The media build them up and knock them down - Barack Obama's fate, like Democrats before him, is sealed by the corporate media.
No matter how blameless a life, how saintly the Democrat candidate, the right-wing media will paint them in a bad light - even calling them 'elitist' and 'self serving' for having lived within the media rules that allowed them to progress. Catch 22!
Barack Obama may be to the right of new Labour when it comes to policy, but in US media circles he is painted as an 'anti-Christian', 'dangerous liberal leftie' and a 'national security risk'. No doubt even JC himself would be painted in these terms if he joined the Democrats.
So we end up with disgustingly ignorant, inept, corrupt, hypocritical and frightening Republican leaders of the most powerful country on Earth.
The world over, whether the UK, US, Italy or elsewhere, the corporate media straitjacket makes it harder and harder for Left leaning leaders to be elected. Democracy pah! Add in a dysfunctional electoral system that allows only a choice between poor and mediocre parties and bingo - say goodbye to real democracy.
Neil,
ReplyDeletewhy not try going a little deeper than the paper-thin level of 'who's left and who's right'? You're such a willful prisoner of the left-right paradigm.
Labour have been in government for over a decade, and you're still wingeing about the media.
It's not the media that influences me not to vote Labour, it's what they've done and haven't done... killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis based on a pack of lies ranks far higher in importance to anything the Daily Mail wants to say.
TT: "killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis based on a pack of lies"
ReplyDeleteAnd why would that want you to replace them with the Arms Industry backed, Bush & McCain supporting, even more war mongering, lying sleaze-bag Tories?
I am afraid this is about Left and Right and none of us can help but be influenced by over £100bn of free advertising that the Tories get in anti-Labour propaganda.
Advertising works - ask McDonalds.
It doesn't make me want what you suggest. It makes me realise that both sides, be it Labour/Tory or Democrat/Republican, are the same and it makes precious little difference who gets into government, which is why I support neither side in the left/right puppet show that you think is reality.
ReplyDeleteAnd as much as you bang on about the media, it wasn't the media that lied this country into a war - it was the Labour government.
I think the media did lie to get us into this war. Only the Daily Mirror, Independent and Guardian opposed the invasion (all left of centre papers). Even to this day, the official line of the Tory press (Telegraph, Mail, Standard, Sun, Times, Express, Star, and most local press) is that the invasion was justified with or without WMD or UN approval.
ReplyDeleteAll these papers enthusiastically talked up the possibility that Saddam could attack us in 45 mins despite knowing it was a ludicrous claim. Now, they all feign hurt at their apparent deception by Labour - bullshit! It was the Blair government that dragged a reluctant Labour party to support Bush - 139 Labour MPs voted against compared to only 8 Tory MPs. Without Tory support the government would have been defeated. Without the support of the Tory press, the government would never have even attempted to support Bush's war for oil. You are hitting the wrong target. Labour were the closest chance we had to stoppng this war - the Tories would not hesitate to support a McCain attack on Iran - there is no way the Labour party would back another war.