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I didn't forget anything, HAS A COURT RULED THAT THEY ARE NOT NEWS.
That is the situation with FOX, they went to court claiming they are NOT NEWS and they won.
That's not what they claimed......it's a lot more complicated than that. It started with the termination of two employees at a FOX affiliate station in Florida. They sued under the state's whistleblower law and won a settlement against FOX (this link to wikipedia explains it in detail):
The second half of the story (also from wikipedia, the link to which follows the quote):
However, Fox appealed to an appellate court and won in 2004, after the court declared that the FCC policy against falsification that Fox violated was just a policy and not a "law, rule, or regulation", and so the whistle blower law did not apply. The Florida appellate court agreed with WTVT's (Fox) argument "that the FCC's policy against the intentional falsification of the news -- which the FCC has called its "news distortion policy" -- does not qualify as the required "law, rule, or regulation" under section 448.102.[...]Because the FCC's news distortion policy is not a "law, rule, or regulation" under section 448.102, Akre has failed to state a claim under the whistle-blower's statute."
As a result (taken from the first link supplied to wikipedia):
In 2004, Fox filed a US$1.7 million counter-suit against Akre and Wilson for trial fees and costs.
When FOX appealed the decision and won, they were supported by 5 other media outlets that filed briefs on FOX's behalf (a quote from the link that follows it):
What is more appalling are the five major media outlets that filed briefs of Amici Curiae- or friend of FOX – to support FOX’s position: Belo Corporation, Cox Television, Inc., Gannett Co., Inc., Media General Operations, Inc., and Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc.
Here are limks to wikipedia for each of the 5 media outlets that supported FOX in their appeal (all of which own ABC, CBS and NBC network affiliate stations):
The big issue in communications today is everyone bunches everyone else into groups under labels like right/left and refers to "they said" or "everyone thinks" or uses other terminology which eliminates responsibilty and individuality when discussing issues...
It's not like in the Stevenson/Lincoln, debates....it's right wing vs left wing...liberals/conservatives...fanatics etc....
When we are able to actually discuss facts and ideas in an interpersonal relationship that enables communication and sharing of thoughts without the fog of ideology and stigma of labeling people for their thoughts...then we will begin to quit pointing fingers and illustrating each other's flaws and focus on each others solutions and debate them for their value.
It's the internet. We all hide behind keyboards. Three quarters of every post on this forum would never be said if we all stood face to face. I do admit that I'm too snarky sometimes on forums when, in person; if the same thoughts crossed my mind I'd phrase my words differently or say nothing.
There used to be something called, "The Loyal Opposition" in American democracy. That even if you didn't belong to the party currently in power, and didn't agree with their policies or philosophies, you still considered yourself American first and considered yourself to be loyal to your nation and your leader, extended respect even to those with whom you disagreed, and certainly to the Office of the Presidency. The concept of "loyal opposition," of course, changes with the times. When a President serves the interests of the powerful at the expense of the people, for example, or threatens the Rule of Law (the very foundation of our democracy), emotions will run high. But the right-wing opposition to Obama has nothing to do with his Presidency. It is a rising crescendo of hate that started long before his actual election. Its current level of intensity therefore has nothing to do with his political philosophies. It would be understandable that Republicans might not agree with Obama's policies, or might want to enter into debate about policy or political philosophical differences. This has happened in the past. Usually respectfully. But the level of rage and vitriol hurled at our President SINCE BEFORE HE WAS EVEN ELECTED suggests something far more diseased than mere disagreement. The names the right wing call our President: "boy," "bambam," "bubba" (among others) are degrading and offensive.
