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Cancel my Satellite service and get rid of the television. I don't watch TV much as it is and after a series of discussions, then watching this clip from RT News, something just clicked.
Someone once said that the more you watch TV the less you know, and having spent about 1 1/2 hrs watching cable news last night, I've concluded that watching FOX, MSNBC and CNN is the fastest route to self inflected mental degradation when combined with general programming of sitcoms and un-real reality TV. It isn't mere dimming of your mind, its a voluntary lobotomy combined with reprogramming measures to keep you obedient, apathetic, and stupid.
Look and listen to the tone of Mrs Clinton, she appears genuinely fearful and worried about losing the information wars to places like RT, Al Jazeera, and basically all the new net upstarts that are sweeping aside ALL US news media and press.
A couple of things of note on this clip. Notice that even Clinton points out the inane banality of US media and why it isn't helping the US government win the war of minds abroad, because our media is now so idiotic that even the third world countries shake their heads at its level of stupidity.
In light of numerous recent admissions where places like the NY Times, Washington Post and most of the majors have 'curtailed programming at the request of the White House', such as the spy still being held in Pakistan and other like stories, the media is already 'government friendly' in its message to the American citizen, in other words, propaganda. Now it seeks billions of dollars in State Department funding to spread the gospel of America BS to the rest of the world.
I conclude that at current, the only place actual free information, be it sound or fluffy, credible, incredible or bunk, is on the net. It is the only place I can go and pick the information or entertainment I want instead of what others choose for me. So other than PBS, LINK, Turner Classic Movies, I must say goodbye Bill Maher, Bill O'rielly, Maddow and Hannity, goodbye to all, I'm claiming my mind back and I taking the first months Satellite savings and treating myself to a fat steak dinner.
Now I'm off to shop for a new bookself to replace the empty space where my TV once was.
BTW TnHT- thanks for another interesting post. TV is worse than a wasteland. A wasteland will only starve you. TV will make you dumb while doing so.
We watched a half hour of CNN last evening and all I got out of it was higher blood pressure. Turned TV off and listened to classical music on FM radio. My wife didn't want to hear "Pulse" by Pink Floyd again. When I am alone and the neighbors are away I play that with the system cranked to about 90+ db or so.
We rid our selves of cable tv mainly because there was like 64 channels and nothing on and it puts 70 bucks in our pockets. When I did watch news it was mostly for comic relief. If you like your news with a {R} slant there was Fox if you like the left slant there is MSNBC and others. One thing that struck me about Hillary's words is when she basically said we are losing on spreading our propaganda. Maybe that is the problem that others are spreading news that are closer to the facts instead of U S propaganda to get others to look at our way. Another factor is we no longer have a one size fits all propaganda, you watch news reported on Fox they spin it and present it one way then turn to one of the left channels and it is reported another way.
Cancel my Satellite service and get rid of the television. I don't watch TV much as it is and after a series of discussions, then watching this clip from RT News, something just clicked.
Someone once said that the more you watch TV the less you know, and having spent about 1 1/2 hrs watching cable news last night, I've concluded that watching FOX, MSNBC and CNN is the fastest route to self inflected mental degradation when combined with general programming of sitcoms and un-real reality TV. It isn't mere dimming of your mind, its a voluntary lobotomy combined with reprogramming measures to keep you obedient, apathetic, and stupid.
Look and listen to the tone of Mrs Clinton, she appears genuinely fearful and worried about losing the information wars to places like RT, Al Jazeera, and basically all the new net upstarts that are sweeping aside ALL US news media and press.
A couple of things of note on this clip. Notice that even Clinton points out the inane banality of US media and why it isn't helping the US government win the war of minds abroad, because our media is now so idiotic that even the third world countries shake their heads at its level of stupidity.
In light of numerous recent admissions where places like the NY Times, Washington Post and most of the majors have 'curtailed programming at the request of the White House', such as the spy still being held in Pakistan and other like stories, the media is already 'government friendly' in its message to the American citizen, in other words, propaganda. Now it seeks billions of dollars in State Department funding to spread the gospel of America BS to the rest of the world.
I conclude that at current, the only place actual free information, be it sound or fluffy, credible, incredible or bunk, is on the net. It is the only place I can go and pick the information or entertainment I want instead of what others choose for me. So other than PBS, LINK, Turner Classic Movies, I must say goodbye Bill Maher, Bill O'rielly, Maddow and Hannity, goodbye to all, I'm claiming my mind back and I taking the first months Satellite savings and treating myself to a fat steak dinner.
