Open Thread - 08-05-22 - A Potpouri of Political Postulations

Whose Reality Do You Live In?

My wife and I travel a lot around the country. We mostly stay at motels. It's at these temporary stop-overs that I turn on the TV, something that I haven't done for years at home. My usual refrain is; "Since it's paid for we will use it". It was at a recent stop-over that something caught my eye. I've oft wondered how it is that people are so susceptible to mind control. How it is that so many seem to have lost any semblance of critical thinking. And then I saw it.

While surfing for something to fill background noise I happened upon Fox News so I left it on for a few minutes. I can't remember exactly what the talking head was bleating about but I did take notice of the background imagery that accompanied the commentator. I saw subtle thought steering using symbolism and subliminal perceptive inferences. The commentator's words were enhanced by the imagery, a double splash of propaganda, verbally and visually, engaging both the conscious and subconscious mind.

We all know how the propaganda is catapulted. Movies, newspapers, radio, books, etc. It starts at a very young age and continues throughout our lives. I am now convinced that the television is the main mode of brainwashing, both in words and imagery, and I also suspect, by audio sensory.

Television has created the boobus americanus' modern reality. Thanks Obama. It's most noticeable if one doesn't watch TV at all, but if one were to quit watching for a few months and then turn it back on to the news it should pop out like a jack-in-the-box.

Then watch the commercials to see who is funding the propaganda.

How is this insidiousness negated? Shut the damn thing off.

TV propaganda.jpg
More Below
CBDCs

The banksters want it. It will allow them complete control of our lives when used in conjunction with Digital ID.

IMHO CBDCs are taxation without representation. Didn't we have a little kerfuffle about that a couple of hundred years ago or so?

My humble solution? Use cash whenever possible. Cancel your account with the big banks. Use a credit union. Lose the credit cards and starve the beast.

“Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank, but give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.” ~ Tyrell Wellick

Walter Frontrunning the WEF

On October 19, 1999, Walter Cronkite accepted the Norman Cousins Global Governance Award at a ceremony at the United Nations. He called for a one world order.

1:05
Redefining Democracy: An Early Casualty of an Evolving Language

"Political power Democracy grows out of the barrel of a gun." ~ Mao Zedong The MIC

Fixed it for you, Mao.

The Military Industrial Complex: Bringing democracy to the world, one bomb at a time.

battle group.jpg
Wandering Ponderings
  • If humans were put on the endangered species list, then just maybe we'd get some protections? Nah, I'm dreaming again.
  • There are too many people telling us the ship is sinking and too few people telling us how to build lifeboats.
  • It's not what you know, it's what you don't know that is the most important.
Like a Rat on a Mobius Strip

The constant droning of doom and gloom is meant to wear us down. Till we beg for a new world order. Hopelessness is the desired effect. To give consent to those that have caused the turmoil. So they may retain their wealth, their power, their control. And to save their necks. Like a rat on a mobius strip.

Graphical-representation-of-a-Moebius-strip.png

They have no authority without our consent. We hold the power to change things, if only to realize that the struggle isn't horizontal, it's vertical. IF we all stand up, we can beat them. IF we do nothing, they win.

Keep on surviving folks. It really pisses them off.

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Comments

join me in welcoming our new members who have mostly migrated here from Jack Pine Radicals. Judging by the quality content that JPR produced, they will be a welcome addition to our little life boat.

Welcome folks, we're glad to have you with us.

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Ohio Barbarian's picture

@JtC That's very gracious of you. Thank you.

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Never let your morals prevent you from doing the right thing.--Salvor Hardin, Foundation, by Isaac Asimov

@Ohio Barbarian
it's my pleasure.

We look forward to your input. Thanks for registering and welcome to our little life boat.

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QMS's picture

Haven't watched the telly tube for about 15 years now. Have developed a calloused mind in the
interim. What I see in people that are still plugged into the propaganda box is scary. Seems so
little awareness and critical thinking being displayed.

Anyway, thanks for the gristle. Lots to chew on here. And the sailing ships ..

Cheers!

