment to not comment on this story.
Someone please explain to me how this is still a democracy?
Meanwhile, the other side of the mouth is frothing at the "liberal bias in the media."
That is why the PBS thing needs to be taken out. I mean it should be deprived of funds and wither on a vine - we don't need no stinking reporters on TV anymore.
Sincerely,
the American far right.
Snowball @ 21:
What are you talking about? He specifically said that Olbermann was quasi liberal. He did not say that PBS was quasi liberal. You need to reread his post a few times. You're usually sharper than this.
Brad @ 39:
we don't even need these f*cks anymore for any reason.
marko @ 47:
yeah but chomsky had his head in the sand on 9/11.
also, calling for fascism to support the globalist solution to environmental degradation is just bat$#!+ crazy.
old man needs to retire and meditate on his failures when america needed him most.
These retired officers could work on Madison Ave.
They lied about Vietnam,
and they lied about Iraq;
and they will lie again.
We must be vigilant for democracy and peace.
The only investigative reporting we can expect to get from any of these networks is when they are trashing Senator Obama and his pastor.
They will spend countless hours, one after another to make sure that this black man never will see the inside of the white house.
They will lie, cheat and steal our opinions and views, to the point that we are sure to end up with Senator McCain as the next president of this country and they will do it all the while they lie about any and everything that attempts to disagree with their agenda.
It is so sad to see what these people are again up to and my fear is that we as Americans are not going to be able to stop them
Actually CNN had one of the retired Generals on this morning and they did talk about this, poorly, but they did talk about it. It was pretty much spin. They had on a retired Colonel that had been one of the pundits and he quit over a dispute. He still make excuses, but he had quit.
Someone should host a Chris Wallace Watch until he gives an interview addressing this issue. Likewise with all the other propagandists.
Anyone else having problems downloading either of the files?
Robert Zelnick is Boston University's in-house media whore. If the university had any respect for what journalism is supposed to stand for, they'd fire his sorry corrupt Bush apologist asss.
anon @ 4:
Well Said!
We must put an end to corporate fascism in this country now!
Driving cars with "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers, they arrived wearing
military uniforms or suits with patriotic lapel, Flag Pins. Their end game was to denounce any
claims that they are bought and paid for by BushCo however the stench of money was apparent.
You could almost read their thoughts: "My book DEAL is almost ready." "Chris Matthews wants me
on his show, again!" "I served and survived. I deserve this gig." "Lordy, I hope no one brings up the
Fort Bragg Barracks Mess." "This is PBS and too few watch it." "The NY Times no longer has a credible
reputation." "I can get through this cake walk." "My President, RIGHT OR WRONG!" "No one will
ever have enough against me to bring me to a World Court." "Talking points are the same." "It will
be years before the MSM ever picks up this story. Hell, they are part of it." "I am safe."
"God Bless America!" "Text Message: Wolf Blitzer wants a meeting."
Perdition @ 60:
That's just purely wicked. I like!
Snowball @ 1:
I will discuss it, but first you explain why you (obviously) think Libertarians are the politicians of choice for corporations...why it is, that Ron Pauls campain coffers are not overflowing with tons of dirty corporate cash...and why is it that you obviously never learned to play the "follow the money game"!.
Halliburton hasnt made any donations to the libertarian party so...
...when I play follow the corporate money...I always end up @ Hillary, McCain, and Obama.
Splain to me Lucy!
bullfrog @ 32:
I'll co-sponsor that one!
Driving cars with "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers, they arrived wearing
military uniforms or suits with patriotic lapel, Flag Pins. Their end game was to denounce any
claims that they are bought and paid for by BushCo however the stench of money was apparent.
You could almost read their thoughts: "My book DEAL is almost ready." "Chris Matthews wants me
on his show, again!" "I served and survived. I deserve this gig." "Lordy, I hope no one brings up the
Fort Bragg Barracks Mess." "This is PBS and too few watch it." "The NY Times no longer has a credible
reputation." "I can get through this cake walk." "My President, RIGHT OR WRONG!" "No one will
ever have enough against me to bring me to a World Court." "Talking points are the same." "It will
be years before the MSM ever picks up this story. Hell, they are part of it." "I am safe."
"God Bless America!" "Text Message: Wolf Blitzer wants a meeting."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, how are you doing? Good to see you!"
"What are they serving for lunch today and is good old Bob joining us?"
"Did you read the NY Times?"
