Reagan v. 9/11 miniseries, or Why aren't we as effective as the neocons?

[Onlooker]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/04/cbs.reagans.ap/

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Congresswoman_Slaughter_calls_on_ABC_to_0905.html

Why, I think it's because the neocons are more politicized, bolder, and nastier. As long as we continue to play nice, the media and politicians will walk all over us. While it's good that Congresswoman Slaughter called on ABC to run a disclaimer, the call should really be for ABC to move the program onto cable or cancel it altogether. The implication that the people of New York City were wrong for backing Clinton is despicable, when it's those people who had to show the most courage in the days following 9/11.

[Double T]

1. Neocons own and run the networks and the media..........

rethugs and neocons ALWAYS have the microphone

[treestar]

3. This is the answer

The bright side may be: people are getting sick of it. Anyone who can think will resent it.

[w4rma]

24. Yup. When neo-cons are in power they get to be more monopolistic

If Dems get too much power they might get broken up just like FDR broke up big oil (who are now merging together again).

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. We're not as effective because we're not as unified.

We're too busy fighting each other over who's more progressive, or we're each too busy fighting for our single pet issue. Neocons realize that you can't get anything done without coming together.

[The2ndWheel]

6. That was my guess too

A single mindedness about the consumption of power.

[Cooley Hurd]

7. Nope - I don't buy that...

We (the Democratic Party) are unified now, more than ever. You may be speaking about DU exclusively, but that conflict (who's more progressive) has burned here ever since I can remember (April, 2002).

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. You're probably right about the DU part.

I guess it seems that way because this place has only gotten worse lately in that regard.

[Jim__]

11. Ideological uniformity may be a great political strategy.

It's a disastrous governing policy. The prime example is the bush admin. No dissent is tolerated, no dissent is offered. The stupidest policies are unanimously backed.

I don't know how we get past this ideological uniformity of the right; and while imitating it may bring short-term political success, the long term consequences will be just as disastrous as they are for the right.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. It's simple.

The rank and file can be uniform in supporting progressives, meaning that even if they don't totally support our individual pet cause, we recognize that they support people that do. In this way, our leaders don't have to be uniform.

[Montauk6]

12. Not only that, Vash, but we're sensitive to the idea of fair play

In this war of ideas, that's a severe Achilles heel.

We assume that in a debate scenario the one with the preponderance of facts to support her/his position prevails. That's just not a concept in FreeperVille.

Truth is expendable. Lie when it suits your needs. Destroy your opponent with false accusations. Don't meddle with honesty, that'll just slow you down.

The past week or so is a textbook example of how they operate; previously, the prevailing wisdom was that the best way to kill the flow of a debate is to invoke Nazi Germany. All bets are off, it becomes an emotional free-for-all. Watch how the talking points progress in the next few days; I could be mistaken, but I'll bet we're going to see more and more Hitler references, esp. as the election gets closer.

So, whether we're unified or not, the key is to realize we're not dealing with honest, sincere people and we have to start (I don't mean just us DUers, WE KNOW they're lying swine!) freely addressing them as total liars with zero credibility and CONVEY that idea to the observers of the debate. The meter has SO run out for these people to merit any benefit of the doubt.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

19. That's definitely true.

We don't understand the concept of political pragmatism. We don't get that sometimes you have to sacrifice a battle to win a war.

[BobRossi]

15. Bing!

Dems need to drop single issue goals and get tough. When the repubs are down, don't walk around them, jump on their heart and cut their friggen' heads off.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. Simple - ABC is biased towards Republicans...

They aren't interested in portraying things accurately. I doubt the outcry (and subsequent letter-writing, blogging and even a stinging rebuke by Editor & Publisher) is any less than the outcry by the repiglicans over the St Ronnie miniseries.

[Atman]

5. We don't own the media.

Why are we even discussing this any more? We could march naked down Pennsylvania Avenue, 10,000,000 strong, and the best we'd get out of the GOP Media Machine is a brief mention about a couple of streakers on the lawn. Face it, until we infiltrate the media, nothing we say will do or matter. Hate to sound so glum, but how many times to we have to get hit in the face with a 2x4 before we start changing our expections?