One has a difficult time figuring out what exactly Obama has done to these people to warrant this level of sick hatred. Especially when you consider that it has been going on since Palin's rallies. The nastier Palin got, the more they loved her. Never, during the campaign, did Obama say one disrespectful thing about John McCain or Sarah Palin. Never. Somehow, that made him even more suspect in their eyes. In response to his respectful adherence to civility and cordiality, not only did the right wing not return the respect in kind, they became even more enraged. Their behavior ever since has grown more diseased and hateful, and is an all-out perversion of the spirit of conservatism. William Buckley is probably turning in his grave. As is Reagan. Both of those men understood civility and respect. If they were to see the way so-called "Republicans" behave today--calling their President vile or demeaning or even racist names, marching in the street with disgusting/racist signs of disrespect, bringing guns to political rallies--they would disown them. For today, the right-wing masses behave like teeth-gnashing, racist, vile-spewing trolls. Even their leaders won't reprimand them. How can they? When the leaders themselves are just as hateful, and--in many cases--have themselves engineered the hate among the base: The corrupt and often racist politicians; FreedomWorks; or Rupert Murdoch's FOX network, wherein he has been on a mission to destroy American democracy by dividing the people. And FOX's audience is obeying the dictates of this Australian porn distributor and his henchmen--Hannity, Beck, et. al. Without even pausing to think about what happens to a nation when its people are divided.
America is a democracy. There was an election. Obama won the election. In response to his win, the right wing have not rolled up their sleeves and committed themselves to respectfully work with the duly elected President of the United States. No. Instead, they categorically reject the outcome of the election, and seek to destroy the administration, even if that means destroying the spirit of American unity in the process, and even that means destroying democracy itself. It's truly sickening. And it's time for the true conservatives--the Republicans with an understanding of dignity and decorum and respect--to either publicly and strongly condemn the behavior of their party, or publicly and strongly renounce it. We cannot allow this hatred to continue.
Thank you for so eloquently expressing what I have felt for so long now. This is an ugly truth that so many just do not want to acknowledge...and what is more troubling is that this attitude is presented as something "Godly" when in fact, these disgraceful attitudes could not be further from that. Again, thank you for your post - this needs to be said, over and over and over again.
It's the internet. We all hide behind keyboards. Three quarters of every post on this forum would never be said if we all stood face to face. I do admit that I'm too snarky sometimes on forums when, in person; if the same thoughts crossed my mind I'd phrase my words differently or say nothing.
And yes, this is also part of the problem...people thinking they are somehow anonymous say things that one would HOPE would not be said in the presence of a real live audience.
And they will all be huddled around this thread like it's a campfire on a crisp fall night singing koom byya, smugly smiling at each other as if they have it all figured out.
Meanwhile the forest starts blazing behind them...
The only ones "huddled" are all of the right wing Palin-ites who can't see the forest for the trees...again, this goes back to the "them" versus "us" instead of "we" with the right to respectfully disagree...so many of you keep hurling accusations toward the left when it appears to anyone with a brain that you are actually talking about what the right does time and time again.
Because half the nation was duped into voting for this liar, we're supposed to lay down and take it?
No dice. We care too much for our country to see one man and his blind minions take it from being great to a borderline socialist state.
Just because someone is President doesn't mean they get to do anything and everything they want. Democracy isn't putting someone in office and just sitting back while they ruin our country. It's putting someone in office, and then being able to say, "hey, you still work for US and we don't like what you're doing".
We're here to stay.
Strange...in reading your words above, I could SWEAR you were talking about George W. Bush. You know, the war criminal?
I have read all these posts, responding not in a civilized sensible dialogue as the OP clearly hoped for, but with the very trashing and name calling and vitriolic nonsense that we (us socialist leftists) keep trying to stop. But I am done with any political threads -- because there is no possibility of intelligent disagreement based on points...there is senseless, ignorant rantings by prejudiced, fearful people who cannot allow themselves to believe anything other than what they are programmed to believe. Keep up the hate -- Russia said years ago that they would defeat us by turning us against ourselves...as for me, I'm out of here, but make no mistake: Original Poster: you are my HERO (next to President Obama, that is!) Peace to all, even those of you who are saving up your toxic remarks for the next round. So sad ... people have died for us to have the right to disagree and still respect each other...could they possibly have actually died in vain? Hope I'm wrong.
because there is no possibility of intelligent disagreement based on points...there is senseless, ignorant rantings by prejudiced, fearful people who cannot allow themselves to believe anything other than what they are programmed to believe.
This is hilarious, as you so conveniently ignore all the pictorial evidence, in this thread, of the true haters - on the Left.
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