The problem may be that all of us are constantly deluged with glory stories about the "American Dream" of getting filthy rich, into the top 1%, as if it's our right and duty, with no drawbacks and no competing goals. We were widely told, "Greed is good". We are urged to be the "ownership society". Lives of the rich and famous dominate TV.
But. Many of those who get rich do so on the backs of those they have exploited or robbed. A class-divided society undermines democracy, gives more power to the few by taking it from the many. Wars are waged (eg (Iraq) to kill for oil. The toll of the "American Dream" is enormous. It blots out all other ways of life. Like, service to the community via institutions like the press, government, NGO, city council. Like, serving a vision of a better city for all, not just profits for the few. Like, upholding journalist standards of fact and diversity, not just diverting the flock while the foxes eat. So the PP is a symptom of a wider malady. One the rich have fought to stick us with for a long long time. We should not be surprised at what lots of money can do over lots of time, even to what we think of as our free minds with free thoughts. The latter, especially, are what the exploiters are after. It's what the old slave-masters were after - docile slaves, slaves who never even *thought* of rebellion. --David Shove Roseville On Mon, 24 Jan 2005, Mike Fratto wrote: > I couldn't agree with Charlie more about his position about the > Pioneer Press. The only news it prints are rehashing of stories > presented the night before on TV or on web news links. > > its editorial pages have become so biased that I have to wonder if > its still a Knight Ridder publication. > > While I certainly expect the local paper to take positions on > public issues, I don't expect them to constantly bash opponents. I > also expect them to be able to present both sides of an argument > without following it with their biased interpretation of what they > think is behind the opponents position. > > Mike Fratto > Payne Phalen > > >>> "M Charles Swope" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 01/24/2005 9:16:17 AM > >>> > > I am a subscriber to to the Pioneer Press. This is not > because it's better than the competition. Clearly, it > isn't. No, I subscribe out of a misguided sense of > loyalty to my home town paper. However, it's becoming > more obvious all the time that this loyalty isn't at > all reciprocated. The paper's loyalty is not to its > subscribers but to the business community. They've > chosen to be a mouthpiece for the group that supplies > the advertising, not the group that buys and reads the > paper. > > The notion that the paper is merely expressing > sincerely held beliefs that happen to differ from many > of its readers was put to rest by the recent editorial > blaming the "gang of four" for the loss of the stem > cell researcher at the U. That argument was so > ludicrous and put forward with such blatant disregard > for the facts as to dispel any doubt that the paper is > simply carrying out a vendetta against the council > majority. > > Ultimately, this will be self defeating. Even the > business groups they are pandering to will not spend > advertising dollars on a paper no-one reads. The PP is > in a death spiral. The more circulation they lose, the > more they pander. The more they pander, the more > circulation they lose. > > Charlie Swope > Ward 1 > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [email protected] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [email protected] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
