I want to express a partial gratitude to Ira Flatow and NPR for having any sort of science programming and, once again, you don't see this sort of programming on the radio anywhere else.
I learn a lot from the program but I have noticed in focuses a lot on technology and often Ira seems to have a lack of interest in the actual science of the technology. Fortunately he is not as much into "dumbing down" the science as he was a couple decades ago. Like some other popularizers of
science he started out a little like a clownish buffoon and almost seemed apologetic for talking about science. Now he is much better.
Still, I notice in his discussion of lasers today he seemed to get bored with the actual discussion of some science when speaking to one of the creators of the laser. I think they just confused two completely different phenomena with lasers and the way the light looks spotty. Ira was probably talking about one thing and the scientist was talking about the floaters in the eye. Am I wrong? Ira was unable to tease this out even though he may be right about what he was saying, that only some cones are activated leaving the others somehow transmitting spots. Of course it may have another explanation or not.
Ira could have gone into how a laser actually works, how atoms emit the light in quanta of different frequencies as electrons go from one energy state to a lower one. He keeps it too simple and fails to explore even the basic science that he could otherwise address.
I was glad to hear from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists too. I think Ira could have been a little more skeptical about moving the clock back sixty seconds. That seems like wishful thinking. His guest seemed to realize that Obama may be just talking about getting rid of nuclear weapons, if you don't have them yet! Obama has never confronted any nuclear weapon holder with a demand for reduction, certainly Israel remains under his protection in terms of even recognizing they have nukes.
Showing posts with label conservative myths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conservative myths. Show all posts
Friday, January 15, 2010
HOW NPR SERVES THE RULING CLASS AND PROMOTES CONSERVATISM
I have not done much on this blog but that is not because it isn't important. After all, NPR, like the BBC provides a steady supply of news, most of which is related to really existing events. The mass media outside the realm public broadcasting is, on the other hand, focused on selling things, making money and of course the conservative press often manufactures big lies and conservative delusions which are reported as news.
So, again, there are some new organizations that actually report a lot of the news but most of the so-called news is schlock and pandering to popular prejudices and defending the old cracker capitalist order.
I am something of an NPR addict but that doesn't mean they are above scrutiny or that
NPR is progressive in terms of any liberation
framework.
NPR serves the ideological function of providing a LIBERAL perspective. It is a liberalism that endorses and supports the power of the ruling elites and never questions their rule. Socialism and communism have no
place on NPR. Indeed, NPR, is one of the few organizations remaining that is capable of painting a more-or-less consistent mythology about free enterprise, American so-called democracy and so on and so forth.
This LIBERALISM is not progressive and it is not liberating. NPR LIBERALISM is obviously in the mainstream of imperialist and anti-working class ideology. NPR expresses concerns about the starving survivors in Port au Prince finding something to eat in the rubble. Why? Private property!
The stores are collapsed, the foodstuffs are in the rubble but NPR wants to keep the capitalist order rather than let the starving eat. NPR also is very delicate in wondering why the thousands of tons of supplies in Port au Prince are not being distributed.
NPR also sets the limits for what is regarded as legitimate "leftism" such as making Obama's almost insignificant tax on financial insititutions, almost a rounding error says Robert Reich, into a big deal. NPR and Obama are really on the same frequency which explains why Obama is a conservative in everything but certain gender related issues.
Yet a tiny chance like this that is really no change of substance is, for NPR, the far left of legitimate political debate and discussion.
NPR has also done its best, since Obama's
election, to restore the order of the confused
conservative camp. As the Republicans and conservatives have fumbled, become disunited and disoriented NPR has again and again put their spokespeople forward, providing something of a basis for the reorganization of the more brutal and more ignorant followers of Conservatism and the Republicans.
Indeed, MSNBC, has, for the time being, some commentators and programming that is significantly more LIBERAL than NPR. NPR has never scrutinized or criticized right wingers in the Republican Party. MSNBC has.
The NPR reporting on Haiti has been better than most of the so-called news media. Yet I just heard an atrocious discussion of Haiti during this earthquake crisis. NPR misrepresented the recent and ancient history of Haiti-US relations.
The NPR woman commentator claims the United States policy towards Haiti has been inconsistent and mentioned the "restoration" of Aristide by Clinton. This is the first time I have heard the name Aristide in the American press since the earthquake. Yet it is widely known that Clinton's manuever was more of an effort keep Aristide out of Haiti, allow him a very short portion of his term in office but with the provisio that he would not run for the Presidency again.
Bush on the other hand was represented as not doing anything about the subsequent coup against Aristide. But this is a complete falsification of history. It was the Bush administration that kidnapped Aristide, and took him to Africa. Aristide was not sidelined by the Clinton maneuver so Bush carried out the coup. NPR paints a picture where the United States is on the sidelines rather than the executioner of the coup.
Bush should be prosecuted for overthrowing the democratically elected President of Haiti. NPR would never express such a view or allow such a view in its programming.