Once again this administration is caught in its illegal activities. Once again nothing will be done. The message American government is sending is loud and clear.
Laws (like taxes) are for little people.
milquetoast @ 66:
It's obvious to anyone with any analytic abilities. The corporations have economic libertarianism with the repukes already. The bat-shit crazy social issiues are used to appeal to the moron masses. Why support a small band of losers who only support half of your agenda (albeit the important half for corporations), when you can get the entire enchilada with the established repuke party.
and people still dont think bush and chaney are planing to take over???..WAKE UP PEOPLE..THEY OWN THE SUPREME COURT..THE CONGRESS..AND NOW THE MEDIA....DO THE MATH!!!!!
How sick that Zelnick is a prof of "journalism" at one of America's top universities. Stauber belongs in the position.
urbangreen @ 46:
You're right. Zelnick is a so contemptuous of American democracy and our supposed "fourth estate". He as much as advocates former generals/colonels to work for defense contracters. Jeez, as if those former top brass men don't have a cushy enough pension and health care, they somehow are needed by missile merchants in a country with a defense budget larger than all other countries combined. He should be on their asses.
Midwest Maggie @ 64:
"Me so horny!"
I don't know if I fault the officers as much as I do the government that hires them and the MSM who puts them on.
Now we've been put on.
What's the name of the law that prohibits propagandizing the public?
Or is that yet another tradition shoved aside by the reichwing?
It's official. The mainstream media IS bought and paid for.
Congrats, corporate owners... Hitler would be proud.
PBS the only real news.
Our country will not change until the American People come to understand that our Congressional Representatives were never meant to be permanently installed in Washington. Change the people in Congress and create a government representative of their boss, The People.
There is a larger problem here in that what defines one as a "expert" on any particular topic anyways.
As has been frequently pointed out, in addition to marginalizing liberal voices, the fact of the matter is that corporate media marginalizes or outright ignores entirely, any voices that aren't government-based, to a degree that is not statistically random. They do not typically go to NGO's or local grassroots organizations, or even many scientific, or non-ideological sources for "verification" of a story.
Rather, they consistently acquire "confirmation" from sources close to the people who originally gave them the story.
That's a bit like asking your surgeon's accountant as to whether you should have an operation for a cough, rather than seeking the opinion of a doctor at another hospital with no financial ties to the first doctor, or even checking for an alternative medicine solution to the problem with a naturopathic practitioner.
In conjunction with this COLLUSION between the CORPORATE MEDIA/ GOVERNMENT/PROPAGANDA/THE GENERALS are two interconnected events that most of us have forgotten yet that which ILLUSTRATES PERFECTLY this COORDINATION… one is that prime time news conference just before the invasions of Iraq in which THE FUHRER BUSH ‘informed’ the American people about all the concocted ‘evidence’ to justify the invasion at hand. This ‘news conference’ was coordinated with the entire Corporate Media in such a way that not only was Bush’s performance totally ’scripted’ but so too was the MEDIA PUPPETS who had also been scripted in their answers to the scripted Bush. So here we had this prime time ‘news conference’ in which the Fuhrer ‘presented’ all his lies and the PRESELECTED REPORTERS LIKE DAVID GREGORY had their preselected ‘questions’ in which the Fuhrer gave his ’scripted’ answers .. so complete was this deception to the American People that other ‘reporters’ were ordered to ‘pretend’ that they were asking questions knowing that they would not be called upon. So from the viewing perspective of the American People one would see these reporters waving their hands in the air as if they had ‘questions’ knowing that they would not be called upon, and only those ‘reporters’ that had been preselected with the ‘written’ questions for them being called upon that the scripted president would then answer. This actually fucking happened. And is tied into this very collusion between the CORPORATE MEDIA , the GOVERNMENT, AND THE MILATARY.
The other ‘event’ that also demonstrates this collusion and coordination is the very day that 9/11 happened where the Fuhrer was at that school reading ‘my pet goat’ to the students and being informed by Card that AMERICA IS BEING ATTACKED. Bush sat there for another seven fucking minutes reading his fucking book. This actual event was on video tape. Yet this actual event was BLOCKED BY THE SAME FUCKING MEDIA FOR OVER TWO YEARS FROM ANYONE SEEING OR KNOWING ABOUT IT. THE ENTIRE FUCKING CORPORATE MEDIA. THINK ABOUT THAT. ACTING AS ONE. ASK YOURSELF JUST WHO HAS THE POWER TO BLOCK THE ENTIRE FUCKING MEDIA LIKE THAT ? ANY OF YOU HAVE THAT ANSWER ? And this event was only exposed when Michael Moore made his famous documentary about 9/11. Only then. And then, of course, THE ENTIRE CORPORATE MEDIA THEN ATTACKED MOORE FOR DOING SO. And now, of course, the entire Corporate Media is trying to block any investigation into itself relative to the GENERALS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA THAT THE MEDIA ITSELF IS IN COLLUSION WITH. This is what our once great country had come too: A STATE OF TOTAL FACISISM. Seig Heil !