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10 users have voted.

question everything

@QMS
we are bombarded by it. It becomes obvious when one disconnects from it. That is, when one disconnects from the boob tube. There are so many other modes of propaganda that flushes our sensory inputs, but I'm convinced that television is the prime conveyor.

Shut it off and much of the sturm and drang is alleviated.

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QMS's picture

@JtC

Clarity of mind is much better achieved without all the noise
difficult to shut it out completely, but restricting the intake is
beneficial. Like a BS diet. Wink

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question everything

"There are too many people telling us the ship is sinking and too few people telling us how to build lifeboats."

Good morning JtC.

Thanks for a cleansing read to start the day.

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NYCVG

@NYCVG
and good morning.

IMHO, the first step is to understand that the life boat is within us all. Hopelessness is the trireme that aims to sink that boat. Armor-plate your hull. Make yourself impervious to the onslaught.

We must understand that the goal is for us to fight each other while the ones that brought this upon us skate free so they can do it all over again as our lords.

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dystopian's picture

Hey fearless leader!

Yeah, welcome to the JPR people! Sorry for your loss! It was some of ours losses too. GREAT y'all found us.

There was a lot of great music about this in the old days...

One of the best I took to heart early on was Frank Zappa of course... The slime oozing out from your TV set... I loved how this starts with an 'ending' lead solo... ROFLMA! Oh, Frank!

Bumper sticker I saw in Camp Wood Texas: Free your mind, shoot your TV.

The Tubes 'Remote Control' album tried to get the message across... I saw one of those tours where they had the TV's all over the stage... every musician had one... acted like they were watching...

George Harrison's song The Devil's Radio is great too...

An ignorant society is a lot easier to lead by the nose-rings. It was not an accident they de-educated basic schooling. Those pesky critical thinkers and civics folks cause trouble later.

After childhood I spent much less of my life watching TV than most of my peers, proudly. Years without it. There were some good sprinkles here and there, but that is not what most are watching most of the time. It is just pablum for the brainwashing.

Gotta fly, swamped on Fridays... Have a good weekend all!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

@dystopian
I was quite sure that everyone here at c99 understands the sinister aspects of televised propaganda. My intent with that piece was to hopefully, maybe, jar the minds of the afflicted. I'm aware that many are too far gone to be reachable but there's got to be a subset that can still be de-programmed, you know, the ones whose eyes don't glaze over totally when you suggest to them to turn the damn thing off.

Thanks for stopping by on your busy day and thanks for the great music.

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Lookout's picture

And in places like Canada, the government has bought the media with huge grants...or in the UK outright own the BBC.

There is some push back. Chris talks with members of the dutch farmers revolution about the current war with the globalist WEF agenda.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxOg_Hoyxt4]
27 min Inside the Dutch Farm Revolt

You won't see this on MSM. Propaganda by omission is almost as bad as pushing false narratives.
media wake up_0.jpg

Thanks for the OT!
Edit to add:
I used to sing this one. I need to dust it off...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BofvfVPFbiM&t=10s]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout
there is a physical battle for control, just ask the folks at the business end of a billy club or beneath the horse's hooves.

And there is a battle for our minds.

Do everything that you can to avoid being collateral damage in this conflict, that's my best advice.

I stand with the farmers.

I sure do miss John Prine.

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@Lookout

Here's something of a deep critical dive from the Daily Bell on its operation in
the making of its recent 'documentary' "Unvaccinated" in which
a number of unvaxed Brits explain their reservations about the
vax and engage with scientists and health professionals regarding their
concerns.

Sounds legit, no? But combine snarky interviewing, much selective editing and
'independent' professionals that turn out to have significant Big Pharma connections
and, predictably, the vax refuseniks are made out to be paranoid loons. One in particular,
Veronica Nazarin is rather publicly calling BS and fighting back, though.

A positive role model.

George Orwell (who worked there) had his reasons for basing his 'Ministry of Truth' on the
BBC. Looks like they are not straying from their mission:

https://www.thedailybell.com/all-articles/news-analysis/a-critique-of-th...

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Good morning all! Grew up without a television and in teen years was embarrassed when had to ask for alternate assignment when teacher assigned event on television for homework. Now am glad never have had one!

