Internet Freedom for How Long?

[Roger Baker]

On Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at 01:12 PM, jaxon41 wrote:

> Roger,  If the Internet is our only way to spread the truth, outside of
> corporate controlled & politically attuned media, then you can be damned
> sure that the screws will SOON be tightened on this "alternative" news
> venue.  Better watch what you say on this List, lest a full transcript 
> of
> your political rants be later used against you by Homeland Security!  
> Surely
> you are not so naive to think that our ghetto yaks can't be accessed by 
> any
> Thought Policeman who so desires?  By no means do I think you should 
> shut
> up.  If your bleak view of American top-level hypocrisy is accurate,
> however, you should be counting the costs.  I get no suggestion from 
> your
> posts that you are, or care to do so.  How hip is this?  jaxon
>
>


Let me address your points as I see them.

The corporate media (the 10 biggies like Time Warner, Disney, Viacom 
etc.) now owns virtually all our local radio stations and newspapers and 
cable and TV production -- and is nearly self-censoring in favoring 
sports and consumerist values -- while the commercial news largely 
focuses on weather, natural disasters, and isolated violent crimes by 
deranged individuals, the theology of stem cells, etc. Now you see CNN 
focusing on war all the time and ordering their reporters on how to spin 
the war -- as the article I posted earlier pointed out.

But small press print and the internet and cyber-communications are much 
harder for a nation with free speech laws to censor. And it is certainly 
not right for the public to stop criticizing Bush and his crazy war 
against evil for decades, based on whatever secret goals he has in mind. 
In fact, to cease to tell the truth is to encourage Bush's pressure 
toward corporate domination of all aspects of life.

We have an obligation to speak out for peace and justice the same as in 
the days of picketing on the Drag for integration and in opposing the 
Vietnam war. Our national priorities are getting so crazy that Bush is 
even opposing tiny reforms like dignified euthenesia and medical 
marijuana while ignoring the big problems. I think good citizens have a 
moral obligation to speak out.

There are now thousands of discussion groups and social groups like this 
one on the internet discussing how dumb the war is, and the terrible 
effect on millions of innocent citizens in Afghanistan as the winter 
hits of interrupting food supply distribution. This is leaking out into 
much of the non-mainstream intellectual media like Salon, and National 
Public Radio, and the New York Times.

In fact this war is so unwinnable and is starting to become so unpopular 
at such an early stage that I think the public may easily sour on it 
with the help of activists including me; the war may become unpopular 
enough in the next year that even the Demo hawks in Congress may start 
to oppose it. Who can say?

Just because Bush wants to impose law and order and political control 
from the top down by no means implies that he will succeed. And this 
threat of SUCCESSFUL corporate domination prevailing is probably less 
important than other threats like the following:

(1) As I have posted within the last week, the world's top scientists 
are imploring us to cut back on CO2 release to avoid grim consequences 
of changing weather. Yet Bush ignores their advice because to act 
sensibly is to undermine short range profits.

(2) Most importantly, there will likely be economic chaos when world oil 
production peaks, within five years probably (Deffeyes thinks this is 
reasonable).  Do we want Dick Cheney calling all the shots when the big 
oil price crunch hits? He says we are facing an energy crisis, which is 
true, but Cheney and Bush are lying when they claim we can drill our way 
out of it.

Let me quote Princeton Geologist Ken Deffeyes from his new book, 
Hubbert's Peak:
"This much is certain; no initiative put in place starting today can 
have a substantial effect on the peak production year. No caspian Sea 
exploration, no drilling in the South China Sea, no SUV replacements, no 
renewable energy projects can be brought on at a sufficient rate to 
prevent a bidding war for the remaining oil. At least, lets hope the war 
is waged with cash instead of nuclear warheads".

If there is any security in such a risky world,  facing the truth 
without fear has to be a part of it.

Peace, Roger