The Killing Screens: Media & the Culture of Violence
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The "Left Wing Media" is a mythical construct of propaganda and is actually a profit-generating arm of the right-wing corporate machine.
The consumerism and hedonism you see on T.V. and the in the movies has NOTHING to do with political liberalism. The endless parade of decadence and materialism that flows out of America is a well oiled marketing machine- selling more cars, fast food, soft drinks, fashion items, video games and tabloid sensationalism to consumers by stimulating them with ever-more provocative imagery and false needs.
Big business and corporatism is responsible for the America's image abroad and her spiritual condition- not political liberalism or Democrats. Follow the money...do the math...its really simple.
Eleven Rules of Corporate Behavior
Is my dissent legitimate? See here:
You Gotta Keep 'Em Separated
Confronting the Powers That Be
Media Education Foundation Videos
Posts
11 comments:
This is the email that you could not read.
I don't respond to many of these issues anymore, simply because they are
not the "BIG idea" to me anymore.
I am not motivated to cynicism, nor am I motivated to "nationalism".
Therefore, I am not motivated to the physical (carnal) arguments that continue in perpetuity.
The reading of Tennyson's poems has opened my eyes to the fact that the issues that you are debating with your colleagues and high school chums is at least as old as the Victorian age.
The very ideas if not the exact words are one and the same from Locksley Hall Sixty Years After (1886).
So, what has changed?
The poet is long since dead.
But, his words are replayed,over and over through the Spanish American, WWI, WWII, Korean,
Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Iraq Wars. His words are your words also.
Did you notice that I only listed the wars that have directly involved the USA.
My point is that there is nothing here that is peculiar to "right-wing corporate machines" or the USA.
There are literally thousands of wars that have occurred since the penning of Tennyson's poem, which have not involved the national interests of the 'fallen' "Stars & Stripes" in any way.
Yes, I know that these conflicts have in some peripheral ways included financial interests of corporations in the USA, however the unique thing about the poem of Tennyson is that he wrote prior to the USA being considered a world power. In fact, the USA was not a world player in any measurable sense, until after the Spanish American War.
Yet, Tennyson is able to point to USA prototypes through ancient history, up to and including the UK of the Victorian age.
Do we need to save/restore the USA? Is that what we are supposed to do? I ask, I have an answer that I believe is right, but I don’t force that answer on you. I just ask.
Did Tennyson see his mission as saving/restoring the UK? I don’t know, but my assumption is that he did. Most poets and literary figures that I’ve studied in English Literature do have a “mission” of reformation or restoration of the Nation and political system that they cherish.
Tennyson did not omit any human ethnic group from his criticism on war and death.
All are "man" and all are equally 'fallen' stars with varying degrees of stripes.
93 Have we grown at last beyond the passions of the primal clan?
94 'Kill your enemy, for you hate him,' still, 'your enemy' was a man.
This is the crux of the issue for me, my vision, sees far beyond carnal national policies of ‘who kills who’. Death is not the enemy in this crucial fight.
The enemy, to me, is fear of death or possibly even just the forestalling of death and thinking that this has defeated 'him' in some tangible way.
We shall not defeat death by forestalling death for 26.5 million people for thirty years. Death is still coming to those 26.5 million souls.
If they are not prepared for their conference day with him, he will rule over them for eternity.
The debate that you are having with your work mates is appropriate. The debate that you are having with the US Government is not appropriate, in my view.
Caesar will be Caesar. You will not prevail in convincing Caesar (GW Bush Administration) to be something less than Caesar. This is not a profound statement; it’s just the way of carnal man.
Finally, just as an aside.
You have mentioned many times that “The "Left Wing Media" is a mythical construct of propaganda and is actually a profit-generating arm of the right-wing corporate machine.”
Why do you never state that the “Right Wing Media” is the mythical construct of propaganda and is actually a profit-generating arm of the left-wing
corporate machine?
