Reply #39: The primary difference between us and them is the flow of information or communication for [View All]

[Uncle Joe]

for public consumption. The sheer one way power and influence of their opinions make them potentially far more dysfunctional, even dangerous when they abuse their power to the healthy workings of our democratic republic.

As we're all human we each have our own biases but we, the people on the Internet may also be corrected in an instant on the very same pubic forum, from which we publish our opinions, for all the world to see. We may and do have our threads flamed.

If Rush Limbaugh or any other radio talk show host doesn't like an opinion from a caller, he or she can cut him or her off and wage a non-stop rant against said caller, followed by taking only sympathetic callers to the host's view point.

Television can set the parameters of the guests allowed on their talk or pundit shows, only conservatives or pseudo liberals need apply. When they only allow people on their programs with opinions ranging from 0-50, how does anyone; depending on television for their information know or care about 51-100? The hosts of these shows can and do dominate discussion interrupting or cutting off any opinion to the contrary. During debates, they can ignore more progressive candidates for vast stretches of time, later only telecasting said candidate's making light of not getting equal time as the pre-selected candidates.

Letters to the editor are chosen by the editor's sole discretion, should they receive 80/20 pro on any subject, they can easily publish a 50/50 ratio or worse. They may also promote letters that agree with their opinion as the three star letters while relegating critical or politically unpopular letters to the bottom.