Just The Fact

It would be nice to read the facts without political slant. I wonder if it is possible.

No propaganda, no coloring, no slant of any kind.
People tell us what to think, how to react, who to believe, and they all have an axe to sharpen,

Are we all that lacking of integrity, consernment, understanding, ideas, hope and easily led? Where have our brains gone?

Are we that mentally lazy?

I wonder. I wonder.

Love,
Betty

It's a little on the long side, Betty, (about 8 min total) but it gives a pretty clear answer to your question - from one perspective, anyway.

And the middle of it is a great clip from the film itself. If you really want an entertaining answer, see the whole film. It's very eye-opening.



Ann

Journalistic Canabalism.

Good insights in this Utube video. We are fed twisted information for a story that sells, so long as they can cover their butt from legal ramifications.

Betty, I agree with you. The media trys to tell us what to think and then try to draw conclusions for us. I think it is up to us to form our own opinions using our gut feelings. Twisted journalism is rampant in our society telling us what they think we want to hear.

What we want is truth. I don't think the media knows or cares about truth. Their objective is to sell news.

It's too late - "political" means twisted. We are fortunate that in our governments from tiny cities to the nation are dedicated professionals who carry on the business in spite of who is the titular head.

Truth is not possible. Especially now that so much money goes into Madison Avenue type adds. When all advertising is true - we may find a modicum of truth in politics.

I remember working in Washington D. C. as an intern when the beloved Ronald Reagan was running for governor of California. It was the first time that electronics were used to pre-survey a community, feed the info to the candidate and create his speeches to meet the pre-survey data - electronically stored. Then overlays were made for the whole of California to summarize the survey data and build a platform. That was the beginning...I saw it for myself as the data came to Washington, D.C. for finessing.

It is marketing at its ultimate. It takes a special type of ego structure to run for office; integrity is a matter of perspective and degree.

Good post, DK. Money talks.

Just the facts please and concentrate on getting them striaght. If I have to hear an opiniion I would like an educated one.

I prefer a newspaper--if I don't want to know about the subject I can turn the page.

alj wrote:

It's a little on the long side, Betty, (about 8 min total) but it gives a pretty clear answer to your question - from one perspective, anyway.

And the middle of it is a great clip from the film itself. If you really want an entertaining answer, see the whole film. It's very eye-opening.



Ann

Ann

I hope you have communicated your admiration to Mr Crowe to him--it would make his day.

Nope. I respect him too much. That includes respecting his personal privacy.

One of the reasons I respect him is that he always says what he means, even when he knows it will likely get him in trouble, especially with the press.

He has admitted to having a blast playing a less-than-heroic journalist, really pushing the sleazy aspect of the character.

He will probably get a lot of flack for the role he just finished filming - a corrupt politician (and mayor of NYC) in "Broken City" , but, of course, politicians are very smooth and charming, so his appearance is quite different these days from the paunchy Cal McCaffery in that last clip. This one was taken yesterday, less than a week after filming was done, at the Austrailian version of the Oscars (the AACTA's):



Sorry for the diversion. It's an important topic, which is why I posted the video.

So, Betty, there you were...

Ann

I am forced to ask what are facts?
We often get our facts via a source which has already put a personal spin on it.
So it could be said that one person's fact turns into another person's opinion.
They are facts but modified slightly with another persons bias, half truths or diluted facts. We are human after all and cannot help ourselves sometimes.

I look at myself in the mirror and may see my image according to how I feel about myself. Dashing, handsome, debonair, Mr Darcy-ish.
But the bare fact is I'm an over weight, bald, cocky, cheeky little son of a b*@%#
with zero looks and the dress sense of a tramp.

So I'm all for putting a spin on certain facts.

2/1/2012


I believe the whole news media is corrupt. As for
politicians and I mean on both sides of the isle, they
are phony, they lie, tell the public what they want to
hear, get into office and do what they want....This
country is in a sad state and on the verge of collapse,
it'll be up to the working class to straighten it out...


Cheers..Joe...

