Fun_People Archive
8 Feb
Democracy Hosed by Telecom Dildo: Mass-Mediated Mutilation

Date: Thu, 8 Feb 96 03:36:17 -0800
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: Democracy Hosed by Telecom Dildo: Mass-Mediated Mutilation

Forwarded-by: bostic@bsdi.com (Keith Bostic)
Forwarded-by: Eric Allman <eric@reference.com>
From: crawford@cs.ucdavis.edu (Rick Crawford)

Democracy Hosed by Telecom Dildo: Mass-Mediated Mutilation

Although a cursory review of some archived list material turned up
numerous examples of indecency, I found nothing comparable to yesterday's
obscene evisceration of democracy in Congress.  Hence, I thought I would
exercise my "right to free speech" just one last time here, for the
record.

The hypocrisy of American politicians is legendary.  On 1 Feb. 1996, they
overwhelmingly passed HR 1555 / S 652, an alleged "Telecom Reform" bill
that promotes Consolidation in the name of Competition, and Censorship in
the name of Child-protection.  (George Orwell would have been impressed.)

But in fact, what the politicians have approved is a rape of the American
people, and a virtual genital mutilation on our children.

I want to be absolutely clear that the "indecency" provisions in this bill
are _not_ its biggest problem.  That's merely censorship by the
*government*.  The major problem with this bill is that it increases the
already vast and unaccountable power of *corporate* censors, who decide
what is "appropriate" (ie, profitable to them) for Americans (and
indirectly, the world) to see and hear.

If you're concerned that content will soon be "dumbed down" to the level
of children, wake up and smell the napalm.  For years, U.S. democracy has
been malnourished, forced to subsist on an unbalanced information diet
that is extensively "sanitized for our protection".

The Telecom bill could never have passed in this form if the American
people were allowed to examine its text beforehand.  But its text was kept
secret from American citizens; it was available only to the corporate
lobbyists and their politician puppets who drafted it.  Where was our
vaunted "Free Press", that fierce watchdog over government? As usual, the
news media were corporate lapdogs -- cheerleaders for power!

Let's be clear what's happened.  The 414 Representatives and 91 Senators
who voted for this legislation functioned as high-priced whores -- in the
past decade, they accepted over $50 million in campaign funds from the
telecom industry.  And in a classic quid pro quo, they proceeded to fuck
the unsuspecting American people.

Not only did *they* thoroughly enjoy it, but they had the gall to claim
it was good for *us* too!  (Like we can't gauge 6 inches or low rates !-)
Now, we'll have more "choice" :-)  Imagine that.  Collectively, we were
gang-banged without our knowledge or consent, and then the Congressional
sodomizers kindly referred us to the oligopolistic telecom abortion
providers we could "choose" to gouge us deeper (AT&T, MCI, the RBOCs,
Murdoch, TCI, etc).

This political masturbation is reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover.  For years,
FBI Director Hoover publically waged war for heterosexual purity in this
country.  Yet all the while, he dressed in women's clothes and had anal
intercourse with a male partner.

American mass media pretend to uphold the ideal of free speech, while in
reality, they keep free speech abjectly enslaved, gagged and chained to
their corporate bed, an inflatable tool for their pleasure and profit,
and a shield against democratic accountability.

While online activists are diverted fighting the "indecency" provisions,
and libertarian-leaning "rebels" beat their chests, vowing Death to the
Great Government Satan, corporate-controlled mass media will consolidate
their choke-hold on power, both online and offline.

Folks, in the name of "progress", "economic growth" and "consumer choice",
we've just been screwed by the Media Monopoly.  Make no mistake, the
politicians were merely instrumental pawns, dildos manipulated by those
who wield the power to frame the news.  Who's really in charge? Meet the
new boss  (same as the old boss -- a merged "strategic alliance")
   ...   the Robber Barons of the Information Age.

Bend over, vassals, ... the Dream Team is coming.  Sweet dreams, America ;-(

rick    crawford@cs.ucdavis.edu

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves
     me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country.  ...
     corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption
     in high places will follow, and the money power of the country
     will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices
     of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands
     and the Republic is destroyed."

         -- U.S. President Abraham Lincoln,  Nov. 21, 1864
            (letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
     Ref: "The Lincoln Encyclopedia", Archer H. Shaw (Macmillan, 1950, NY)
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