NPR reports that on the third day after the quake that the United States is not distributing the supplies it has piled up in Port au Prince. Why? Is it US imperialism again?
Probably, but we will never hear about it from NPR.
So, again, there are some new organizations that actually report a lot of the news but most of the so-called news is schlock and pandering to popular prejudices and defending the old cracker capitalist order.
I am something of an NPR addict but that doesn't mean they are above scrutiny or that
NPR is progressive in terms of any liberation
framework.
NPR serves the ideological function of providing a LIBERAL perspective. It is a liberalism that endorses and supports the power of the ruling elites and never questions their rule. Socialism and communism have no
place on NPR. Indeed, NPR, is one of the few organizations remaining that is capable of painting a more-or-less consistent mythology about free enterprise, American so-called democracy and so on and so forth.
This LIBERALISM is not progressive and it is not liberating. NPR LIBERALISM is obviously in the mainstream of imperialist and anti-working class ideology. NPR expresses concerns about the starving survivors in Port au Prince finding something to eat in the rubble. Why? Private property!
The stores are collapsed, the foodstuffs are in the rubble but NPR wants to keep the capitalist order rather than let the starving eat. NPR also is very delicate in wondering why the thousands of tons of supplies in Port au Prince are not being distributed.
Yet a tiny chance like this that is really no change of substance is, for NPR, the far left of legitimate political debate and discussion.
NPR has also done its best, since Obama's
election, to restore the order of the confused
conservative camp. As the Republicans and conservatives have fumbled, become disunited and disoriented NPR has again and again put their spokespeople forward, providing something of a basis for the reorganization of the more brutal and more ignorant followers of Conservatism and the Republicans.
Indeed, MSNBC, has, for the time being, some commentators and programming that is significantly more LIBERAL than NPR. NPR has never scrutinized or criticized right wingers in the Republican Party. MSNBC has.
The NPR reporting on Haiti has been better than most of the so-called news media. Yet I just heard an atrocious discussion of Haiti during this earthquake crisis. NPR misrepresented the recent and ancient history of Haiti-US relations.
The NPR woman commentator claims the United States policy towards Haiti has been inconsistent and mentioned the "restoration" of Aristide by Clinton. This is the first time I have heard the name Aristide in the American press since the earthquake. Yet it is widely known that Clinton's manuever was more of an effort keep Aristide out of Haiti, allow him a very short portion of his term in office but with the provisio that he would not run for the Presidency again.
Bush on the other hand was represented as not doing anything about the subsequent coup against Aristide. But this is a complete falsification of history. It was the Bush administration that kidnapped Aristide, and took him to Africa. Aristide was not sidelined by the Clinton maneuver so Bush carried out the coup. NPR paints a picture where the United States is on the sidelines rather than the executioner of the coup.
Bush should be prosecuted for overthrowing the democratically elected President of Haiti. NPR would never express such a view or allow such a view in its programming.
NPR reports that on the third day after the quake that the United States is not distributing the supplies it has piled up in Port au Prince. Why? Is it US imperialism again?
Probably, but we will never hear about it from NPR.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
NPR ENABLES DESTRUCTIVE CONSERVATIVE MYTHS
I am concerned because at a time when the conservative movement is in crisis and has few if any rational voices left, NPR seems to be trying to prop it up. We have seen the far right of the party, perhaps forty percent of it, continue to bitch slap Libertarian and moderate Republicans into submission. Moderate and libertarian Republicans have tried to get some traction but have rapidly been marginalized by their conservative taskmasters.
As a result the Republican Party is dying a natural death. So it annoys me to see NPR daily and weekly performing CPR on the moribund corpse of the so-called conservative movement. Why is NPR doing this?
NPR is still stuck in the myths of roaring nineties conservatism and can't let
go of conservative delusions that they happily reported as news and economic science for decades. Maybe they really are basically brainwashed by the conservative movement and like bought-and-sold Democrats really don't promote progressive ideas in a conceptually useful way.
Even though the really existing conservatives have repeatedly tried to destroy public media and NPR in particular it seems that there is a persistent and inappropriate effort at NPR to submit and pander to them. It seems a lot like sexual abuse and the way that the victim often becomes a perpetrator. In this case it is the citizenry who suffers from this sick relationship.
Of course the nation and world have been held hostage to the mainstream conservative movement for the eight years before Obama. It has been ruinous for their beloved capitalism and we are all reeling from the faith based catastrophes that conservatism has brought forth. Maybe NPR has the Stockholm syndrome but I think NPR should break free of the financial oligarchy and ditch the conservative movement. Its way past time to rebel but NPR doesn't seem to have that word in its vocabulary.
NPR has a choice, to stand with the workers, farmers and small businesses of the nation or to continue to pander to and serve billionaire, white supremacist ie. really existing conservative rule.
Today NPR is making Republican Party talking points the basis for their Talk of the Nation show! This is pretty typical. Conservatives create right wing talking points and NPR acts as the mouthpiece of these points. The bona fide conservatives don't even have to show up!
