Of course the “fairness” doctrine does not apply to NPR or to any of the tax payer funded public television stations. They do not have candidates on their shows but they will provide one sided stories all day long. Sure AM radio will do the same thing, but the government is only attacking one side.
Be it the Obamastasi, Bushwaffen, Clintonistas, Bushwaffen(1) or any other administration, the main goal has been to consolidate power in DC making this country a union of independent states on paper only.
This is the problem with a system completely dominated by only two parties. Neither one wants to make any real change to the system because it will reduce the money lining their pockets as well.
I like Human’s idea of no fee political coverage but would expand it to print media along with TV & Radio. Hell - give them a tax deduction on the time/space used.
Term limits, along with strict regulations on how and where lobbyists can have contact with politicians or their staffs will reduce corruption. To that end, every meeting between lobbyists and politicians or their staffs should be recorded and placed in the public record - lobbyist defenders claim their job is to simply educate politicians on issues, so there should be no reason not to record their meetings.
Yep - If I were king, things would be different. Not necessarily better - but different…
Some poeple seem to bungle the difference between conservative, liberal and party afilliation.
When I say lib I’m not just saying Dem.I may be saying Repub..
You are what you do.
Progressives on the other hand are very visible with their constant railing against almost everything that has made this country great.
Oil just happens to be the latest scapegoat.
The simple fact of the toon is quite correct- the most dynamic and destructive lobby has long been the oil industry, world-wide, not just here at home. Big pharma and the insurance industry haven’t been far behind.
Progress would be reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and “energy” in general. The “consumer society” has been eating its own children for quite some time– and those who do manage to survive will curse us for it in the not far distant future.
We don’t have to go back to pre-industrial economies and social constructs, but we certainly can afford to cut back on the fat- literally and metaphorically.
The labels don’t matter to me so much, but there’s a tradition of political thought and action which I value – it includes the anti-slavery and civil rights campaigns, women’s suffrage, the right to unionize, the eight-hour day campaigns, child labor laws, anti-imperialism, progressive taxes, unemployment insurance, social security, universal health insurance, consumer protection laws, workplace safety laws, federal deposit insurance, and environmental protection. That’s just off the top my head. This program is not owned by any single political party. Whatever you call it, I like it.
I’m age 77 and I do not fear “Big Oil” or “Big Biz” nearly so much (they are highly regulated by “Big Congress”)
as I fear Big un-sue-able Government that drowns out and beats down “little Biz” and “little voters and taxpayers”
with contrived laws and taxes and regulations that have in 14 months increased incredibly to mandate, or tell us, how to live, how to eat, how to practice and use health care.
We do need the crude oil, and why is it not better to have American oil people produce what we use as much as possible, without the handcuffs put on the oil industry by the Federal Government?
taxpayer, I don’t fear big government as much as I fear big government in the pay of big business – as we can see has been happening for some time – because the loser is the individual citizen. Government should be our defense against the giant organizations that have more power than any individual.
If we take off the “handcuffs” on the oil industry you describe, what we will get is what we got in the Gulf. Companies will drill without regard to the environment (because why bother? Who will stop them?), they will be forgiving of “leaks,” and they will sell at whatever price they like – to the Japanese or Chinese, not to us, because they are even hungrier than we are.
Contrary to popular belief, especially in the right-wing, we are long past the days where we had enough oil in the US to provide all our energy needs. There is increasing evidence that in fact we may have passed “peak oil,” meaning that it will only get harder and more expensive to acquire - as witness people moving into oceanic drilling or using the oil shale sands of Canada, neither of which were remotely profitable to consider twenty or thirty years ago. This is one reason why a sensible stand should include alternative forms of energy, to get us out of total petroleum dependency, whether we are talking solar, wind, or nuclear, and we need to find ways to operate more efficiently.
Motive said;
“taxpayer, I don’t fear big government as much as I fear big government in the pay of big business – as we can see has been happening for some time – because the loser is the individual citizen”
So true.
Regular capitalism, as it was intended in previous times, works. Small businesses, the one with the best product wins and the employee is, well, and employee, not “human capital”.
But Wall Street uses threats of recession to take away the proffit from the worker and give it to a gambler, the shareholder.
The Old Testament, and “God” are COMMIES! That “anti-consumerist” view of leaving the fields fallow every seven years, cutting back production- COMMIES! (Amazing that it was a sound agricultural practice, like many “kosher” rules, many centuries ago to keep people from killing themselves, and their land.)
Human: the Supreme Court threw out “equal access” years ago… just like they’ve now opened the door for corporate money to flow freely to the candidates of their choice
OmqR-IV.0 almost 14 years ago
^ Not so much as a bite as a 5 course meal. urp
wolfhoundblues1 almost 14 years ago
Of course the “fairness” doctrine does not apply to NPR or to any of the tax payer funded public television stations. They do not have candidates on their shows but they will provide one sided stories all day long. Sure AM radio will do the same thing, but the government is only attacking one side.
Gypsy8 almost 14 years ago
Is it corruption if its legal? Money and influence are part of politics and the Supreme court just made it more so. The system is flawed.
Charles Brobst Premium Member almost 14 years ago
Stop supporting big oil!
JoeRaisin almost 14 years ago
Be it the Obamastasi, Bushwaffen, Clintonistas, Bushwaffen(1) or any other administration, the main goal has been to consolidate power in DC making this country a union of independent states on paper only.
This is the problem with a system completely dominated by only two parties. Neither one wants to make any real change to the system because it will reduce the money lining their pockets as well.