I do not believe this country is on the verge of collapse. I do believe that it has run amuck. Power rests in the hands of the elite. The elite control the news, the corporations, the energy, the foreign relations - money controls it all. Now, that is how it has always been in the countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Jordan - those countries with a ruling elite. We have just allowed by our own stupidity and apathy and greed and time spent chasing modern conveniences and the latest electronic gadgets - we have allowed a few people to take control. We do not have a representative democracy. We have no representation. All government actions regardless of party are a direct result of influence peddling. Period.

Dmondeo is right about facts being a matter of perspective. Ever listen to talk radio? The hate spewed out on the basis of "facts" is obnoxious. Remember, single owners control ALL media - radio, tv, newspapers, aspects of the Internet.

Can we do anything? The only way would be to clean out Congress and start over. Prepare a real job description. Make lobbying illegal. Instead have a non-partisan research team provide research assistance to all parties. Have specific goals that must be accomplished or the person is removed from office. No progress; no pay. Campaign advertising must be provided free by all networks and media as a public service, a specific amount per each candidate depending on office. No paid ads. Every competitor on an equal playing field except for their qualifications. Serving in Congress is not a career - it is a public service sabbatical from a real career - with sabbatical pay. Let's see, as an intern, I was paid housing and a stipend sufficient to buy food and take the bus. A movie was a luxury. Any fringe benefits are equal to those legislated to serve the citizens of the U.S.

When I worked on a grant, my speaking tours and writing were part of the grant - the benefits did not accrue to me personally.

As for honest media - until we stop looking and listening to crap we will continue to receive it. Simple. Advertising dollars buy programs. Don't buy the products and the programs go away. We have control - we don't exercise it.

We are a country who blames everyone else. The buck stops with our habits, preferences, interests and lifestyles. As a nation we are wasteful, we prefer cheap to quality, throw away to preservation, stuff to environment and more. We are the enemy, not those people at the top. We let them take over, year by year.

2/1/2012


Have all Congressmen and Senators and high ups
read the Constitution if they pass a test they get
the job..


Cheers...Joe..

DK wrote:

Quote :

I do not believe this country is on the verge of collapse. I do believe that it has run amuck. Power rests in the hands of the elite. The elite control the news, the corporations, the energy, the foreign relations - money controls it all. Now, that is how it has always been in the countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Jordan - those countries with a ruling elite. We have just allowed by our own stupidity and apathy and greed and time spent chasing modern conveniences and the latest electronic gadgets - we have allowed a few people to take control. We do not have a representative democracy. We have no representation. All government actions regardless of party are a direct result of influence peddling. Period.

Thar's in a nutshell.

But I believe that DK is right in saying we are not on the verge of collapse, because we are rapidly waking up to the reality of what has been happening, thanks mostly to the internet - and in a smaller degree to films like State of Play that tried to expose that reality.

I think that once enough of us are aware, we can speak, channeling our voices through our votes to regain control. That's the biggest part of the problem, folks - us(Remember Pogo the Possum from Okefenokee Swamp? We've been voting these creeps into office by remaining blind to what has been happening for some time now, and ignoring our responsibilities as voters and readers of newspapers.

When enough of the voters get it. We will be able to vote in the right measures.

Just me again

Ann

2/1/2012



The good new so far is 16 or 17 politicians
on both sides of the isle have decided to
retire at the end of the year, that's great
news... As they say I guess they saw the
light !


Cheers..Joe..

There may be a few real representatives in the Congress actually working. If so, one or two of them should stay.

2/2/2012


They all should be fired ! We're on the verge of collapse
just like Greece and Europe, we can't keep adding trillions
of dollars in debt , now Obama wants 1.2 Trillion dollars, I
hope Congress says no ...


Cheers..Joe..

It is clear that there is a financial crisis. Getting the facts about it and the cause is not easy. The situation in Greece does not represent the condition of every European country. In our capitalistic society, money dictates. Pouring money into the economy is a method of stimulating the economy for recovery. It is logical to consider that buying goods will increase the need for production and therefore jobs. Money is the driver. Can someone explain how our economic problems can be solved by stopping the flow of money?

