Mainstream Media

[Rebelde para Siempre]

I have to say the biggest enemy we probably face is the mainstream media corporations. They are the ones who have the most influence over the masses, the ones who have instilled that sense of indifference and commercialism amongst the people.

I was watching Oprah show the the other week, (I know but there wasn't much else to do) and they gave some bullshit reason about the middle east and Iraq, and generally all the anti american sentiment in the world today. Something like America WAS NOT doing enough in the middle east, and the Iraqi people were angry at America because they were NOT liberating them.

Fuck, I hate the mainstream media. Asking themselves, "oh why does the world hate us so much?" like a bunch of stupid fucks.

Independant media forever!

[Behind enemy lines]

I think the biggest enemy we face is ourselves, Although I hate the mainstream media as well.

[Beccie]

Quote: from Rebelde para Siempre on 9:01 am on Jan. 10, 2003
I have to say the biggest enemy we probably face is the mainstream media corporations. They are the ones who have the most influence over the masses, the ones who have instilled that sense of indifference and commercialism amongst the people.

I was watching Oprah show the the other week, (I know but there wasn't much else to do) and they gave some bullshit reason about the middle east and Iraq, and generally all the anti american sentiment in the world today. Something like America WAS NOT doing enough in the middle east, and the Iraqi people were angry at America because they were NOT liberating them.

Fuck, I hate the mainstream media. Asking themselves, "oh why does the world hate us so much?" like a bunch of stupid fucks.

Independant media forever!


That is the reason why I don’t watch commercial television any more. Basically the “news” consists of bias patriotic rubbish.

[kylie]

I agree. I remember when the Molosevic trail collapsed, there was nothing in the news about it. Instead they choose to focus on more trivial things like the royal family, to take the peoples attention away from the true problems and goings on the world.
The media is definately the biggest problem in getting any change in the world. During the farmers and haulage companies fuel blockade(this might not be known in the US, what happened was in protest to the high prices on fuel they blocked supply defpots, leading to shortages) despite the fact that what they were doing was just and most of the country supported them, the media was able to demonize the organisers and turn the public against them. The same thing happened with the firefighters strike.
A group wanting to do anything needs to have a really strong media campaign of its own if its going to achieve its goals.

[mentalbunny]

You say that the mainstream media is our greatest enemy, but what can we do to stop them? We have to do more than identify problems, we have to act.

Anyone has any ideas as to what we can do? Boycotting will not get us very far...

[KaKa]

sometime ago we had to find an article dealing with an international topic. i bought like 7 different newspapers to find something that might have some of my views. nothing!so i didn't bring an article and told her i could talk about news how i see them and they really happen-not like you are told. she did not even want to listen what i wanted to say!anyways, i think we just try to do something against the media, too!but what could we do? my brother in germany writes articles for the newspapers-lets try to write an article for the news!!!!

[Exploited Class]

Quote: from mentalbunny on 1:57 pm on Jan. 10, 2003
You say that the mainstream media is our greatest enemy, but what can we do to stop them? We have to do more than identify problems, we have to act.

Anyone has any ideas as to what we can do? Boycotting will not get us very far...


I have always thought that a communist corporation would rock. I am so tired of us fighting 200 million dollar ad campaigns with 5 dollar banners. There are so many bright people that are communists that can do the capitalist things, run companies, expand, fight real power with real power. Revolutions come in so many sizes and shapes from peacefull to forcefull to death tolls. Cultural revolutions, idealogical revolutions to Reneissance revolutions, nothing is impossible nor the outcome.

I would say that one of our largest foe's is Media. How can you compete with Friends? 5 people who evidently never work except 1 in a coffee shop, who all get together all time, have the best apartment in NY decorated perfectly. So fantasy but in everybody's mind it is reality. They might not believe 5 friends hang around so well, but they never doubt their surroundings and enviroment. You never have to see them doing bills, getting groceries that take an hour. They are always just having fun and hanging out.

