Exception to the Rulers by Amy Goodman did show me how much I knew, but did not realize. Like the depth of how the oil and war industries were interwoven with Bush II. Everybody knew it, but I had no idea there wa an oil tanker named for Condoleeza before she was in the Bush cabinet. Things like that that reveal felt truths were all over this book. And it make it interesting.
And there was so much that pretty much amounts to hidden history. I had no idea about the troubles of East Timor, the massive anti-war protests during the Iraq invasion, and quite a lot of other stuff that was going on out there in the world completely unknown to me. And I assumed I was a pretty connected guy. I always tried to watch the news - not to the junkie level I'm living now, but still I wasn't a rube - but there was so much I didnt know and didn't realize that made me better understand the complaints of "corporate news media" and led me to understand even less the "liberal" media claims because you wouldn't think the typical person hurling "liberal media" around like that means that the media is corporate/big business lap dogs, eschewing complicated stories that could make a difference in people's lives for fluff & sound bites. But that's not what struck me as the most interesting.
And there was so much that pretty much amounts to hidden history. I had no idea about the troubles of East Timor, the massive anti-war protests during the Iraq invasion, and quite a lot of other stuff that was going on out there in the world completely unknown to me. And I assumed I was a pretty connected guy. I always tried to watch the news - not to the junkie level I'm living now, but still I wasn't a rube - but there was so much I didnt know and didn't realize that made me better understand the complaints of "corporate news media" and led me to understand even less the "liberal" media claims because you wouldn't think the typical person hurling "liberal media" around like that means that the media is corporate/big business lap dogs, eschewing complicated stories that could make a difference in people's lives for fluff & sound bites. But that's not what struck me as the most interesting.
What struck me was our collective forgetting and not knowing. All this hidden history stuff, few people remember that. The anti-war rallies against Iraq, if they were so huge, why is all the political Occupy business being treated like this is some new wave of protests. Protests have always been here. Shit, we're probably bordering on desensitizing to protests, so it's not like we just now figured out how to put words on poster board. But it's like we've forgotten and this somehow feels so fresh. And we get involved in these protest movements thinking there is some permanent part of it, like maybe the difference will be lasting, and it will be lasting beyond our immediate social groups. But this book, if anything, showed me that, no, that's not the case because the song hasn't change. We still forget. Those in charge, those who ultimately control what the masses who do not actively seek out alternative news see, you know passive consumers of news, well, they shape the memories. They shape what actually has impact. They shape history. And that's so frustrating.
It just makes me wonder, too, about the Occupy chatter about income disparity. It's too big to be forgotten into history, though the Wisconsin protests certainly got swallowed up by them as far as the mass media/history makers are concerned. And, still, this bit about the song of income disparity, corporate greed, money influence in politics, it did not start being a problem with Bush II, or Citizen's United, but it's always been a problem. My god, in reading The Boys on the Bus, it touches a little on McGovern and his view of all this "corporations" boogeymen ideas, and that was 1972. 1972! And I routinely see quotes that from presidents like FDR and others about the dangers of corporations. Bob LaFollette, in the 1910s was all about the dangers of corporations and their influence. 1910s! I bet there's a quote from the Founders as well about the matter as well. And here we are acting like we discovered this great and powerful thing called gravity when it turns out it's been here all along and we knew about this whole damn time. So when, by god, will it be fixed?
It just makes me wonder, too, about the Occupy chatter about income disparity. It's too big to be forgotten into history, though the Wisconsin protests certainly got swallowed up by them as far as the mass media/history makers are concerned. And, still, this bit about the song of income disparity, corporate greed, money influence in politics, it did not start being a problem with Bush II, or Citizen's United, but it's always been a problem. My god, in reading The Boys on the Bus, it touches a little on McGovern and his view of all this "corporations" boogeymen ideas, and that was 1972. 1972! And I routinely see quotes that from presidents like FDR and others about the dangers of corporations. Bob LaFollette, in the 1910s was all about the dangers of corporations and their influence. 1910s! I bet there's a quote from the Founders as well about the matter as well. And here we are acting like we discovered this great and powerful thing called gravity when it turns out it's been here all along and we knew about this whole damn time. So when, by god, will it be fixed?
So that makes me wonder where the Madison protests and the Occupy movement falls in this whole continuum. Is this just a particularly rousing verse of the same song? And how much longer do we need to sing because, dammit, I just got in on this choir and my throat is already sore. How about we wrap this bitch up and try some other tune for a while.
viva wisco
viva wisco
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