This has been the most engaging and engrossing news cycle to the point where many of us are becoming news addicts; major media including the New York Times are profiling self proclaimed news addicts, to the detriment of the new fall television season. The news has become the ultimate reality show, providing all the scintillating drama we need complete with the "so you want to be the next vice president," contestant resoundingly unqualified but resplendent in her $150,000 wardrobe. Even material from fake news comedy and comedy sketch shows is news on the mainstream news networks; the shows that take the news and riff on the news create incredibly hilarious segments that become news in themselves. Yep.
Americans are simultaneously voting for their American Idol and their next President. When times are bad, Americans look to escape reality, in the 1930's they went to the movies, to be swept away from reality, to root for the underdog, the Presidential campaign is entertainment. But, at the same time, Americans need a President who has the potential to lead them out of the misery. We are conflicted enough to be almost fooled again by the same tactics that re-elected George Bush but at the same time we recognize the deception and we want to rise above it this time around.
However, the news is so biased that all it takes is a click to find the right news that tells you what you want to hear: "We report. We decide. You listen. You believe." Somewhere in all of this many have become news addicts because of the need for actual information; we are in a recession but no news organization wants to declare it, everyday is like groundhog day on wallstreet where the market reacts to the news of the day and/or moment as if the economic realities of yesterday were forgotten. Never in so long can I remember a time where we were inundated with facts; financial facts of a complexity that we suddenly have to comprehend as taxpayers; a historic democratic primary leading to a potential historic first for the Presidency and a downright raiding of the public trust to the tune of $2,000,000,000,000.
As the Republicans trump out their usual party platform of conservative values, small fiscally responsible government, low tax Americana, they are overseeing the largest nationalization of private enterprise in collective memory. Socialism, the evil political term of the week, has already been embedded in our progressive tax policies of subsidies, tax credits, social security and public health programs. It is the Republicans, not the oft-described liberal socially radical democrats who are presiding over this post capitalist neo-socialism. To encapsulate further irony, all of this was done in the name of saving our wealthy financial institutions to avoid an economic devastation of all society. How Odd!
This is why it is a troubling reality to watch the Sarah Palin supporters boo loudly at every mention of socialism because of the misconstrued notion that Barack Obama is a socialist for even suggesting that we spread the wealth around by repealing the Bush Tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year. Politically incorrect is making a comeback and I'm adding my two cents: Do you really think the crowd booing at socialism even understands what it means or that they make more than $250,000 a year? Or do you really think that faced with an 'ism they are concluding the worst because neither they nor Palin understands the term; these the people survivng on welfare, food stamps, medicare, medicaid and other benefits of the public largesse. And for those of them who are working, that, in fact, 95% would benefit from the Obama tax cuts.
This is why we are still worrying; those of us who watch too much news. Polling is misleading and so we try to ascertain which way the wind is blowing.
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