Please answer this. I know it is an unique question, but I think it is a valid question. My in-laws decry the “Right Wing Media” for the same reasons that your colleague is decrying the
“Left Wing Media”, yet you seem to be oblivious to the left-wing corporate machine that is ginning up these claims that the “Right Wing Media” is out to hide the truth of all the bad news.
I am not duped by the "Clear Channels" or the "Microsoft/Apples". Each control media outlets for their own carnal interests. Yet, it appears that you are not as keen to the MicrosoftNBC/Apple conspiracy as you are to the
Rupert Murdock/Halliburton conspiracy.
Am I misreading your conspiratorial savvy? Or are you just waiting to drop the dime on Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, maybe at some time when they will be utterly blindsided by your cunning?
Just wondering?
DSM
I just woke up- so I have some answers off of the top of my muddled head. I am not so much interested in saving the nation as saving my friends. I do not think the nation is redeemable. It is the world the Bible speaks of. Individuals are a different project.
On the left or right media question... truth is that thinly veiled in my statements about how the right and left terms of conservative and liberal are insufficient and meaningless sits the belief that there actually is no such thing as a left or a right really. Think about it....the left is supposed to be about more government control- the right about less government control. Who can seriously argue that the right is any less authoritarian than the left? Its probably moreso given its penchant for secular- military- humantitarianism. Think back to the beginnings of the war. Who can seriously argue that any media outlet offered any real criticism or opposition to the idea of invading Iraq as a solutuion to the problem of terrorism. There was some pretty serious opposition from grass roots sources...but they all got the Dixie Chicks treatment. The United states is actually far and away the most fundamentalist and somewhat paradoxically the most violent nation on Earth. This indictment covers the nation as a whole- not just republicans but the ENTIRE collective nation...its really just a matter of degree.
Here is what I really believe- and I have said this to none other: There is no left and right - just authoritarian/wordly and more authoritarian/wordly. There is left and further left and right and further right so that they both really fall in approximately the same position on the dial. Both are "secular and humanist" to about the same degree. As you pointed out before- the problem of communism was not communist philosophy- but in putting faith in a government system rather than God. Truer words were never spoken.... and the same is true right here in the land of apple pie. and baseball and anthem chortling.
Who can seriously say that that the same misplacement of faith is not happening in the democratic or the republican party right now? I tend to sound off more on Republicans right now because I do believe that they illicitly captured and used the namesake of my Lord Jesus and have used it to their political advantage while misrepresenting His message it to a severe degree. In turn the democrats were tagged as the Godless heathens...you are a democrat no? Are you a Godless heathen? I think not. Also- the Republicans have been the ones in power- the ones behind the wheel- that is why they have caught more of my criticism. Even now congress and senate are neutered because the "commander" is still on his throne. All this is a great lesson in reality...there is no such thing as democracy...what we have is an OLIGARCHY.
I do not cnsider the boys at Microsoft to be left or even right for that matter...they are an arm of the same corporate machine...perhaps they have a bit different PR stance...but they represent the same thing...and the results are not much different. They both adhere to the eleven inhereant rules of corporate behaviour as referenced elsewhere in this blog.
There ya go- clear as mud...Thanks for asking this...I intended to go public with these thoughts as soon as they took better form. Now the cat is out of the bag.
Let me add that of all the people I converse with- you are the most thoughtful and perceptive. I just thought you'd like to know. You have been an enormous influence on my approach to all this. If not- my message, as edgy as it was concerning mr. hannity for instance, would have been FAR more raw and scathing. I truly wrestle with hatred on that topic.... but I actually do try hard to love him...as my enemy...smile.
a quote referenced in another post:
"At this point I have begun to understand that the whole conservative-liberal debate is useless and the terms are meaningless. I encourage my fellow men, Christians and citizens to climb out of those respective boxes and become discerning human beings again."
P.S. DSM I agree that the problem is actually the fear of death. The fear of death and the loss of self, self is what incites violence in the first place in most cases. Case in point> the war on terror where we are actually perpetuating the cycle of violence and terror by participating in it.
Thank you for the words of confidence.
