We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

PBS: Keeper of Official State Myths

Click here to access article by Bill Willers from Dissident Voice.

Willers's remarks about the prime role of PBS as gatekeeper and propagandist for the Deep State parallels my own experience after many years of watching the ad-free programming which is funded by major US corporations and the rich endowments of capitalists. Yes, they always thank "viewers like you", but I think the appeal to the public functions as a propaganda cover to legitimatize their programming. While corporate advertisers sponsor commercial programs to increase sales of their products, they also insure the future of the capitalist system by lavishly funding PBS.

He concludes with this summary statement:
American mainstream journalism is now a tapestry of lies of omission. PBS, however, is a standout in this area, because its prominent, “in depth” productions on Nova, American Experience and Frontline are considered widely to represent the best investigative journalism available. It is this reputation that places PBS above the networks in the public mind. As PBS has willfully avoided specific areas for exploration, and has excluded truths that a governmental power structure does not want aired, it has made itself a powerful tool in the rewriting of history.
Thus, not only ordinary adults of the present generation are influenced by these lies, but their children study these lies in history classes. The lies become a manufactured "reality".

(Have you noticed that so many dissident writers like Willers are retired from academia? This is because their academic careers, while they actively pursue such careers, are threatened if they don't support the Deep State's lies.)