This looks like an interesting read - tell me what you think.

(pdf, 688kb)

http://home.ourfuture.org/assets/20070612_theprogressivemajority_report.pdf

Interesting indeed!

The first few pages introduce the idea that our traditional media headlines do not reflect the mainstream socio-political views.

ABOUT GODDAMED TIME SOMEBODY PUBLISHED THIS.

I have wondered where the liberal media bias is for quite some time. I have not seen it for much of my life. Frankly, this misalignment is largely the reason I do not consume a large amount of traditional media news. I prefer books, blogs, commentary / opinion programs and international media sources. Additionally, in this interconnected time, one can very often read actual studies and consider the merits of their methodology. (if only more people fully understood the importance of that)

I think they miss an important element, maybe covered deeper in the paper; namely, this misalignment favors corporations more than it does conservatives in general. Additionally, the scope of what is and what is not conservative has been changed and redefined in subtle ways to better reflect large corporate interests.

Both parties have problems with this, but it appears easier for the GOP to be manupulated in this fashion than it is for others. (generally speaking)

(gonna go read now)

So, is this the meat then? If so, it's gonna be a nice summer. Hope the kids treated you well the last few days.

ed sez: "(pdf, 688kb)"

thanks for your consideration! Sometimes we're at locations with less than optium connections and or on a mobile unit! hate to unawarely click on a pdf and watch my device freeze up for 5 minutes!

No prob, Skep. I just got off of dialup so I know that of which you speak.

Yes, interesting reading indeed. I notice Herb and Deane seem to have nothing to say. Really, I have been saying forever we aren't conservative. Do you like your social security check and medicare benefits? Then shut the hell up about your conservatism. Do you like it when FEMA comes around and cuts you a check after your house has been flatened by a storm? Shut the hell up about your conservatism. Do you like knowing your water is safe to drink, knowing your food is safe to eat, knowing whether or not your car is safe to drive, shut up about your conservatism. Do you think the republicans were right to mandate we all get ID cards for the war on terrorism and to mandate passport to visit Canada? Definitely shut the hell up about your conservatism. I could go on but I think MOST get the point.

"..Do you like knowing your water is safe to drink.."

Quit yer hand wringin'...Mr. Nixon started the EPA.

You're making it a left-right issue. Tain't necessarily so.

Herb

Hey! I know a good joke about Tain'ts!

Yes Herb, since you bring him up at least once a day, we all know about your good buddy and the EPA, and how he rules your every waking moment, every thought, and every cell except the cluster near your groin that's responds to Eve, whether she wrings it or not. Now back to the topic. Did you read the article yet?

God, I wish RMN would die (here).

Does a Republican president starting the EPA make the EPA a conservative concept? No - it is a progressive "liberal" idea. So are price controls - another Nixonian move.

You are falling into the trap that makes anything a Republican might do a conservative thing, and anything a Democrat might do a liberal thing.

Herb, you're making it a left-right issue. Tain't necessarily so.

I'll grant you this...if a democrat opened the doors to China, we'd already have gone commie. That's because instead of seeing it as an opportunity to influence their system for the betterment of their people, a leftist would try to import their horrific political system HERE.

It happened in Europe and they're only now crawling out of that political nightmare.

Herb

"I'll grant you this...if a democrat opened the doors to China, we'd already have gone commie. That's because instead of seeing it as an opportunity to influence their system for the betterment of their people, a leftist would try to import their horrific political system HERE."

Okay, that right there is the most absurd, ridiculous thing you've ever said here. And that is really saying something.

Yeah, a Democrat would import Chinese Communism to America. Please get a grip.

A little too much FOX news perhaps?

Seriously, this is a solid document that makes a very important point, no matter what your ideology happens to be; with said point being:

Our media is serving itself and large interests more than it is the public interest, or any one party in particular.

IMHO, this is significant in that a pretty serious case can be made for a fair set of our problems today being linked back to this disconnect. I'm not saying it's the whole enchalada, but it's more than the garnish.

Given that, media reform is probably not a bad idea, along with election reform.

It's damn tough for a democracy to function when there is this much noise in the discourse channel.

And that concerns me, more than any one issue does, because it undermines the trust more or less inherent in the system. If that trust is lacking (and for me it is at a growing rate), then we flat our are being exploited and that's not American period. Leftie, rightie, indy, or just wierd. We all have common ground on that score, IMHO.