Recent elections won by Republicans are being referenced and it is suggested (twenty times maybe) that there is a conservative resurgence that will overturn Obama. The conservative resurgence has been the big story since Obama won the election! Of course the conservative resurgence isn't there but that is the story the Republicans want and the whole of the bourgeois media seems happy to act as their mouthpieces. If they repeat the conservative resurgence stories enough times maybe the citizenry will start to believe it and of course the people of faith will believe just about anything as long as it smells of privilege through exploitation.
Yes our political and economic and social ideas are to be fit into the Republican Party framework and every day they put out their talking points and every day NPR lines up to make that the skeleton of the body of their work. It stinks, NPR promoting and reviving the really existing conservatives.
NPR's relationship to the Fox network has also come under criticism because they share Juan Williams as a commentator.
Juan Williams is the fellow who advocated nuking Riyadh after 9-11. This is NPR's idea of a liberal and a journalist?
Like kookie Coakie Roberts Juan Williams enables right wing nonsense and his genocidal statement reveals his real politics, "kill them all!". Despite weekly news stories on the Jewish aspect of the Nazi led holocaust this advocacy of genocide on an even greater scale has not disturbed NPR.
I am frankly surprised that NPR uses the Republican talking points to organize their news and talk shows. It seems that many discussions on the radio are built around a framework that is entirely conservative. This means that listeners are taught to think of things within this conservative framework.
Of course there is no corresponding liberal framework. That is the magic of ruling class liberalism, no real principles beyond a sort of empty benevolence and "caring".
Really existing conservatism and the Republicans are in precipitous decline. The endless repetition of conservative mantras is not the same as political reporting. It is simply working for these really existing conservatives, the ones that want to destroy you!
Snap out of it you idiots!
As a result the Republican Party is dying a natural death. So it annoys me to see NPR daily and weekly performing CPR on the moribund corpse of the so-called conservative movement. Why is NPR doing this?
NPR is still stuck in the myths of roaring nineties conservatism and can't let
go of conservative delusions that they happily reported as news and economic science for decades. Maybe they really are basically brainwashed by the conservative movement and like bought-and-sold Democrats really don't promote progressive ideas in a conceptually useful way.
Even though the really existing conservatives have repeatedly tried to destroy public media and NPR in particular it seems that there is a persistent and inappropriate effort at NPR to submit and pander to them. It seems a lot like sexual abuse and the way that the victim often becomes a perpetrator. In this case it is the citizenry who suffers from this sick relationship.
Of course the nation and world have been held hostage to the mainstream conservative movement for the eight years before Obama. It has been ruinous for their beloved capitalism and we are all reeling from the faith based catastrophes that conservatism has brought forth. Maybe NPR has the Stockholm syndrome but I think NPR should break free of the financial oligarchy and ditch the conservative movement. Its way past time to rebel but NPR doesn't seem to have that word in its vocabulary.
NPR has a choice, to stand with the workers, farmers and small businesses of the nation or to continue to pander to and serve billionaire, white supremacist ie. really existing conservative rule.
Today NPR is making Republican Party talking points the basis for their Talk of the Nation show! This is pretty typical. Conservatives create right wing talking points and NPR acts as the mouthpiece of these points. The bona fide conservatives don't even have to show up!
Recent elections won by Republicans are being referenced and it is suggested (twenty times maybe) that there is a conservative resurgence that will overturn Obama. The conservative resurgence has been the big story since Obama won the election! Of course the conservative resurgence isn't there but that is the story the Republicans want and the whole of the bourgeois media seems happy to act as their mouthpieces. If they repeat the conservative resurgence stories enough times maybe the citizenry will start to believe it and of course the people of faith will believe just about anything as long as it smells of privilege through exploitation.
Yes our political and economic and social ideas are to be fit into the Republican Party framework and every day they put out their talking points and every day NPR lines up to make that the skeleton of the body of their work. It stinks, NPR promoting and reviving the really existing conservatives.
NPR's relationship to the Fox network has also come under criticism because they share Juan Williams as a commentator.
Juan Williams is the fellow who advocated nuking Riyadh after 9-11. This is NPR's idea of a liberal and a journalist?
Like kookie Coakie Roberts Juan Williams enables right wing nonsense and his genocidal statement reveals his real politics, "kill them all!". Despite weekly news stories on the Jewish aspect of the Nazi led holocaust this advocacy of genocide on an even greater scale has not disturbed NPR.
I am frankly surprised that NPR uses the Republican talking points to organize their news and talk shows. It seems that many discussions on the radio are built around a framework that is entirely conservative. This means that listeners are taught to think of things within this conservative framework.
Of course there is no corresponding liberal framework. That is the magic of ruling class liberalism, no real principles beyond a sort of empty benevolence and "caring".
Really existing conservatism and the Republicans are in precipitous decline. The endless repetition of conservative mantras is not the same as political reporting. It is simply working for these really existing conservatives, the ones that want to destroy you!
Snap out of it you idiots!
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