The Network For Church Monitoring website posted this link regarding 14 propaganda techniques found on Foxymoron News. It's a fascinating read, and calls to memory much of the work done by media observers like Robert Greenwald. On a darker note, it's also reminiscent of the work of Joseph Goebbels - the techniques noted (bullying, projection, etc.) are time-tested, and have been used by propagandists through the ages to attempt to bend and sculpt popular opinion toward a desired direction.
Articles like this - those that alert us as media consumers - are becoming increasingly relevant in this era of media consolidation. It pays to keep in mind who owns what in this American society, in that our government (at all levels), is owned by those that contribute the most "lubricant" (money) to the machine. Those that own the media machine in this country, also own the government through their lobbyists and campaign contributions. There is almost no separation between the two camps now - and when corporate and governmental interests and functions merge, what do you have?
Fascism.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Quibbles and Bits, Bowled Over Edition
A few leftovers from Sunday's festivities...
>> I had a sense of foreboding the day before the game, that the 49ers (whom I've rooted for since 1979 and the Steve DeBerg era) were coming home from this endeavor empty-handed. Michael Silver, in his column on Yahoo Sports, seemed to have a "feeling" about the Ravens, that there was "something" about that team, that told him it was their time. It was one of those articles that gave me the dual emotions of "yeah, he might be right", and "shove it up your kiester, Mr. Silver!". He was right;
>>Ray Lewis will now take his two Super Bowl rings to ESPN, so lets hope he keeps the preaching and proselytizing to a minimum. Heck, Mr. Lewis - start a ministry, like the late, great Minister of Defense, Reggie White - then you can put on your dance and let the waterworks flow for a receptive, captive audience;
>>The Niners lost this game in the second quarter. They dug themselves into a 22-point hole that they ultimately could not dig themselves out of, though they came to within 7 yards of doing just that at the end of the game. You can't spot your opponent that kind of a lead, plus rely on field goals rather than touchdowns, and expect to win.
>>The Ravens and their fans earned this victory - congratulations. They should enjoy it while it lasts, because they're not a dynasty. Ray Lewis is gone, and Ed Reed is resembling a mastodon. Their team has been built on defensive dominance, and with those two players gone, expect this house of cards to collapse by mid-2013.
>>The Super Bowl is not intended to be a place to learn one's craft - it's a place to apply what you've already learned. But there are a lot of lessons to be drawn in this game, especially for second-year pivot Colin Kaepernick. He's proved to be a quick study and a hard worker, so combined with these hard lessons, his youth, and a host of returning veterans eager to avenge this loss, I fully expect the Niners to be back next year. The Niners, in fact, may be the NFL's next dominant team with their current collection of key players.
>>When it comes right down to it - does a football team's success or failure reflect on my ability to pay my mortgage or rent, or to feed myself or support my lifestyle? It doesn't. It's only ENTERTAINMENT. The players get paid regardless of victory or defeat, and the payoff for me is bragging rights or water cooler conversation, nothing else.
>>Finally, better to be in San Francisco (5-1) than in Buffalo (0-4), Cincinnati (0-2), or Detroit (0-0, they've yet to go).
I now close the book on my Niners' commentary for the 2012 season. A season unfinished, incomplete, but still successful and memorable.
More later.
>> I had a sense of foreboding the day before the game, that the 49ers (whom I've rooted for since 1979 and the Steve DeBerg era) were coming home from this endeavor empty-handed. Michael Silver, in his column on Yahoo Sports, seemed to have a "feeling" about the Ravens, that there was "something" about that team, that told him it was their time. It was one of those articles that gave me the dual emotions of "yeah, he might be right", and "shove it up your kiester, Mr. Silver!". He was right;
>>Ray Lewis will now take his two Super Bowl rings to ESPN, so lets hope he keeps the preaching and proselytizing to a minimum. Heck, Mr. Lewis - start a ministry, like the late, great Minister of Defense, Reggie White - then you can put on your dance and let the waterworks flow for a receptive, captive audience;
>>The Niners lost this game in the second quarter. They dug themselves into a 22-point hole that they ultimately could not dig themselves out of, though they came to within 7 yards of doing just that at the end of the game. You can't spot your opponent that kind of a lead, plus rely on field goals rather than touchdowns, and expect to win.
>>The Ravens and their fans earned this victory - congratulations. They should enjoy it while it lasts, because they're not a dynasty. Ray Lewis is gone, and Ed Reed is resembling a mastodon. Their team has been built on defensive dominance, and with those two players gone, expect this house of cards to collapse by mid-2013.
>>The Super Bowl is not intended to be a place to learn one's craft - it's a place to apply what you've already learned. But there are a lot of lessons to be drawn in this game, especially for second-year pivot Colin Kaepernick. He's proved to be a quick study and a hard worker, so combined with these hard lessons, his youth, and a host of returning veterans eager to avenge this loss, I fully expect the Niners to be back next year. The Niners, in fact, may be the NFL's next dominant team with their current collection of key players.
>>When it comes right down to it - does a football team's success or failure reflect on my ability to pay my mortgage or rent, or to feed myself or support my lifestyle? It doesn't. It's only ENTERTAINMENT. The players get paid regardless of victory or defeat, and the payoff for me is bragging rights or water cooler conversation, nothing else.
>>Finally, better to be in San Francisco (5-1) than in Buffalo (0-4), Cincinnati (0-2), or Detroit (0-0, they've yet to go).
I now close the book on my Niners' commentary for the 2012 season. A season unfinished, incomplete, but still successful and memorable.
More later.
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