We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Sen. Al Franken Challenges Elena Kagan On Proposed NBC/Comcast Merger [6:05m video and article]

from Mediaite. 

Here is an interesting event at the US Senatorial hearings to determine the fitness of Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court. She has been portrayed in the media as a liberal and a suitable replacement for retiring Justice Stevens. It seems to me that she is clearly unfit if one's criteria is that a judge of this court must understand and support the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution. But then, that is really not an important criteria for our ruling class. They support their corporations over and above all else.

In any case, I think it is much too late to worry any more over corporate control of the media. We, the people, lost this battle long ago, and this proposed merger would just put the last nail in the coffin. The only alternative we have at this time is to develop are own media. The internet is still a last bastion of some independent thought, but it is coming under increasing threats from corporations.