What is it about Anglo-Saxon countries? [View All]

[Matilda]

Why do we have such a compliant attitude towards our politicians and
their corporate friends? I'm saying Anglo-Saxon and thinking in
particular the U.S., Britain, and Australia. For some reason, the
Europeans are more aware of the shenanigans pollies get up to, and
make sure there are plenty of checks to their worst excesses, but
these three countries leave me frustrated and despairing. I'm
putting up this link to an article in common dreams, because I see
the same thing happening here in Australia - John Howard is playing
footside with Rupert Murdoch every bit as much as Blair, and would
love to see the ABC reduced to a shell, or forced to accept
advertising. We who loosely call ourselves progressives know that we
are facing an ever-worsening uphill battle to see any point of view
other than that of the right-wing presented to the majority of people
who will vote for our leaders, and those we look towards to lead us
in the political forum are marginalised, trivialized and often
demonized by the so-called free press. Look at what is happening in
the current run-up to the 2004 Presidential elections - only a few
Democrat candidates get a mention in the press, the rest might as
well not exist as far as mainstream media is concerned. And once the
Democratic candidate has been chosen - guess who will get the lion's
share of media exposure?

I'm not just concerned about the future of true democracy - I'm
frightened. Frightened by the power of people like the appalling
Murdoch - power given to him by politicians without the wit to see
how they as well as us can be used and manipulated - and really
seriously frightened by the fact that the vast majority of people in
these "coalition of the willing" countries (no coincidence there)
are not even aware that they might as well be the walking dead for
all they know of what is actually happening around them.

I was going to post this in the Media Forum, but I would really love
to see a wider discussion on this. Because we are running the risk
of becoming society's outcasts, without a voice and without
representation. "Take Back the Media" is a great slogan, but how?
Just what can we do? I say "we" deliberately, because there can be
no doubt that the evil Murdoch and his like-minded cronies are
thinking globally, and it seems to me we all need to think globally
too.

Here's the link I would love you all to read:http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1023-02.htm