Now I'm off to shop for a new bookself to replace the empty space where my TV once was.
3 Days of the Condor.
Read everything. Collect the kernels of truth. Then try to figure out what it all means.
BTW TnHT- thanks for another interesting post. TV is worse than a wasteland. A wasteland will only starve you. TV will make you dumb while doing so.
We watched a half hour of CNN last evening and all I got out of it was higher blood pressure. Turned TV off and listened to classical music on FM radio. My wife didn't want to hear "Pulse" by Pink Floyd again. When I am alone and the neighbors are away I play that with the system cranked to about 90+ db or so.
Great tune and I have a feeling I'll be listening to far more music than I did this last year.
I have the 47" on right now, listening to the news regurgitate its usual garbage for the last few hours and I got to thinking how powerful the TV set is to Americans. Most of us grew up with it, like having some electronic magical nanny that could wave a wand and let us 'escape' from the mundane reality of our daily existence or listen to Cronkite inform us from behind is plain brown desk.
I just have to add the segment from Network on the Howard Beale show, as few things on the TV have ever been so prophetic.
I really only use my TV for sports, watching or I should say actually reading Bloomberg TV, MSNBC & FoxBusiness for work purposes. I do enjoy Wipeout & a few other shows that I DVR, and let the kids watch their cartoons on Sat. morning & DVR cartoons after dinner and all homework was finished.
I also like the music channels on my cable provider...
You ever get a chance to read/pick up the books i've recommended to you over the years?
Btw--looking forward to getting a couple of recommendations for books from you...
Well my personal primary focus is on US foreign policy, comparative religion, and more recently, evolutionary psychology.
However if I had to recommend a single book that ties US foreign policy to economics and culture, it would be The Limits of Power by Andrew Bacevich as it is quite possibly the most awesome well written book on the subject I've come across. I have his recent release, Washington Rules on my list, which I believe I'll order today come to think of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge
3 Days of the Condor.
Read everything. Collect the kernels of truth. Then try to figure out what it all means.
I actually remember when I was young and still in school, I'd sit around this table in the library at lunch and discuss books with my friends. I even did this a while after leaving school but this practice just kind of faded. I know a few folks, all older than myself who are reviving this tradition and who have also turned it off, so I'm looking forward to this type of thing once again.
I don't mind being wrong, when it is because I was wrong based upon my own conclusions formed by my own thoughts. Because those occasions when I'm right, it feels oh so good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swingblade
We rid our selves of cable tv mainly because there was like 64 channels and nothing on and it puts 70 bucks in our pockets. When I did watch news it was mostly for comic relief. If you like your news with a {R} slant there was Fox if you like the left slant there is MSNBC and others. One thing that struck me about Hillary's words is when she basically said we are losing on spreading our propaganda. Maybe that is the problem that others are spreading news that are closer to the facts instead of U S propaganda to get others to look at our way. Another factor is we no longer have a one size fits all propaganda, you watch news reported on Fox they spin it and present it one way then turn to one of the left channels and it is reported another way.
Between Hillary's commentary and what has been taking place in news media today, it is hard to conclude much other than between the message pumped out by the White House, approved by Congress and filtered through a government friendly media that it can be much more than propaganda.
I will note here (but worthy of another thread on its own) is the disenfranchising of Ron Paul already. The other day Fox was reporting about the likes of Newt and Romney being apprehension about joining the Presidential race, and then focused on Donald Trump who got 2% of the CPAC poll. Meanwhile Ron Paul who is currently leading and won the CPAC poll with over 20% doesn't even get mentioned.
Location: In a Galaxy far, far away called Germany
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There really isn't much difference between watching TV and "viewing" a computer screen. I've gotten rid of my satellite and now struggle with sitting too often in front of my laptop (where you can watch many TV programs still). Surfing the internet is just as bad as watching television - but (unlike satellite TV) I refuse to give up my internet connection.
As both of the Clinton's are wholly owned subsidiaries of the international petroleum cartel, as well as being shills for Megacorp in general, I figure she will get the money needed to try and convince the world that American corporatism is good for them. Unfortunately for the propagandists the world citizens are not all dumb.
Unfortunately for us we do appear to be a lot less critical than we should. I mean people actually do buy the Ronco Bassomatics, along with enough of the other junk, advertized on late night television. Dumb after all.
I do watch some “drama” shows for grins as well as high end auto and motorcycle racing. IMHO the Daytona 500 was a caricature of an auto race. It looked just like my freeway commute only faster. The World Superbike race last weekend was another matter.
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