Shining a spotlight on that night in Cincinnati in 2002 when the media helped George lie us into his Iraq debacle while ignoring demonstrators outside

By reader TIMCANHEAR

Probably many of you have already read this comment, which reader timcanhear added to yesterday's post of Michael Butler's "It Is Time for a National Spotlight on the Media." Tim offers such a good (and dramatic) instance of the corporate media defining their own version of reality that I wanted to make sure everyone sees it. --Ken


Pan the spotlight to just before the war. Bush came to Cincinnati, at Union Terminal, an old WW2 era train terminal where soldiers came and went on their way to Europe to defend against Hitler. It's a noble building to be sure, an icon of strength, standing tall and wide. A perfect, phony metaphor for a weak president about to lead us into temptation and deliver us to evil.

Outside were the protesters. No spotlight on they, the conscience of the people. No no, the spotlight shone inside. America was strong, Bush was a hero and standing in front of a massive backdrop of the globe, he babbled about a free world.

Pan that spotlight outdoors if you will please. But no, America doesn't want to see or hear resistence to this ill fated war, they want cherry pie and to know that all will be fine, that we can shop with pride, knowing that we're doing all we can to thwart terrorism from the shores of America.

The truth of course is quite the opposite. Outside Union Terminal, the protesters grew in such numbers that the supporters of this phony administration were dwarfed in numbers until, eventually, they cowered away, literally. But there was no spotlight. There were only voices.

The voice of America was silenced that day by the corporate media who chose to ignore them. I know, I was there and I watched as the corporate ceo's who were "invited" to the speech drove by; big gop supporters like billionaire Carl Lindner in his beautiful, ivory colored Rolls Royce.

It truly is time for spotlights on the media. We need to shine a light on every goon who put us into this mess. We need to be reminded by their foolish faces what happens when we blindly accept what we're told. These minions need to be marganilized, penalized and then taken OUT of the spotlight. In-out, In-out, In-out.

From the faces of Bill Kristol and Newt Gingrich to Karl Rove, to Rupert Murcock and to whomever it is that runs the pathetic news organizations known as CNN, CBS, NBC, CLEAR CHANNEL, INFINITY, DISNEY. Let's shine a light on the fools who created this mess. They should be the poster images of all that is wrong in America. Let's give them one more shot under the lights. They wanted to be hero's, now let's show America what they really are. They deserve public humiliation as their punishment, then, to be collectively assigned a seat into the halls of shame for denying the truth to the people they are assigned a license to tell the truth to.

Up first, William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard. The light shines on thee oh Billy boy. And none of these goons should be allowed an exit strategy.


Speaking of Bill Kristol, did everyone see the poor boy reduced to snapping and whining at Jon Stewart in his latest Daily Show appearance? These right-wing loons have grown used to coming on the show to sell their books from Hell and being treated with courtesy as they babble their nonsense. I'm guessing that Jon has realized that his basic civility is being taken advantage of, and has grown steadily more insistent, not on debating guests, but at least pointing out the obvious unreality of statements that are obviously unreal.

And was Bawling Billy ever unhappy! Which is understandable, I guess, considering that where he comes from--the Land of the Gibbering Right-Wing Idiots--everybody gibbers the same gibberish. Well, we know how people with contrary opinions are treated on air by such brain-dead blowhards like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. Basically, like raw meat offered to their mad-dog maws.