Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for January 09, 2015
January 08, 2015
January 15, 2015
Transcript:
what if all the social and political issues of history were decided the way they are today: by the news media agreeing on one representative incident, and the nation arguing the facts of that case into hysteria... cable news, 1890. anchor 1: the runaway slave hoke roberts was captured 100 miles away in indiana. man 1: thank god! the wickersham plantation got its property back! man 2: you monster! hoke was bravely fighting for his freedom! anchor 2: we can now report that the wickersham plantation has been sued four times in the past decade... man 2: i knew it! that cornelius wickersham is a scoundrel! man 1: hmph! man 2: and slavery is a travesty! man 1: aha! fox fence post is reporting hoke stole three chickens in indiana, and he once attacked his overseer! man 2: arrgh! could i be wrong about slavery? anchor 3: ...and witnesses say the overseer was abusive and drunk... man 2: vindication! slavery must end! man 1: wait! anchor 4: a shocking story from kansas, where an indian was shot by a settler... man 3: ah, now we can settle the indain question!
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Packratjohn Premium Member over 9 years ago
1845 – Major breaking news; The Florida Territory has applied for statehood. The vote has been very close, and will be decided by the United States Supreme Court…..
disinterest over 9 years ago
Cable news even tells you how you should interpret the news they report through commentary from their ‘expert’ philosophers, and provides short, concise talking points to repeat consistently should any one of your ‘elitist’ peers try to assert that these issues we ponder have many more layers of gray and angles to consider.
Packratjohn Premium Member over 9 years ago
Thanks, I remember that. An early version of “hanging chad”. I was born and raised in Florida. Texas and Florida both became states in 1845. I know. I was there.
ickymungmung over 9 years ago
If you only watch one channel you don’t get whiplash—just one lash.
ROLtheWolf over 9 years ago
Newspapers actually performed this function back then. People actually DID have these arguments – just like people argue now over our issues. They used ad hominem just as slickly as our commentators today.
rongillmore over 9 years ago
Wikipedia lists 290 political ideologies. If you are only capable of two choices, you are what is wrong with your country.
Withan over 9 years ago
Excellent! I appreciate your work even though you’re a left-wing kook!
-Right-wing Kook