A “Liberal” who never trusted “Main Stream Media”

Not so sure if you are like me, but I am a liberal, not a Democratic or Republican liberal, but liberal in the sense that I feel the government must represent and must be at the service of the people, All the people, not only Wall Street, the Lobbyists and Washington Think Tanks.

I am a Liberal who believes that the purpose of government is to service and protect. To service by providing all the basic services citizens need from education to health care, to roads, to infrastructure, to science and research, to social services among others. To protect by providing for national defense with priority on national domestic defense and providing good quality police and fire services to its citizens. Not so sure if we need to have 70 bases all over the world.

I am liberal because I believe citizens have a duty and must contribute to the political process by not a contribution to the corrupt and failing two party system, but to vote in every single election irrespective of the quality or stupidly of the candidates.

I am a liberal who believes that citizens have an equal obligation toward to the state in the same way the state has an obligation towards its people. There is nothing for free; and if you want services, you better pay for it.

There is No free lunch.

I am also a liberal who never trusted or believed in America’s Main Stream Media – from CNN to MSNBC, to Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times or Chicago Tribune among others. I also don’t believe in the lies and incitement coming out of the like of Rush Limbaugh, who gets paid $40-million a year to make a fool of himself and to make greater fools of those who listen and believe in the “bullshit” that comes out of his mouth.

You see, I do have a major and serious problem with Main Stream America, because it was never honest about any coverage, and its stories always fit the political or ideological values and opinions of its managing editors. To stay the Main Stream Media is the guardian of the nation and people’s interest is a big lie; and it stretches the truth to make it “fake news”.

You see, my problems with American media began in the late 60’s, when I was unable to get even a “letter” to the editor published that spoke of the Israeli Occupation, while seeing comments and editorials from the other side having so much space in all major media. The Palestinians simply did not exist and are denied a voice or a forum to tell their story – only Jews and Israel have the right to tell their stories. The same story continues today. My files are full of rejected comments and letters to the editors of newspapers, such as the New York Times, Washington Post even the Chicago Tribune.

Of course, I learned to know better. Perhaps the best statement I read about America’s Main Stream Media came from someone who knows much better than I.

Dean Ben Bagdikian, former Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley said it best:

“With a country’s widest disseminators of news, commentary and ideas firmly entrenched among a small number of the world’s wealthiest corporations. It may not be surprising that their news and commentary is limited to an unrepresentative narrow spectrum of policies.”

As we watch the news these days, with a major Cold War going on between President Trump and Main Stream Media, one would think that Main Stream media is the most powerful branch of government, really “the Fourth Branch”.

Why is our media and Congress so upset about Russia’s interference in our elections, when our “friend and ally” Israel has been doing it for 50 years, determining and controlling our national and international agenda and paying hundreds of millions to our national and state representatives? No one wants to talk about that of course.

You see, the “Fourth Branch” is unelected and never accountable to the people, yet it decides for us and for the nations. It decides whom we should vote for, and it decides which wars we should support, and it decides which criminal regime or countries we should support. We are never free to make up our mind. Main Stream media got us hyped up to go to war on Iraq and it sold us a bill of lies, and it gave us “imbedded journalists” with invading US troops, as if it were a reality show. The recent GCC conflict showed it best when “opinion makers” are on the payroll of one country or the other.

You see, I do have a problem and I am sure you do the same thing. Think about this. “In 1983, 50 corporations controlled most of the American media” from the magazine to movies, to books and publications houses, to radios among other media.

That number dropped to almost in half decade later. By 1992 only six corporations became the major owners of Main Stream media like Warner, Disney, Murdoch’s News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom.

It is true that major newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post continued to be owned by a public corporation, but the editorial board continues to follow certain political and ideological lines. It is true of the Chicago Tribune, LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle.

Now add to this. The largest 100 media corporations like Time Warner, which owns AOL and CNN, own 80% of the top 20 online news sites.

Now imagine that someone like Rush Limbaugh earns $40 million a year to spew his bullshit and tell the people who earned less than $30,000 a year how good they have it and how bad the politics is in the country. And think that someone like Megan Kelly or Bill O’Reilly getting over $20 million a year for few hours of media time only to tell us what we should think. How can the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly or Megan Kelly or Rachel Maddow represent our best interests?

Yes, I do have a major problem with Main Stream media – never liked it, never trusted it, and certainly never felt it represented my best interests. I hope it does not represent your best interests too. They are not our guardians and certainly, no one appointed them as our trustees or the trustees for the nation. They speak for their bosses and only for their bosses and never for the general interests of the American public.

We all should be glad that the Internet so far allows me to publish and exchange my thoughts with you. You and I never have a chance to be published in Main Stream media, never.

Your thoughts… ?

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Sami Jamil Jadallah

 

Sami Jamil Jadallah is a US Army Veteran (66-68) is a graduate of Indiana University and holder of a BA, MPA ( School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Jurist Doctor and is an international legal and business professional with more than 40 years in the construction business (KSA), Management Consulting and Business Development (Swiss), Hospitality, Aviation and Conservation (Morocco). Was the first to establish an internationally recognized conservation (Houbara) foundation in Morocco and North Africa. Currently Sami is managing a conservation and wildlife foundation with 100 employees in Morocco. Sami is a recipient of the “Leadership Award” from the US Sixth Army NCO Academy and recognized student leadership while at Indiana University. Sami was a co-founder of the United Palestinian Appeal and served on its board for over 12 years. He lives in Fairfax, VA. Sami is an advocate of the OneState for All of its People as a solution to the Israeli/Zionist conflict with the Palestinians. Sami has 4 bothers who served in the US military 2 Marines and 2 Army.

www.jeffersoncorner.com