Have a good day all!

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Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.

This ain't no dress rehearsal!

@jakkalbessie
wait a minute, so you have no opinion about the Kardashian family?

Good for you!

Don't let Klaus know.

Thanks for stopping by.

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snoopydawg's picture

up front and personal. I detailed the changes my uncle has gone through since Trump made his appearance and his hanging on to every lie Hillary, democrats, Rachel and Nicolle told him. There have been documentaries and articles on what Fox does to the mind, but one needs to be done on the democrats mouthpieces too.

And speaking of democrats mouthpieces, today the shitlibs went there. They have rehabilitates The Dick Cheney! Most of the underlinings that lied us into the Iraq war have been rehabilitated, but good lord did you ever think you’d see people cheering him on just because he said something mean about Trump?

Biggest threat to our oligarchy democracy ever!? I doubt people would have paid anymore attention to Trump if he hadn’t been in the news every second of every day. And imagine Obama’s ratings if the media had told us the truth about what he was actually doing. Like making it legal for the government and its media mouthpieces to lie to us just in time for Hillary, Schiff, the media to lie to us about Russia Russia.

Good gravy TV has definitely turned people’s brains to mush.

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

@snoopydawg Looks to me like all the media including TV are gearing up for the Restoration of Trumpis the I. Hope that I am wrong.

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NYCVG

snoopydawg's picture

@NYCVG

like Trump has? Bush the lesser and even the Dick Cheney faded away like a bad dream after they left office, but democrats have talked about Trump non stop since he left office. And boy did they hype up the 1/6 riots. Democrats have not voted to certify the republican president 5 times since 2001, but republicans didn’t call them insurrectionists. It’s a legal thing for congress to do. Gee how come people don’t know that?

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

QMS's picture

@snoopydawg

Does seem to have the effect of turning minds to mush.
Would rather see it sharpen one's instinct for survival in
the knowledge that the truth will not be televised.

edited to add Gill Scott

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question everything

@snoopydawg
I used Fox News as an example but yes in deedy, the media et al. are complicit.

You will be gaslit until you comply and eat ze bugs, or the rich, whichever may come first.

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@snoopydawg it was bound to happen once some libs began slobbering about the goodness of GWB and as Liz Cheney asserted herself against Trump.

Looking back, it seems there are more efforts at rehabbing controversial or unpopular presidents, most successful, than not. HST, LBJ rehabbed, somewhat, for Ds. Their overall rating by historians is wildly too high. For Rs, Jerry Ford partially for his pardon, though that bogus profile in courage act is now being revisited; Reagan has been made a saint, GHWB and Jr partial rehabs. Not much luck for Jimmy C, except to anoint him as our greatest ex-president, and not much activity on behalf of Bill Clinton that I've seen.

But then, the MSM has rehabbed all sorts of recent criminal intel guys, perjurers and worse. FP and intel -- the media seem to give a pass for these areas, or even applaud them.

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starw.jpg

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@gjohnsit
counterbalance to the gaslighting and propaganda. Ridicule is effective in proving that our so called leaders have no clothes.

Nancy looks good as Darth Vader, no? If the fellow behind her is delivering mass quantities of red roses, than I think I can guess his identity.

Thanks, g.

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@JtC @JtC @JtC @JtC @JtC @JtC @JtC from Animal Farm.

https://preview.redd.it/6g6fmhf26if91.jpg?width=650&auto=webp&s=b30b8643...

Mollie left the Animal Rebellion, led by Snowball, (Trotsky) when a human stroked her nose, offered her sugar cubes and pretty ribbons for her mane.

The bigger tougher pig named Napoleon (Stalin) defeated the Animal Rebellion.

What is my evidence?: Nancy or her aides were counting on that pretty blue sash to the extent that she wore a matching mask and shoes. (See photo)

In case you've forgotten:
"All animals are equal. Some animals are more equal that others."

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NYCVG

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@humphrey
was she there as a representative of the US gov, or as a major stockholder in the defense industry?

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@JtC

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@humphrey

I wonder if those figures would be much different for any other Speaker?

