In today's era of "gotcha" politics and sound-bite problems and prescriptions, the media is being played like a vintage violin.
Generating controversy for enlightenment, entertainment or for commercial purposes?
What many members of the media fail to realize, or conveniently ignore, is that rabid partisans on both sides of an issue have created materials and spokespeople to be used in the event of a breaking national news story. Guided by the principle that "when facts are few, opinions loom large," they take advantage of their ability to insert their position and propaganda onto the national scene. Their opinions being amplified by the intense media interest in filling the 24/7 news cycle with fresh material. Scrutiny and contra-opinions are further grist for the mill. It seems that the media has become only tangentially concerned with the truth or situational analysis in favor of maintaining or increasing their ratings.
Promoting controversy while restraining critical analysis is not a new phenomenon when the media has a somewhat naturally occurring hidden bias. But only recently has such behavior led to the shameful abrogation of media integrity.
When your argument cannot withstand scrutiny, shout louder...
"When there are rational grounds for an opinion, people are content to set them forth and wait for them to operate. In such cases, people do not hold their opinions with passion; they hold them calmly, and set forth their reasons quietly. The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder's lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately."
--Bertrand Russell, On the Value of Scepticism
Being prepared to defend your position in debate is the mark of a honest disagreement...
"In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing."
--Mark Twain
What can YOU do?
Consider carefully the words and positions of those who loudly and passionately promote their cause while refusing to participate in debate or limit media access to those who openly or secretly espouse similar views -- or who are trading "softball" coverage for access.
Four examples come to mind: Al Gore who will not engage in debate; Hillary Clinton who severely controls personal media access while referring such requests to her extremely loyal staff and extended family of supporters; Fred Thompson who refers questioners to his previously published work and offers only generalities and platitudes to his audience, and Larry King whose puffball questioning attracts celebrities and others who fear being asked "hard" or "newsmaker" questions.
Now, as never before, is the time to think for yourself. To eliminate the heat, light and controversy from the subject matter. There are only a few questions that may make a difference in your vote. Be sure that you know which questions are important to you personally and then research both sides. Try to come to a decision by reviewing the facts as you personally discover them. While common sense is relatively uncommon, it helps to ignore the partisans and elements of the media who are often promoting controversy for controversy's sake.
Now is the time to stand up for your own beliefs, whatever they may be, before voting for those who simply espouse the "popular view" of highly public positions. There is nobody else present in the voting booth. Doing the right thing for the right purpose, no matter what your position, is the duty of all American citizens. It is this very position which divides us from those who are attacking our freedoms -- sometimes using our very own beliefs against us.
If I could request anything, it would be to to avoid voting for those candidates or current politicians who is willing to subvert the safety, security and sovereignty of the United States or limit an individual's right of self-defense for personal power, prestige or profits.
-- steve
A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…
The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius
Reference:
"When facts are few, opinions loom large" seems to paraphrase a quote from Carl Jung's original quote: "When facts are few, speculation follows individual psychology."
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