I like Human’s idea of no fee political coverage but would expand it to print media along with TV & Radio. Hell - give them a tax deduction on the time/space used.
Term limits, along with strict regulations on how and where lobbyists can have contact with politicians or their staffs will reduce corruption. To that end, every meeting between lobbyists and politicians or their staffs should be recorded and placed in the public record - lobbyist defenders claim their job is to simply educate politicians on issues, so there should be no reason not to record their meetings.
Yep - If I were king, things would be different. Not necessarily better - but different…
vatonaught almost 14 years ago
We need the oil so we sleep with the devil and he sleeps with us.
Hawthorne almost 14 years ago
Human: either it was too long or too complex; some of the readers don’t seem to understand ‘ALL broadcasters’, for starters.
Human’s got it right, folks.
Jaedabee Premium Member almost 14 years ago
I like sleep.
davesmithsit almost 14 years ago
Some poeple seem to bungle the difference between conservative, liberal and party afilliation. When I say lib I’m not just saying Dem.I may be saying Repub.. You are what you do. Progressives on the other hand are very visible with their constant railing against almost everything that has made this country great. Oil just happens to be the latest scapegoat.
Dtroutma almost 14 years ago
The simple fact of the toon is quite correct- the most dynamic and destructive lobby has long been the oil industry, world-wide, not just here at home. Big pharma and the insurance industry haven’t been far behind.
Progress would be reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and “energy” in general. The “consumer society” has been eating its own children for quite some time– and those who do manage to survive will curse us for it in the not far distant future.
We don’t have to go back to pre-industrial economies and social constructs, but we certainly can afford to cut back on the fat- literally and metaphorically.
lonecat almost 14 years ago
The labels don’t matter to me so much, but there’s a tradition of political thought and action which I value – it includes the anti-slavery and civil rights campaigns, women’s suffrage, the right to unionize, the eight-hour day campaigns, child labor laws, anti-imperialism, progressive taxes, unemployment insurance, social security, universal health insurance, consumer protection laws, workplace safety laws, federal deposit insurance, and environmental protection. That’s just off the top my head. This program is not owned by any single political party. Whatever you call it, I like it.
SuperGriz almost 14 years ago
Welcome back, Lord O’poopsie.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 14 years ago
I’m age 77 and I do not fear “Big Oil” or “Big Biz” nearly so much (they are highly regulated by “Big Congress”) as I fear Big un-sue-able Government that drowns out and beats down “little Biz” and “little voters and taxpayers” with contrived laws and taxes and regulations that have in 14 months increased incredibly to mandate, or tell us, how to live, how to eat, how to practice and use health care.
We do need the crude oil, and why is it not better to have American oil people produce what we use as much as possible, without the handcuffs put on the oil industry by the Federal Government?
Grayhair, The Pirate Formerly Known as Tom Powell Premium Member almost 14 years ago
I think maybe old rikoshayrabbit might have bumped his head one too many times.
Motivemagus almost 14 years ago
taxpayer, I don’t fear big government as much as I fear big government in the pay of big business – as we can see has been happening for some time – because the loser is the individual citizen. Government should be our defense against the giant organizations that have more power than any individual. If we take off the “handcuffs” on the oil industry you describe, what we will get is what we got in the Gulf. Companies will drill without regard to the environment (because why bother? Who will stop them?), they will be forgiving of “leaks,” and they will sell at whatever price they like – to the Japanese or Chinese, not to us, because they are even hungrier than we are. Contrary to popular belief, especially in the right-wing, we are long past the days where we had enough oil in the US to provide all our energy needs. There is increasing evidence that in fact we may have passed “peak oil,” meaning that it will only get harder and more expensive to acquire - as witness people moving into oceanic drilling or using the oil shale sands of Canada, neither of which were remotely profitable to consider twenty or thirty years ago. This is one reason why a sensible stand should include alternative forms of energy, to get us out of total petroleum dependency, whether we are talking solar, wind, or nuclear, and we need to find ways to operate more efficiently.
Jaedabee Premium Member almost 14 years ago
“The “consumer society” has been eating its own children for quite some time”
Mmmm… babies.zekedog55 almost 14 years ago
^^ NeoconMan waxing a bit W.C. Fields…
Jaedabee Premium Member almost 14 years ago
”^ Mmmmm. Properly cooked?”
You know it, especially the freshly aborted ones.SuperGriz almost 14 years ago
Hey,
Have ya noticed that the reactionary lackwits always repeat the same drivel over and over… and over …and over….
CorosiveFrog Premium Member almost 14 years ago
Motive said; “taxpayer, I don’t fear big government as much as I fear big government in the pay of big business – as we can see has been happening for some time – because the loser is the individual citizen”
So true.
Regular capitalism, as it was intended in previous times, works. Small businesses, the one with the best product wins and the employee is, well, and employee, not “human capital”.
But Wall Street uses threats of recession to take away the proffit from the worker and give it to a gambler, the shareholder.
SuperGriz almost 14 years ago
churchillwasright,
They must be really good then.
And thanks for identifying yourself as a reactionary lackwit.
Dtroutma almost 14 years ago
The Old Testament, and “God” are COMMIES! That “anti-consumerist” view of leaving the fields fallow every seven years, cutting back production- COMMIES! (Amazing that it was a sound agricultural practice, like many “kosher” rules, many centuries ago to keep people from killing themselves, and their land.)
trimguy almost 14 years ago
Human: the Supreme Court threw out “equal access” years ago… just like they’ve now opened the door for corporate money to flow freely to the candidates of their choice