You know also, that you lead me to think critically about these things. I would not be free of as much error with out your challenges.
I understand and agree with you on much of your thesis.
The point, that you make, of there being no reality of "Left" and "Right", I concur.
The modus operandi of the adversary is to destroy unity in the phyisical realm. And therefore, this is a very simple way to keep disciples of Jesus, out of the battle for hearts.
It is not so important to keep non-beleivers out of unity, since there is no unity in the carnal anyway, à la 'It's A Dog Eat Dog World'
However, with these agreed concessions, you continue to flail against, what you admit is "not real", i.e. "right-wing corporate machine".
Do you begin to see my perplexion?
This is not just 'nuance', but it is contradiction.
If you rightly say that there is no "right" or "left", but then begin spitting epithets at a "right-wing corporate machine", how do you hope to be interpreted by your audience?
I should not belabour my point by characterizing this incongruity.
DSM
I just added another link at the top of this post entitled "Confronting the Powers That Be" that cuts right to the heart if this subject we have opened. I posted some items from this a while back and also have had it in my links list. it bears re-visiting.
n my view I am using accomodative language. Classicly the corporate machine is associated with the right and the media with the left...the perplexing thing is that they are both controlled by the same mechanisms, directives and much of the time the same entities. I concur that all of these things actually fall under the heading of WORLDLY. I had not reached the point with my sparse audience to drive that point home...until perhaps now. I do not wish to offend anyone but I have been sort of required to dampen my own thoughts and writing to be able to reach anyone at all. I concur with you completely about the paradoxical incongruencies. I have really been anxious for someone to breach these questions.
Lets be clear now; all of these political entities, power structures and control mechanisms are representative of the WORLD and the system of domination which is fallen. For other readers- I understand about how God orders governmnets...see the link "Keep 'Em Sparated" for more commentary on the meaning of this.
I think that it is important that you be clear on this. Otherwise neither those on the political left nor the political right will give you credence.
If you say what I know that you've expressed to me privately, then these ideas are cohesive, but as you have written extensively here, you are dividing men along partisan borders while explicitly stating that these very borders are unreal.
Say it clearly, "There is a conspiracy from a spiritual realm which divides humanity along contrived demarcations, e.g. Arab, Jew, Chinese, Japanese, American, European, Democrat, Republican, Right, Left, Indian, Pakistani, hispanic, black, USC, OSU, Texan, Okie, Brasilian, Uzbekistani, evrionmentalist, ad infinitum." In other words you are not against GW Bush and America, but rather you are against anything that sets its interests above the kingdom of Heaven.
DSM
Good advice. These things have been stated- but are somewhat buried in the avalanche of words, e-mails and blog posts. In my view, when one actually will engage on any of these topics- it will ultimately and inexorably lead to these same conclusions. I often leave the thoughts open ended so as to lead to a conversation just like this one... and the inescapble conclusion you just summed up. Perhaps I am setting out bait? LOL.
I admit that I am trying to get people to engage, think and talk. Sometimes I too lean toward the provocative...but look where it has led...to a spark that may yet start a blaze somewhere.
It seems that sometimes saying it straight out and clear is less effective than letting it come out in discourse and narrative...I am not sure.
I don't think I am any smarter than the average bear. I do think if someone openly and honestly reviews any of these topics that they will ultimately find the same truths. Its not rocket science after all. as you have pointed out- all it takes is a heart to find truth. Without going into a lengthy discussion of moral relatavism and moral absolutes- suffice it to say that there is a point at which truth is truth and not just an expression of a diverse opinion and a subjective interpretation of data. These topics are subject to the same dynamic...if one will lay down their pretenses and really reach for the truth instead of what they are trying to hear.
At any rate you are abolutely correct. I just made another post entitled "The Authoritarians" that also takes on this subject. In fact I am somewhat impressed with the work of Altermeyer and find our these in agreement. Check it out at:
http://geotheology.blogspot.com/2007/01/authoritarians.html
or just see it in the sidebar and click over.
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