Originally posted by: Strk
Wouldn't it be nice if cable news stations just covered the news rather than do 24/7 commentary?
Not really. It's bad commentary that's the problem; good commentary is useful. The old 'just cover the news' cry is naive. News needs interpretation.
You won't find the great next plan for how to make the country better in the 'news'. It didn't happen yet.
What's more helpful is for people to learn good commentary from bad, to learn propaganda from truth, to lear the agendas of the people putting out messages.
As America went from a nation with highly concentrated wealthbefore the 20th century to one with a stronger middle class during the 20th century, the people at the top developed an opposition to the middle class agenda, and were interested in how to get more for themselves. From this - and combined with a reaction against the rise of communism, which was itself a backlash against the exploitation of abusive capitalism - was born the right-wing ideology. And it's largely adopted an 'ends justify the means' grab for power.
It's harder to sell a liberal product, which requires effort and learning on the part of the consumer, than a right-wing product that plays on people's bigotry, fear, ignorance.
The right-wing movement has provided a pretty effective propaganda machine with Fox News.
For what it's worth, on the actual quote Hannity got wrong - what's the definition of a 'bad person'? Obama said the politically correct thing, but was he wrong?
Is it 'bad' to choose to help an industry that adds a lot of cost and overhead to medical care, and ultimately prevents available care for many, out of the desire for profit?
It's a little like when FDR said he did not want one millionare to be made from the war, and they investigated - and found - war profiteering.
The term 'bad person' is pretty ambiguous. Are drug dealers 'bad people' for doing what's profitable? Are insurance company execs bad people when they block reforms, spending big bucks on propaganda, that would make healthcare a lot more available to many who don't have it to protect their profit?
It's really a non-issue at the end of the day, it's not about the insurance execs and whether they're bad people, it's about the system and wat it incents and rewards.
What do we as a society want - healthcare for all or not? And are citizens 'bad people' if they are selfish in denying healthcare to the poor?
for exposing yourself to more criticism.
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