Would also be interesting to know how the Taiwan expenditures come in relative to
ones for PRC ones (not to mention for Israel, the Saudis...).

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snoopydawg's picture

@JtC

And if you have a problem with that then you are a misogynist! Nancy said that China didn’t have a problem with men going to Taiwan so they must just have a problem with women going there.

Good lord this woke crap needs to die ADAP because it’s driving me nuts!

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

@humphrey

Not surprising that the media seems to be ignoring this.

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NYCVG

if you don't watch out". So says Townes.[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bULK1XoZysM]

Thanks JtC

Welcome aboard to the JPR crew.

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@randtntx
great Texas music from a fellow Texan.

Thanks rand.

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enhydra lutris's picture

arrivals from JPR. They cannot claim legitimacy without our consent, but the aphorism doesn't specify informed consent, hence propaganda is a major weapon. Since at least college, I've always held that we mustn't consent, that whenever the government orders or demands, or even suggests or requests that we do something, our initial reaction should always be to resist. In that respect, I've always been a marxist - THIS one:

Thanks for wooden ships, especially insofar as this is Hiroshima Day, and we don't need any more iterations anywhere. All the same, I'm still partial to this little ditty:

Be well, have a good one, and, of course, resist

#resist

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

usefewersyllables's picture

@enhydra lutris

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5XJ2GiR6Bo width:400 height:300]

"This kiss you give/ Is never ever gonna fade away...."

It's tomorrow, actually, but who's counting?

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

@usefewersyllables
You gotta' stay one step ahead in today's world.

It's tomorrow, actually, but who's counting?

Especially when dealing with horse shoes, hand grenades and nukular weapons.

Unless, of course, they keep time differently out on the left coast.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@JtC @JtC

Unless, of course, they keep time differently out on the left coast.

Well, we kinda do man, but not historical time, I mean, I think, like you said buenas tardes, so, that's like today, right?

be well and have a great one, feliz fin de semana

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

@usefewersyllables

It's 13.0.9.13.15 in the Mayan Long Count, that's all I know. Wink

Thanks for the correction, now I get to bring it up again mañana too.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris
I'll say it in the words of Groucho his ownself:

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."

And in my own words: "Resist like there is no tomorrow, like your life depends on it. Because chances are, it does"

Great music, that song constantly rattles my brain, it's a worm I can't shake. For, well, reasons.

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dystopian's picture

@enhydra lutris Yeah man EL! Volunteers is one of the best songs ever. Something about it is pure magic. It reaches and speaks to me at the deepest levels. Only thing wrong is that it is too short.

Here is another of those to me deeply spiritually moving songs that is too short. Uno Mundo.

Thanks for the tune!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

enhydra lutris's picture

@dystopian

floating around somewhere. but I've never heard of one.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris

Has always been a personal favorite.

But, unfortunately and embarrassingly, it seems to have been wildly overoptimistic
regarding "our generation".

I guess as long as we're alive and above ground we can do what we can to live up to the promise, though.

“I said "Somebody should do something about that." Then I realized I am somebody.”
― Lily Tomlin

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People like Glenn Greenwald rightly point out that next to nobody watches CNN on cable. They are indeed one of the most crap propaganda cable networks. Thing is, the number of hits on CNN web ranks them as one of thee most successful websites on the internet. They got 459M views in the month of June. Add to this the censorship that immediately invades large platforms such as Google, Youtube, Twitter, Duckduckgo, and the influence of the establishment propaganda overwhelms by just seer volume. So while the propaganda of CNN cable is dead, their web based propaganda lives on and even grows.

Things can be deceiving like in the case of China. Polls show that Americans have a growing negative attitude toward China since 2016 when both Clinton and Trump dumped on the country. Really dropping over last six years. But then polls indicate that most people don't see our official enemies including China and Russia as important to their lives. But when the elites call for aggression and even war, the people are more than willing to follow. Sorta insane.

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@MrWebster @MrWebster
I don't give too much credence to page views, they're easily fudged.

It amazes me how easily the hoi polloi can be lead by the ring in their collective noses. It's team spirit. Rah Rah! Sis Boom Bah!

Thanks for your input.

