The Media and Punditocracy,in charge of the conversation. What will be talked about and how it will be talked about. Entrenchment, status quoism, inertia, business as usual.
We are in power and thus we know what we are doing, because those in power are there because they know what they are doing, and that’s us…even though those in power obviously don’t know what they are doing because things are so fucked up….but those in power can’t even think that…because then they might have to examine the fact that things are fucked up because THEY are the ones in power.
In fact those in power cannot even admit that things are fucked up…. because then they might have to ask why things are fucked up, and deep down inside them is that nagging voice that if listened to would tell them that it could just be that they are the ones fucking things up. And hey, it’s a dog eat dog world out there and self-doubt or examination might lead to some form of weakness, like the self-esteem lowering questioning of your own infallibility ….like admitting that it is you who are fucking things up …and need to change. Or get gone.
That is not an iceberg, ok it is an iceberg, but we won’t hit it, ok we have hit it, but the ship is unsinkable, ok that was a iceberg and we did hit, but we won’t sink, ok that was an iceberg and we did hit it and the ship is sinking. Damn. We were sure we were infallible…until the ship sank, until we failed and killed a bunch of people. Too bad we didn’t listen to all those doubts and doubters, instead of steaming on, but it is too late now.
This Titanically bad metaphor comes to a crashing end though, when the Captain and crew muscle the civilians off of the lifeboats and start piloting a new ship the next day, shrugging off their mistakes in the name and service of the self confidence needed for their critical task….piloting ships around icebergs. The critical question of whether they are qualified never even arises, they have ships to steer, dammit! Now all you stupid people get off the bridge so we can do our job!
The Titanic Adventure Slide!
Oh well, now that the ship has sunk the important thing is… to find someone else to blame so we don’t have to admit fault or failure. If worst comes to worst we will blame “the media,” (as Tweety recently did) and hope the stupid people out there don’t make the connection in their minds that we are admitting responsibility
But: We Are Not Stupid
This sheer, bluff, completely unfounded self-confidence is what keeps change from happening. Undermining it is one of the keys to creating change. Creating uncertainty is one of the ways to undermine it. This is a precept of Guerrilla Warfare.
Entrenchment, status quoism, inertia, business as usual cannot be defeated head on by a small ragtag bad of rebels with just a few fighters and a princess wearing cinnamon rolls stuck to her head! Tactics and strategy are needed….and fun! It is in this spirit that I ask you to join me in mailing these four simple words: We Are Not Stupid to the entrenched ones.
AS your Princess (wait! Another bad metaphor! Damn!) I have selected a symbolic target… The submission box for MSNBC’s “Beat the Press,” which you will find on the lower right hand corner of this web page: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19…
E-mail as may times as you want! I will remind you to mail again tomorrow, I will be posting on Dkos ad other sites in a bit to ask folks there to e-mail too. We shall start with a trickle to wear away the stone…and perhaps, with the addition of the Maddow movement, (starting tomorrow) the trickle will turn into a flood which will sweep away the running dogs of entrenched media power and free the masses from their reign of ignorant bloviation!!!!!
Or not.
Who knows?
But if you tell me in the comments that you have mailed the words We Are Not Stupid to the above address…I will give you a pony! And everybody loves ponies! So try it, it is fun ….and good for you….and MIGHT even make a difference!
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I’m beginning to give up on democracy. Media has to be free of government interference, but, if it is owned by friends of the government, it brainwashes the “stupid.” Even if we manage to break up the concentrated press, the economics are against good, in depth reporting.
Sure, we can demand better teaching of civics–but that won’t happen at the expense of instructional time for math and reading–and it’s results wouldn’t be felt for decades. The new information networks make it unlikely we’ll return to those Pentagon Papers days.
Without informed voters, democracy is a sham. We need a new group of founding fathers–the originals wrote stuff that was good for about 200 years–but is now stale. I don’t have any answers–just pessimism and reality.
why dan?
i mean, ‘verdict’ certainly isnt perfect, but its far from the worst offender….the same could be said for msnbc as a whole, really…
Awesome! Sorry if I’m behind the times on that one – still lovin’ that idea… 🙂
while I applaud MSNBC for both KO and Maddow they have a long way to go. The so called political experts are just the usual suspects including those that should be behind bars talking to us from their odious, creepy Lock Up. I’m tired of even Rachael having to give the opinions of Pat Buchanan credence.
Without an informed populace, democracy is a crapshoot. Lately, we’ve been throwing snake eyes.
Waiting for my next assignment, sir 😉
Sorry this is so late… just got home
buhdydharma, I love the humor blended with hard hitting, kick ’em in the (you know where)attitude. Oh, and of course good to have suggestions for ‘action’ too.
For ‘we are not stupid’ task, the link I followed that you gave, led to MSNBC main page. I clicked on contacts, and saw many options to send to. Are we to send to ‘letters to MSNBC.com or some other address?
Thanks for the great laugh this afternoon… “I’ll be BACK!”
(did I sound Austrian enough? How about, Caleeeforkneea ;o)
PS. I had a jpg of a cute little fuzzy kitten saying
“You fuckers should never say fuck!” that cracks me up to no end, but I could not figure out how to add it to my comment. Is there a trick? I have no problem with well deserved expressions of “f”. ;o)