[Onlooker]

9. They didn't own the media either

They started owning the media when they became radicalized and when their rich supporters started investing in the media. Then, the media started paying more attention to them. That approach worked for them, it could work for us too.

[Atman]

20. They didn't just "become radicalized" one day

In fact, there are articles out there that point out that the CIA has been deeply involved in the US news media for decades. The current "GOP" control didn't happen overnight, either. It isn't radicalization, it is about investment and money. They have the billionaires who've quietly, systematically bought up control of all major media outlets, and then had most of their restrictions (ie: Fairness Doctrine) removed by their cronies and goons on the inside (ie: Congress). It isn't "radical" to have a long-range plan. It is visionary. We have "visions" of a fair society, and prosperity, of freedom and liberty. They're all well and good and make us feel better as a party, that we actually stand for "the people." The GOP could give a crap, though. They're in it for the power.

It's only business. And isn't, after all, the primary thing Bush promised back in 1999-2000 -- that he'd "run American like a business?" He's simply doing it. A privately held business, not responsible to its shareholders.

[KoKo]

23. Don't forget the Big Pharmaceutical Money that pours into the Media and

supports the Repugs along with the other groups and the PsyOps projects.

Corporate Money along with Conservative money and GE/Big Pharma/Defense Contractors.

They own it all. They do what they want. We have a little alternative media with the internet. It's up to us to make the alternatives work better than the big machine, until we can take back our Media with FCC re-regulation and bringing back the "Fairness Doctrine."

[MannyGoldstein]

8. Networks Know The Congressional Democrats Would Never Retaliate

"We The People" are on our own on this one - can you even imagine the Brave Sir Robin Congressional Democrats actually lifting a finger to smack Disney/ABC on the knuckles? Ha.

[stepnw1f]

13. They Own the Media

nastier? Yes... but without the business connections they have, their propaganda would sink like a rock, because it's all lies. But hey... ABC seems to be on steroids now that the GOP have a movie to show America. Can you say, special favors....

[JHB]

14. Can YOU just ring up the people who own and run networks?

They have more.

[aikoaiko]

17. because its not in our nature to lie? nt

[NewJeffCT]

18. To quote Will Rogers....

"I'm not a member of an organized political party, I'm a Democrat."

The problem is that when something like the Reagan miniseries comes out, every RW media source, from Limbaugh on down to local radio shows and newspapers, gets a fax from Karl Rove & Grover Norquist with talking points to focus on. They also likely get links to send emails to, phone numbers to call, etc.

So, they immediately have a rapid response in place. They focus on one single issue at a time (there was one quote from the movie that Reagan supposedly never said - and that was their focus)

Meanwhile, we're often dithering around deciding which issue is the most wrong with the documentary, and our response is not nearly as focused. There may be 100 things wrong with this documentary, where the Reagan miniserious had 1 thing wrong with it... but, if we make 10,000 calls on 100 issues, it is not nearly as effective as 10,000 calls on 1 issue.

[NotGivingUp]

21. They own the media...and we do not have a democracy.

[Kashka-Kat]

22. effective would be boycott of Abc-- that would certainly get their

attention. But give up a little bit of TV? Naaahh, too hard.

We are ineffective because we are ineffective and can't be bothered. I say that with a certain amt of compassion though, bc I am one... sometimes I want to just work on my garden and enjoy the sunshine... the bottom line is freedom and justice are never won without significant effort and even risking of ones life... as anyone who knows the history of labor movement, civil rights movement, etc. can tell you.

Not to mention all our leaders getting shot dead in the 60s. I believe the neocons are systematically chipping away at all the past gains counting on our own internalized fear and intimidation to keep us in check.

That's not to say that a lot could be accomplished thru nonviolent resistance though... I think I'd be up for that.

Anyway this program sounds highly offensive and about as overt a propaganda piece as I can imagine... worth making an uproar over I think...