Abe F. March wrote:

What we want is truth. I don't think the media knows or cares about truth. Their objective is to sell news.

I realised after a while, the truth is less fun than fiction.

<I snipped the emoticon - it's nothing to be happy about>

When Eisenhower left office he gave a warning that has come to fruition in this day and age.

There are those missing 9 Trillion dollars from the federal reserve that some believe went to the military industrial complex for black projects who knows?



Suffice to say that with all the secrets and levels of secrecy above yes above the access level of the office of President no one will get to the bottom of what is going on without a miracle from God.

So facts are controlled and manipulated these days to keep the status quo.

Pending threats to security have always been a good tool to use in order to raise vast funds of money


Is this true? I don't know it may be but it does illustrate how facts fabricated into lies could manipulate all of us.

The day is coming when all the dirty games of those in real power will be exposed.
I have enough faith to believe that at heart mankind will wake up before we destroy our planet.

I agree, David. Unfortunately one cannot change the past. We'll get the truth when it's too late to change the actions.

I recon you could be right Abe.
When the truth unveils the deed will already be done.

Unfortunately, we form an opinion generally based on half truths. Once we have our opinion, we collect snippets of information that support our truth (even though it may be dead wrong.)

Brilliant people disagree. However, leaders and visionaries work together and try new ideas on which they can agree on the merits even if they don't agree totally.

The national debt is a political football for people of entrenched ideas and their own agendas to support.

Fact: When everyone is working and buying and we are not pouring money down a war hole, the economy and inflation rise.

Fact: When you are already in a hole and half the people are not working and only the rich are spending, the economy is stagnant. In our present situation, the rich are not spending either though their wealth is increasing geometrically.

Fact: Unless corporate America comes back home and hires U.S. citizens, then the government has to do it. Period. It takes money to put people to work. Period. All the austerity measures have done is put more people on the unemployment lines and create more need for government services for which there are less taxes because austerity measures put people out of jobs.

I guess its unfortunate we don't have plagues anymore to kill off the poor and impoverished without housing or medical care. Maybe the Republicans can round up the poor and ship them off to some island the U.S. owns and let them die there. They could approve killing off the elderly to save money. I'm sick to death of those with their needs met passing judgment on those who have so little. They claim to be "family values" and "religious" well, let them get out their Bibles and refresh that to whom much is given much is expected in return.

I still remember the mountain in S. Korea that was removed by men with pick axes with modern equipment standing by. "Why?" I asked. "Because every man with a pick ax has pride; takes home a little money to feed his family."

Our nation needs to put people back to work and fire the Congress who is highly paid for doing nothing but padding their own pockets and futures. We need to build roads, bridges, education buildings, and infrastructure for the future. All campaign spending needs to go to the national debt; all ads need to be provided as free PSA's.

Save money? You bet! Take office workers off the highways with telecommuting. Stop subsidies to oil companies and others. Reduce the high cost of medical insurance, pharmaceuticals and physicians. Stop Social Security and medicare payments to those earning over $250,000 per year. Tax all non-profits - ALL. Tax all income from whatever source with a graduated tax without loopholes.

In the meantime, a near depression is not the time to save the economy. It is the time to present a plan for reducing the national debt; but not a time to take away more jobs.

2/2/2012


DK.....


I think you should run for Congress At least your
honest, your not in anyone's pocket and you would take
a pay cut...... At least 50% pay cut. I'll vote for you....


Cheers...Joe...

I have lived a very interesting life. Therefore, I would not qualify for a political office. I am also quite emotional and could not tolerate the negative campaigning. However, I do know there are good and qualified people who are not wealthy who could do a good job in Congress if political campaigns were not so expensive. What common man or woman can make it to Congress? Take Florida as an example, Governor Scott bought his office. That's what they all do.

A basically competent person with integrity has to court funds to get elected. Once the first dollar is accepted his/her integrity starts its downward slide because of favors owed. I remember my spouse donating to a local councilman's campaign and I asked why. "When I need a favor, I'll pull out his thank you letter." That's the game at every level with the cost of campaigning and now the super PACs.