All these Socialist/Communist parties in America and elsewhere should be taking donations to build up power. Making buisnesses to feed the cause. When one man Bill Gates makes 800 times more money than Michael Jordan, 800 times, you compete against him fairly with cardboard signs and crayons.

We also need to start fitting in better with society. Do you know how Mormons have so many converts? They did a study with people leaving their wallet home, having dinners then telling the waiter after the dinner he needed to run home to get his wallet. All the people dressed differently, the white shirts and black trenchcoat got to leave to go home more than any of the other dressed people.

I work for a networking company, I am a layer 3 router technician and an internal lan systems administrator. I hold the highest position within our dept (minus managment). I am not lazy, I am not punk looking, I look like one of them, and people around me like it. Its a seed planted when they realize that the woman that makes 2X as much as them, answers every single networking issue for them, that they look up to for being intelligent is a communist, their whole idea on what a communist is does a back flip.

As for what can we all do, pick one thing and do it. Have a leader, pick one party and make it swell with numbers, stop nit picking at each other, get and idea and go with it, learn that even if you disagree with what is going on with one idea maybe you are just wrong and need to do it for the group. Learn what solidarity means with each other and not just typed on a keyboard.

(Edited by exploitedclass at 6:22 am on Jan. 11, 2003)

[mentalbunny]

exploitedclass, yes using the system is the only way to beat the system, but some of us cannot accept it. I have no idea of how I will surive when I go out to work as I know one day I will. I don't know if you remember my careers thread from several months ago, I was basically trying to decide whether to use the system and put my money to use supporting the left and the oppressed, or to work like the left and oppressed.

You are very right about the idea thing. In dogma the 13th apostle (left out of the bible because he was black) says that beliefs are dangerous because you cannot change your beliefs the way you can change your ideas. We should be more open to change and compromise and in a political party we have to be willing to take things slowly or the party will never have an effect.

[MJM]

Out of interest, what would you say would be the best industry for a communist corporation to be involved in?
Are you proposing a news corporation?
Would it be possible to fight like this?
Didn't some early socialists plan to do something like this and eventually buy out all the big industries and gain freedom like this?

So many questions, maybe this should be a new thread.

[synthesis]

I have always thought that a communist corporation would rock.

Ben and Jerry's are pretty leftist, aren't they?

I know they donated quite a bit of money to the Mumia legal campaign.

[mentalbunny]

Quote: from DyerMaker on 5:57 am on Jan. 13, 2003
I have always thought that a communist corporation would rock.

Ben and Jerry's are pretty leftist, aren't they?

I know they donated quite a bit of money to the Mumia legal campaign.

Really? I didn't know that, I always avoided buying Ben & Jerry's! I'll stop now!

[bombeverything]

Quote: from Rebelde para Siempre on 9:01 am on Jan. 10, 2003
I have to say the biggest enemy we probably face is the mainstream media corporations. They are the ones who have the most influence over the masses, the ones who have instilled that sense of indifference and commercialism amongst the people.

I was watching Oprah show the the other week, (I know but there wasn't much else to do) and they gave some bullshit reason about the middle east and Iraq, and generally all the anti american sentiment in the world today. Something like America WAS NOT doing enough in the middle east, and the Iraqi people were angry at America because they were NOT liberating them.

Fuck, I hate the mainstream media. Asking themselves, "oh why does the world hate us so much?" like a bunch of stupid fucks.

Independant media forever!


I agree. The media is yet another tool used by the ruling class as a form of mind control. It is owned and controlled by the rich and therefore very frightening. The more I watch it the more I cringe. First there is the clear political bias. Then there is the obsession with beauty [to sell products], sex [to sell products and reinforce sexist views] and a simplistic form of religion [once again to sell products and control the people]. The other night I was watching TV and I noticed a sugarcoated add about starvation, followed by a add selling a child’s toy. Grr.

It is sad that so many people cannot see what is so obvious.