Full spectrum dominance. Information warfare against the enemy (U.S. citizens).
zelnick seems to be a moron. or a repube. simple facts seem to evade him.
Snowball @ 1:
Funny, but I posted a reply to your comment yesterday... and it's gone today.
The corporations aren't the ONLY ones doing the censoring.
Assassin @ 53:
Thank You. You saved me the trouble of pointing that out to him. It seems that Snowball was quick to criticize me without addressing my main point, which is that those in the major media rarely deign to have on their programs anti-war voices to counteract the propaganda that is dished out to the American people by the military "experts" via the network and cable programs. In the run up to the war, there were almost no peace activists to be seen and heard on the small screen. Little has changed between then and now.
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.
Snowball @ 3:
I'm still here. I don't consider myself a Libertarian, but I do understand the frustration that many people have about our current situation. I would think you would welcome other people to perticitate in the discussion, otherwise your just talking to yourselves and doing nothing to further rational thought and convince others of your convictions? I would rather try to convince others using rational thoughts than converse with others that already think as I do. I know some people get silly and crude but most of us just ignore those people for who they show themselve to be.
Does anybody really expect the MSM to bite the hand that feeds them? The Pentagon is running and ruining America. The corporate blue suits are just marching to the military band.
Any change in America must begin with taking power out of the hands of the military and back into the civilian control of the Constitutional officers that our very wise founders designated as the book keepers and leadership of the Generals.
Meanwhile, I believe that every American must arm themselves and become the militia as designed by our founders. This bubble can not be sustained when 60% of the nations cash revenue is used to prop up the Pentagon. It simply can not work and the vacuum left will require our state governors to call on the militia to defend and protect our society, as it will be, after the downfall of the military industrial complex.
No schools, no hospitals, no transportation infrastructure. . . lack of funding for decades has create rot and decay in our cities, citizens loosing homes and becoming the infamous communities of the hobo. Bridges collapsing on our interstates. . . just how long do any of you think this can be sustained before total collapse of our way of life?
The Republicans only expedited the process, because the professional politicians have been bowing to the Pentagon for several decades all the way back to Kennedy & Johnson. The Pentagon is the enemy of the people and leader of the corporate world. Kiss there ass and you will have millions in contracts. . . speak out against them and you will be murdered by a cop, your private aircraft will fall out of the sky or you can be shipped to an island to disappear forever.
Wake Up America! PEACE by popular demand!
marko @ 47:
They wrote the book in 1988, 20 years later we see the same thing.
The five Filters:
(1) the size, concentrated ownership, owner wealth, and profit orientation of the dominant mass-media firms; -this is true now, plus infringement on net neutrality is next big step in this direction
(2) advertising as the primary income source of the mass media; -they are not responsible to you the people, but to their advertisers
(3) the reliance of the media on information provided by government, business, and "experts" funded and approved by these primary sources and agents of power; -Case in point, access journalism, white house correspondence dinner. BBQ with Grandpa McCain
(4) "flak" as a means of disciplining the media - now right wingers calling corporate media "liberal media", Hillary whining about how the press hates her, so they ease up on her
(5) "anticommunism" as a national religion and control mechanism. "anti-terror, anti-mooslim,, anti-drug, flag-pins, etc"
These elements interact with and reinforce one another. The raw material of news must pass through successive filters, leaving only the cleansed residue fit to print. They fix the premises of discourse and interpretation, and the definition of what is newsworthy in the first place, and they explain the basis and operations of what amount to propaganda campaigns.
you are disillusioned if you think freedom of press leads to no censorship. This is prime example of self-censorship!
I support our troops. When specific members of our military decide to sell out to the MIC, then I no longer support then, and I try to explain to people that the defense industry is about profit and nothing more.
