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| (Photo by Kurt Christensen) |
The facts are not all that complex or hard to understand, for those interested in looking at them. Television networks are for-profit businesses. There is nothing wrong with that in a healthy socio-economic system. Under our current structure however, their primary interest is to increase and protect their financial profit margins - at any cost. Things like 'keeping their employees happy, healthy and secure' or 'reporting accurate and honest news' are therefore - in their perspective - objectives that are often counter to goal number one. Jobs are not cut while profits and CEO salaries rise, because of any set of factors outside of these basic unhealthy principles.
Health, wellness, fairness, equality and honesty are simply not top priorities to most big corporations within our current socio-economic system; one that prioritizes short-term financial profits above all else - including human wellness and long-term stability.
It is not a matter of corporations being "evil" or any other such silliness. While profiteers and status-quo-activists seem to want to paint this movement with that kind of brush, few if any, that are actually involved in the Occupy Wall Street Movement subscribe to such simple-minded rhetoric. As for the failings of our economy and the corporate interest in keeping things the way they are; it is simply a matter of shortsightedness and narrow-mindedness. The few at the head of the megalith broadcasting companies believe that their short-term financial gains are a greater priority than (among other things) telling the truth to the American people.
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| Mike Myers marched in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street October 5th, 2011 |
Among those who took to the streets yesterday to prioritize telling the truth to the American people, was comedic actor, Mike Myers, who admits that he "...came to America with a Canadian dollar and a dream." When asked about why he joined the movement he said, "My only cause would be a level playing field - that's all." Mr. Myers grew up financially poor in Canada, living on social assistance programs. Today, he is obviously in no personal need of financial support, but he clearly remembers what it was like to be among the struggling.
Others who showed up to speak for a 'level playing field' were students and college professors who walked out of their expensive educational institutions to join in the cause. While the well educated and underprivileged on the front lines of inequal American economics already know the root of our country's current crisis, the rest of the people are being fed distasteful, corporately distorted angles on this growing movement.
Most television networks are owned by a handful of huge corporations. This puts the information that is disseminated through television broadcasting under the control of a handful of people. Every single one of those people - heads of giant broadcasting companies - is at least a millionaire. Their financial interests, are not the same as the financial interests of most Americans. It is in their best interest - if they are to keep the status quo - to keep the American masses ill-informed about our current socio-economic structure, and any movement that aims to change it. It is in their best interest to make their viewers distrust, ignore, ridicule, or otherwise dismiss the Occupy Wall Street Movement.
Nonetheless, the minority of citizens who understand their own socio-economic system are rising up to educate the sleeping masses. They may have a corporate media Goliath to contend with, but the spirit of these Davids does not seem to be breakable. Perhaps more important; they are growing in numbers with every passing day.
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| (AP / Seth Wenig) |
What will this Saturday look like?
- written by Theodore Scheriff Jr.
Originally published on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at:
