Americas news you motherfucking joke (948 hits)
Category: NewsRating: 0.68 on 27 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by ToxicNarcotic (View user info) at 2004-12-08 02:28:31 EST
The Free Press. What a joke. What a fucking joke. Maybe we never really had a free press. Maybe it's just another one of the lies we've been bottle fed since birth.
For instance, since I was a child I was told that the First Amendment defends freedom of speech, specifically: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
It was a great idea. Too bad it's no longer true.
If you were to buy a little, local radio station and change the format of it from Christian Rock to Labor Awareness, the FCC would shut you down so fast, you wouldn't even know what happened, and they'd probably throw you in jail for good measure.
Free speech my ass.
We may have 'freer' speech that some other countries, but I strongly doubt that we're Number One on the 'Freedom of Speech Top Ten.' France, Britain, Spain, Germany, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands...I really don't think that our freedom of speech index has anything on them.
The only people in this country who think we have freedom of speech are the ones who have never seen fit to challenge the status quo of the powers that be; once you have done that, as I have in my very humble way, you will soon become the target of harassment and subterfuge the likes of which you only thought existed in the movies.
When a person speaks his or her mind and suffers some sort of mental or physical harassment as a result of it, then they do not live in a country that embraces and defends the freedom of speech.
For instance, this summer, while moving, I mailed myself some notebooks and journals care of the United States Post Office. Somewhere along the way, somebody opened the box, took out half of the notebooks, taped the box shut, and sent the remainder to me, apparently in an effort to give me a 'hint.' I'm convinced that whoever did that to me did it with deliberate forethought, and if they were not agents of an official governmental entity of law or investigation, then they were probably closely associated with that entity if only in a civilian role.
Had I the money and the time I might be able to hire a lawyer or an investigator so that the USPS would actually respond to my letters instead of blowing me off as if I were a bothersome, insignificant gnat.
Which leads me to the next revelation I'd like to share with you.
Here's America's real First Amendment: "No Money, No Rights."
One could infer that this could be extended to read, "Much money, many rights; little money, few rights."
Taken a little farther, and written more specifically in regards to the press, it could read, "The press's rights of expression are directly proportional to the collected wealth of the owners, shareholders, and advertisers of any given medium: e.g. a national news medium would be owned by, and cater to, a handful of very wealthy people whose financial interests are of a national scope - whereas a regional or local form of news, if not already a subsidiary of the aforementioned national medium, would be owned by, and therefore cater to, comparatively less wealthy people."
Laugh if you want, but despite the errors in syntax, that formula is fairly accurate.
The modern American press, especially the televised and radio broadcast version of the beast, is about the closest thing to pure, calculated propaganda there is.
In summary, if you really want to know what the hell's going on in our country and the rest of the world, don't waste your time watching syndicated network television.
User Reviews
Submitted by Donitsu2002 (user info) at 2004-12-09 13:37:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by ToxicNarcotic (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:36:51 (#)
Ranking: 0
this would be the only post i spent more than 10 mins doing.
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i bet most of it was searching on google
Submitted by Donitsu2002 (user info) at 2004-12-09 13:34:51 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
http://www.geocities.com/roguepoet01/freepress.html
Plagiarism is gay
Submitted by the_mysterious_stranger (user info) at 2004-12-08 14:10:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
America has more free speech than Germany (I live there). I can't, for example, call the Islam practiced in Iran "primitive" or "barbaric" without getting charged with Volksverhetzung. Some politician did that some weeks ago and got his ass busted. I can't say I like George Bush or agree with his politics without gettting bad grades in school by my hyper-liberal teachers...well, you get the point. I do think however that freedom of expression has much to do with the stance of the populace. Try going to Texas and saying you like gays. Try going to France and saying the US ain't so bad. Try going to school (well, atleast here) and say you vote conservative. Me and some other kid are the only conservatives (christian union as opposed to labour party) in the whole grade. Not cool. I get harrassed to, just from the other side of the political spectrum. Btw, your package prolly just got opened because US postal service sucks ass.
Submitted by shitfuck (user info) at 2004-12-08 13:45:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by cleanfornow (user info) at 2004-12-08 13:34:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I agree, there is not freedom of speech thanks to "Political Correctness" bullshite, and the gray area between speaking your mind and yelling "Fire" in a crowded movie theater.
In regards to your missing notebooks, you are a paranoid. Nobody is sending you a message.
I did find them rather interesting though, thank you.
Submitted by Val (user info) at 2004-12-08 13:04:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Dave... did you learn to....type? And...spell?
+2 for marked improvement
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2004-12-08 11:07:29 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
You're still a raging homo.
Submitted by Sofa_Ace (user info) at 2004-12-08 09:52:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
What's a "free"?
Submitted by someone (user info) at 2004-12-08 09:51:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Your argument is flawed, and your opinions show your ignorance, BUT this is the first post of yours I've read that hasn't sucked major ass! Congrads, plus 1!!!!!
Submitted by Adamdidit2u (user info) at 2004-12-08 09:23:20 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:32:33 (#)
Ranking: -1
You are confusing the right to free speech with the right to be heard. You have the former. You do not have the latter.
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Simply stated, yet accurate
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2004-12-08 08:46:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
It's true. Political candidates in this country DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU, their constituents. They care about whichever special interest group can pony up the most money. And if you don't believe that, you're a deluded moron.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2004-12-08 08:16:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"Here's America's real First Amendment: "No Money, No Rights."
This is every Amendment. Good post, better than those pictures.
Submitted by Evil_Morg (user info) at 2004-12-08 06:56:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
People of the US, you live in a country that had a presidential candidate arrested because he was trying to be heard at a televised presidential debate. To anyone that still feels they live in a democracy I offer this change: Name three parties other then republic and democrats and their major political viewpoints.
To anyone that can't (that's should be about 96% of you), I want you to consider that maybe you can't because the other parties do not have the same freedom to speech. You were told that the next president was going to be Bush or Carry.
People don't fight for the right to speak, people fight for the right to be herd.
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2004-12-08 06:11:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
humongous +2
Submitted by arcane (user info) at 2004-12-08 05:12:34 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Whatever im well on my way to being rich. By your logic i will be one of the most free people on the planet. Sucks to be you though.
Submitted by Phallic_Cymbals (user info) at 2004-12-08 05:06:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Rantastic
Submitted by Ferretnose (user info) at 2004-12-08 03:44:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I do like a good rant.
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-12-08 03:16:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Masses are not being silenced. It is the few that have something to say being squashed by major corporations, and its wrong.
What "masses" are you talking about being "silenced"?
Submitted by ToxicNarcotic (user info) at 2004-12-08 03:08:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
why should the masses be silenced regardless of whether we think it is fucked up or not?
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-12-08 03:04:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Oops...I meant that we should blame the companies that own these media outlets... I fucked up my sentence. Hell, it's late. Goodnight.
(Fuck the media & the government that has allowed them to keep their power)
Submitted by Stabkill (user info) at 2004-12-08 03:02:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Most the countries you've named in the "free speech" list would have you arrested for marching in a neo-nazi rally. The USA wouldn't. Free speech? Unlikely.
You have to realize that the media is one hunk of shit driven by dollars and greed. You have General Electric owning a major portion of this, so will you ever see a piece on a GE plant dumping toxic waste in a 3rd world country? Hell no.
Also, how many millions of bucks does GM give to these stations to advertise their crap? Do you think these dollars would dry up if that station nailed GM to the wall with accusations of their pollution of mexico that goes on to this very day? Hell no.
Media is shit, but there is no question that free speech in the USA is much higher than the rest of the world. You can get away with saying the most aweful vile things with no criminal punishment. In North Korea, maybe you'd get killed and in China you'd get a 10 year prison sentence, in France maybe you'd get fined. Brazil? Same thing.
Be angry things are fucked, because they are...but lets not kid ourselves and point the blame at the major companies that own the media for this. It isn't the government, but I'm sure they are all too happy to sit back and let things continue as they do.
(The FCC is fucked, but seriously...there are some decency standards for on-air television that should be kept. Unfortunately, it is misplaced in the fact we can show a line of people getting executed by automatic gunfire on a TV show but we can't show a human breast. Fucking stupid.)
Submitted by Sideburns (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:53:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Free speech isn't the ability to say whatever you want to whomever you want. It's the right to be heard, the right to voice your opinion on matters without being lawfully punished for it. Many countries have laws prohibiting the citizens from criticizing the government.
Here, not only is it accepted, it's satire.
Did you actually use sexual harassment as an example? Wow. I can't go into work tomorrow and call my secretary a slut, then defend myself with the free speech clause.
Free speech isn't the right to go anywhere and say anything you want. It's the right to have an opinion.
But +1 for a nicely written piece.
Submitted by Joemama (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:50:45 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Very Nice Dnad.
Submitted by ToxicNarcotic (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:36:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
this would be the only post i spent more than 10 mins doing.
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:35:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
"Had I the money and the time I might be able to hire a lawyer or an investigator so that the USPS would actually respond to my letters instead of blowing me off as if I were a bothersome, insignificant gnat."
BTW, you should get the number for your local Postal Inspector. They're a branch of law enforcement and take their job extremely seriously. Report your case to them and I guarantee you'll at least cause some people some trouble, if not the asshole that opened your package.
Submitted by ToxicNarcotic (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:33:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
eh
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2004-12-08 02:32:33 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
You are confusing the right to free speech with the right to be heard. You have the former. You do not have the latter.