"Consolidated media threatens democracy" - Walter Cronkite

The pressure for profits in the consolidated, billion-dollar media has destroyed journalism and truth-telling in the news, and threatens our very own democracy, Walter Cronkite recently stated at a Keynote address at Columbia University.

This is exactly what Ralph and I have been saying since we began our program in August. The amount of money to be made by the four corporations controlling the overwhelming majority of broadcast journalism and (to an extent) print media is depriving America of the reality of the state of the Union.

Two weekends ago, a report shows how Douglas Feith manipulated the pre-war intelligence that led us into Iraq. That very same weekend, the media's focus was on Britney Spears shaving her head and the latest "breaking news" was on the status of Anna Nicole Smith's estate. This is one of the many examples of what is happening to our media; if you're just watching the TV, you are not getting news that is vital to maintain America's status as a democracy. This administration snuck into law the ability for the commander-in-chief to declare martial law and to turn our own military against the people in October 2006!!! This story did not register a blip in the media until someone wrote an op-ed pointing it out in the NY Times.

This is what Walter Cronkite is talking about. A dumbed-down, celebrity-obsessed media creates a dumbed-down population that does not even notice that our democracy is being eroded by the neo-con bastards before our very eyes.

America had better wake up soon! This Bush administration wants to dismantle our democracy and the rule of law. The Democratic party cannot, on its own, save this country from the Bush cabal! Only we, the people, can save this country from a corporate- fascist takeover. Taking back the media is the first step.

Jared