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Edited to add this image. /S

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@humphrey
Next time you add an image such as that please include a trigger warning.

Just kidding. It did cure my hiccups though!

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@humphrey I still don't know how Harris "happened", or why. She is only slightly less unhinged than Biden and Pelosi.
Now, that there is my reality, and it didn't come from propaganda. It came from the election.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

@on the cusp

lacks ethics, ideals, and scruples, making her the perfect candidate for high office; completely, absolutely, infinitely malleable. Hence she was promoted.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris @enhydra lutris that her parents hated and didn't raise her to do. I did forget her great qualities that got her where she is. It takes a woman (notice the first woman VP in history is NOT a violation of woke?)of no regard for social norms and quality of life to be where she is. I will just say her relationship with the gov was close friendship. No way a veritable prostitute could ever be a VP!
We are great here. It rained for only 15 minutes, so Hunk Husband still had to water the selected lawn plants. But, give us 80 degrees in August in East Texas, man oh man! Talk about Cool!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Creosote.'s picture

@on the cusp

to fill an empty place, in the fast-food-menu way, easily swallowed,
no calories, just microwave it

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@Creosote. @Creosote. There just is no "there" there!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

on TV:

Edward Abbey on TV.jpg

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Blue Republic Have to remove guts, shoot glass front, replace guts, else CRT is a myriad fragments and not solid green contrast element. Wink

be well and kill your TV anyhow

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

I rec the following, for anyone who hasn't encountered them:

(1) The "Nobody Heard What You Said" story, recorded by Jay Rosen at PRESSthink:

"In 1984, [tv news reporter Lesley] Stahl had produced an extended report for CBS trying to document the contradictions between what [Pres.] Reagan said and what he did. It showed him speaking at the Special Olympics and at a nursing home, and reported that Reagan had cut funding to children with disabilities and opposed funding for public health. I’ll let [Bob] Somerby tell the rest:

"'Dick Darman clued in Lesley Stahl—it’s all about the pictures. During the 1984 presidential campaign, Stahl aired a lengthy report on the CBS Evening News; it was broadly critical of President Reagan. In her recent book, Reporting Live, Stahl described her thoughts as the piece went to air:

"'STAHL (page 210): I knew the piece would have an impact, if only because it was so long: five minutes and 40 seconds, practically a documentary in Evening News terms. I worried that my sources at the White House would be angry enough to freeze me out.

"'But that isn’t what happened, she says. When the piece aired, Darman called from the White House. “Way to go, kiddo,” he said to Stahl. “What a great piece. We loved it.” Stahl replied, “Didn’t you hear what I said [in the broadcast]?” Darman’s answer has been frequently quoted:

"'STAHL: [Darman replied,] “Nobody heard what you said.”

"'Did I hear him right? “Come again?”

"'“You guys in Televisionland haven’t figured it out, have you? When the pictures are powerful and emotional, they override if not completely drown out the sound. I mean it, Lesley. Nobody heard you.”

"Stahl’s critical report about President Reagan had been accompanied by generally upbeat visuals. According to Darman’s theory, the pictures registered more with viewers than anything Stahl had said."

(2) The New Yorker article, "Twilight of the Books," on the effects of the rise in TV watching and relative decline in reading. Among other things, it describes studies suggesting that proficient readers may think differently than people who rely more on visual communication. While both kinds of thinking are probably valuable, it appears that, generally, visual communication involves thinking oriented toward graphic, functional-narrative or emotional content, while reading facilitates abstract reasoning and an ability to compare and contrast subject-matter based on a wider array of kinds of logic. Also, studies have shown that TV has much in common with both addiction and brainwashing. TV is unusual in that on the one hand, the brains of people watching it appear much more inert than usual, with their critical faculties turned almost completely off, while on the other hand, they are nonetheless absorbing the commercial and other messages being transmitted.

As the first incident shows, these phenomena have been well-understood by TPTB at least as far back as Reagan.

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There is no justice without a balance of power; and a balance of power requires a balance of knowledge.

Hi @ohiobarbarian,

Good to see you here and hope all are doing well in Ohio.

ThouArtThat

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