Ray laments lack of free media in US: CNN* panel discussion: “How the US media covers war and foreign conflict”

*Oops; not CNN but CGTN’s program “The Heat,” on China’s English-language cable channel.  That’s why Ray and co-panelist Sam Sacks were able to speak, to speak freely, and to speak for more than two minutes.

 

Viewership?  According to the CGTN producer, 80 million in 120 countries, plus viewers at the UN and UN-accredited Missions.  The U.S. on-line community is expanding – but slowly.  As for how many are likely to view this episode of “The Heat,” the producer said: “Definitely hundreds of thousands, if not more.”  (But it would still be good to get some air on “mainstream media.”  Ideas, anyone?)

April 18 (14 minutes)

Sam and Ray talked about the demise of the Fourth Estate, the corruption that largely accounts for the infantilizing of the majority of Americans, who don’t have a clue.

The first part of “The Heat” program (shown before Sam and Ray) includes (1) short clips of two pundits who personify the lamentable state of the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM) – Fareed Zakaria and Brian Williams, and (2) a 13-minute, pre-recorded interview with Peter Galbraith, a former US diplomat, long-time specialist on Iraq, and strong advocate of Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, where he has acknowledged having large business – read oil – “activities.”

https://america.cgtn.com/2017/04/18/the-heat-how-the-us-media-covers-war-and-foreign-conflict

(13 minutes) 

The Founders had it right:

The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.

Thomas Jefferson, January 16, 1787

A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

James Madison, August 4, 1822

How far we have come.  But it is NOT too late – yet.

WANTED: Winter Soldiers