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SECRET SOCIETY
I’ve recently moved to yet another large city. This marks the 3rd time I’ve relocated in the last 5 years. I already feel like a criminal on the run, walking the streets night after night searching for similarly minded individuals. I find myself always looking over my shoulder and covering my tracks. I can’t afford to be caught or even associated with other would be criminals; the judge would really throw the book at me if I got caught again. In the good old days I could write about whatever I wanted as a political satirist. We could meet in the light of day to discuss and argue our concerns and grievances. Today, we have a very different set of rules.
During the day I have a respectable but poorly compensated job, but at night and on the weekends, I’m always out searching. I feel kind of seedy, hanging around bad neighborhoods and cheap crowded bars, but you don’t find my kind in churches or at Sunday school.
Every one is very cautious these day’s, the government has a huge network of agents and informants. It wasn’t always this way. As a young man I can remember reading the paper and listening to talk radio, where authors and hosts could freely and openly discuss the politics of the day, even if they disagreed with the party line. All of that is now a thing of the past.
I think it all started around 7 years ago when our country went thru a devastating economic depression. The aftermath drove most media outlets and banks to the brink of bankruptcy. They in turn, gladly took bailout money from the government, but it came at a cost. I guess they didn’t read the fine print. I’m not sure if they realized it at the time but with the money came control, and soon these formally independent businesses became state run and nationalized. To make matters worse, the party in power had an ongoing feud with certain very hi-profile members of the conservative media, and when they gained control they quickly silenced all of their most vocal critics under the guise of equal time for all and letting all voices being heard. (The Fairness Doctrine)
Well, it wasn’t long after that, and the whole complexion of news, and freedom of speech took a huge turn for the worse. Over a very short period of time all information disseminated to the public became edited and “scrubbed”. Radio stations had to toe the line in order to get or keep their licenses. Reporters that deviated from the official talking points were considered “persona non grata” at news conferences. In fact, even their questions had to be pre-screened. Those in charge were very careful not to call their activities censorship, but what would you call it. Only the news and spin that the government wanted the people to know was allowed. Freedom of speech became guarded and dissent against the state soon became a crime.
There are still a few underground papers circulating around that publish the real news. It’s rare to hear the unvarnished truth, especially when the government leaders preferred that the man on the street didn’t know about it. These are the papers and the people I seek in my late night wanderings. I’m willing to risk my own freedom to seek the truth that we at one time took for granted. The average person only knows, and is satisfied with, the information he hears or reads. So, to control the media, is to control and placate the people.
If I could have sent a message out to those bold newsmen and freedom fighters from years past. I would have told them not to go down the path of censorship and control. Free speech and a free press are the very cornerstone of free men. Somebody must have thought it was pretty important to include it in the 1st amendment.
1st Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
“ Knowledge is Power”
Please feel free to contact me at : pooritalianboy@gmail.com
P.I.B.
I’ve recently moved to yet another large city. This marks the 3rd time I’ve relocated in the last 5 years. I already feel like a criminal on the run, walking the streets night after night searching for similarly minded individuals. I find myself always looking over my shoulder and covering my tracks. I can’t afford to be caught or even associated with other would be criminals; the judge would really throw the book at me if I got caught again. In the good old days I could write about whatever I wanted as a political satirist. We could meet in the light of day to discuss and argue our concerns and grievances. Today, we have a very different set of rules.
During the day I have a respectable but poorly compensated job, but at night and on the weekends, I’m always out searching. I feel kind of seedy, hanging around bad neighborhoods and cheap crowded bars, but you don’t find my kind in churches or at Sunday school.
Every one is very cautious these day’s, the government has a huge network of agents and informants. It wasn’t always this way. As a young man I can remember reading the paper and listening to talk radio, where authors and hosts could freely and openly discuss the politics of the day, even if they disagreed with the party line. All of that is now a thing of the past.
I think it all started around 7 years ago when our country went thru a devastating economic depression. The aftermath drove most media outlets and banks to the brink of bankruptcy. They in turn, gladly took bailout money from the government, but it came at a cost. I guess they didn’t read the fine print. I’m not sure if they realized it at the time but with the money came control, and soon these formally independent businesses became state run and nationalized. To make matters worse, the party in power had an ongoing feud with certain very hi-profile members of the conservative media, and when they gained control they quickly silenced all of their most vocal critics under the guise of equal time for all and letting all voices being heard. (The Fairness Doctrine)
Well, it wasn’t long after that, and the whole complexion of news, and freedom of speech took a huge turn for the worse. Over a very short period of time all information disseminated to the public became edited and “scrubbed”. Radio stations had to toe the line in order to get or keep their licenses. Reporters that deviated from the official talking points were considered “persona non grata” at news conferences. In fact, even their questions had to be pre-screened. Those in charge were very careful not to call their activities censorship, but what would you call it. Only the news and spin that the government wanted the people to know was allowed. Freedom of speech became guarded and dissent against the state soon became a crime.
There are still a few underground papers circulating around that publish the real news. It’s rare to hear the unvarnished truth, especially when the government leaders preferred that the man on the street didn’t know about it. These are the papers and the people I seek in my late night wanderings. I’m willing to risk my own freedom to seek the truth that we at one time took for granted. The average person only knows, and is satisfied with, the information he hears or reads. So, to control the media, is to control and placate the people.
If I could have sent a message out to those bold newsmen and freedom fighters from years past. I would have told them not to go down the path of censorship and control. Free speech and a free press are the very cornerstone of free men. Somebody must have thought it was pretty important to include it in the 1st amendment.
1st Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
“ Knowledge is Power”
Please feel free to contact me at : pooritalianboy@gmail.com
P.I.B.
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