No! Not at all, esp.in the US, it is turning into a joke. There are some reputable news sources out there but people seem to be interested in celebrities for some reason esp. in America - wtf?
The fall of mainstream media is turning it into a joke. We need more talented investigative journalism not less.
We need to be able to put an independant news company on cable television. That's what it comes down to. The huge companies have a huge monapoly. It's horrible.
It's almost scary. I have some friends who are poor, and they literally live in an apartment thta is like... a big box, and it has an upstairs and a downstairs, and their house is crammed with furnature and consumer goods, and the central item that the entire house basicly looks at is the TV, and the TV is on 24-7. Add to this scene, 3 cats.....
These people work hourly jobs. They just barely get by. They smoke weed all day, and they have no ambition. They entertain themselves with cats, and TV, and gossip with eachother about work. It's a tragic life, but it does certainly exist, and I'd even argue that it is rampant in western society.
It's these people who are uneducated. Who understand the world only through the ideas of their TV, and friends who are also hourly workers just barely getting by. These are the people who can be manipulated. Who advertising is aimed at. These are the people who choose our political leaders. I don't think these people are defective. They simply don't have enough ambition to force them to put up with the B.S. that's required to be considered successful in this world. They are unambitious, and their ignorance is not a result of their IQ, but their lack of being presented with these facts within their daily lives, but how can they? They live boring, repetitive lives. They consume content usualyl in the form of Television, and they earn money each week so they can spend it.
By raising awareness of the negative effects mainstream media has on our society, we can educate the world, and hopefully use this information as a framework to build a better society in the future.
You don't make sense. You're focused on the tool (online) versus the source. CNN, for example, has a massive online presence, so are they Internet news or mainstream? What's your point?
And what the fuck -- humans wanting convenience makes mass consumerism OK?! That's pretty unenlightened. You need to explore the impacts of mass consumerism on societies outside of the US, the environment and people's mental health and then discuss.
*Edited for being too harsh
OK - now that I have read more of your thoughts and the above post I take back what I said. I agree with much of what you have said above. I agree that a big part of the problem is that media is controlled by a very small few. That is extremely dangerous and people are giving their minds away.
Have you ever watched Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent"? I think you would really like what he has to say and it would blow your mind.
Perhaps you are just too critical? What if I told you that capitalism isn't a Human construct? What if, just like Math, capitalism has existed as a law in the universe?
Man started on this planet just like the other animals. Our brains developed because those of us who could better find ways to use tools survived longer. Long after, we figured out agriculture, and from this came organized society.
Organized society did not come as a result of man. But a result of agriculture. The fact that we as Humans discovered a way to manipulate our envrionment in such a way that is advantageous to us allowed us to survive longer, and as a result, we won the battle of evolution.
The same can be said about capitalism. When two Humans can work together because a financual agreement exists, more work can be done. The use of currency and the establishment of a "business" is nothing more than Humans getting together and doing something productive. The humans that did this survived. They gained power and influence in society. That's why it exists. Not because we as Humans are evil, but because those who pass on their DNA live on, and those who don't die out.
Capitalism is a process. It starts out small. A blacksmith, butcher, perhaps farm hand, and then we as humans are applied, and we use our brains and try new ideas, and mass production comes out. From here capitalism gets a better grasp on society as a small number of people are able to gain control over large populations.
But as Humans, what can we do? Those who follow capitalism succeed, and those who don't... don't succeed. It's as simple as that. This isn't to imply that capitalism is evil. It is simply a law in the universe. You can consider the universe like a simulation that runs over and over looking for different results, and each time, though the life forms may have differences (or maybe not), capitalism still emerges as a very great force.
Now, that isn't to say capitalism will completely take over. We as Humans have a great communication system. Our minds are linked through the internet. I don't mean actually linked, but we are certianly capable of exchanging information at will. This global awareness, and democracy gives us a certain amount of power over our universe, and I believe policy can steer caplitaism in a direction with a respect for the human life.
The problem is that not everyone is communicating. The new generation of us are. We love computers. We are certainly addicted even. It's good though because we are connected to a global awareness that promotes peace and understanding. On the other hand, those who are glued to their TVs are not connected. They are not in the habbit of being engaged, they are ni the habbit of watching, and these people often do not understand the internet. They see us as geeks.
This is why we need to raise awareness. We need to make them aware that cable television is bad. I honestly don't know if we can. Old people are stubburn in their ways. I believe they will simply have to die out before that part of society can evolve to our point of view. That being said, there are certainly those of our generation who follow their elders, and depend on cable television as a credible way to learn about this world. These are the people who we need to make aware.
Good discussion. I don't have time to reply in depth, but I will later. I am highly critical; this is true. I disagree with many of your points.
Are you an American? I ask not to insult, it just helps me understand your world perspective. Americans have a very unique view.
Do you think the US economy is operating as a capitalist/free enterprise system today?
I'm american, but I lived in China for a year so I consider my perspective to be different from most americans.
I'd say that the economy capitalism is taking control away from the people and policy needs to be put into place for it to be stopped, but the problem is that capitalism has taken the minds of our politicians through bribery, lobbying, and other perks.
"I'd say that the economy capitalism is taking control away from the people and policy needs to be put into place for it to be stopped, but the problem is that capitalism has taken the minds of our politicians through bribery, lobbying, and other perks."
Yes, you and I are definitely aligned on this ^!! I don't think 'capitalism' per se, has taken the minds of politicians but a system that promotes personal greed and power certainly has. Yep, people need to take the power back.
Hell, I haven't owned a TV in over ten years. I get my news from Reddit, The Huffington Post, BBC, and Al Jazeera. I also like the iPhone app "Circa" - perfect for those with short attention spans.
I didn't realize anybody under 32 still watched mainstream media. Everything is streaming online these days. Who needs commercials and shit when you've got Netflix? Or a secure seedbox located in the Netherlands? ;)