Really disappointing that Stauber fails to articulate the key distinction in rebuttal to Zelnick. If the military analysts are on retainer as pentagon consultants in some fashion--say, advising on weapons programs or deployment procedures--that needs to be disclosed and should be recognized as a potential source of bias. But if, as consultants, they have specifically been tasked with providing positive, pentagon-dictated spin to the media--if that is their job--then the media have no business giving them air time, disclosure or no. Get an official pentagon spokesperson instead.
Easy solution. Just turn the TV off. Once they realize that we no longer watch their crap, they'll very likely produce less of it.
PBS poses as an alternative while being a part of the propaganda matrix. Turn all that nonsense off.
It's clear the U.S. military hates our freedoms, the American way of life. Don't kid yourself, the military answers to the MIC not the citizens or the civilian leadership. Follow the money, find the power.
Midwest Maggie @ 64:
Yeah , true gung ho patriots. These over the hill, ex-brass (used car salesman), should be tending to their rose gardens or commanding a huge RV unit on our nations highways. Begone already. But what do they do, buddy up with the likes of Rumsfeld, and like two-bit parrots go on national TV and spew their bent clap-trap about an illegal war they got us to buy. If it wasn`t for the latest scandal, they would be on the tube again hyping the upcoming air strikes on Iran.
War profitteering? No big surprise here. Just how many scandals does it take before we frogmarch those in the whitehouse out and tar and feather them? I have lost count of all the scandals and at this point, I wouldn't mind if a firing squad takes out all those offending parties in office.
john @ 5:
are you kidding me? She is a great reporter! She's been on the Newshour since 1983! She knows her stuff and she's not like all the other mainstream hacks like O'Reilly, Dobbs or Hannity!
Damn fine job PBS. You deserve a tip of the hat for that one! Thank god for the Communications act of 1937, otherwise we would be TOTALLY ignorant to anything going on with our government.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
This presidential is a big farce.I the first place if the so great senator from New York hadn't had her ex president husband and daughter helping her,she would have been out if the race 2 months ago.And now she has the god damn reverend White helping her.That just goes to show you that she can not do it by herself.By the way where is the separation church and state.You won't allow the LORDS PRAYER IN OR AROUND ANY GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS OR EVEN NEAR THE GROUNDS.And yet you send your news crews out to tape this worthless piece of shit and then you even have the guts to air it on the news.I wouldn't doubt one little bit if the New York Senator paid that idiot reverend to try to destroy Senator Obama.Keep that god damned White off the boob tube.
actually I think the worthless asshole ought to be put to death but would except 100+1 years in prison.Actually I may have voted the New York Senator for president until she spoke in the Iowa caucus.from what I got out of that caucus was without her not a thing would have gotten passed.Another thing the she Dem.and the he Rep. are always talking about experience.We have had 200 years of experience and look what it got us.THIS IDIOT THAT IS IN THE OVAL NOW.
None of the people running for president are going to change any thing.The only way we are going to have any kind of change is to get all decrepit congressmen and senators out of office.We need to do what has never been tried before.We need to get younger people,that at the vary least knows what is going on out in the real world.We also need to put limits on the number of terms that senators and congressman can serve.I don't think none of them should be in office more than 12 years and not past the age of 65.In most cases, in the real world Normal people that have to work for a living,Get fired a year or two before they can retire.That is the norm for all companies but especially the ones that offer retirement benefits.By doing this they can get out paying the benefits.And these companies DO NOT have to give a reason for the firing.If a reason is given it is so lame that it should be outlawed.
All of federal government sucks,
Pissed off
The idiot voters,vote the party just because that is their party no matter if the person is worth a damn or not.They need to vote for the person they think is best for the job no matter the party.Let the stupid politician have two or 10 party system.The voters should vote a one party system. which means,pick whom you want no matter if there are 2 or 10 parties.The working people have to take the control back from the government.In the military every three months the supervisors writes a quarterly evaluation on the personal below them.The same thing should be done with everyone in all government bodies with one difference.All the peons working for the government will write the evaluations on the supervisors above them all the way up to and including the president.That way if enough of the people below the supervisors and enough of the general public does not like the supervisor.That way the provisions can be started to get rid of that supervisor.Also all the evaluations written by the peons about their supervisors ,by law, will be made available to the general public without the supervisors being able to read them.The reason for them not reading them,is so the supervisors will not know who wrote them so as to keep the supervisors from firing them.
Stauber's always sharp, but Zelnick is just atrocious here. He's just another cranky old man here, who hasn't even bothered to read the story under discussion!
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