Jim: After all of those weak analo-gies, I'm gonna need
a strong analo-gesic for my headache. <groan>.
(And by the way, the next time I'm fighting an eviction, I don't think I'll
be hiring you as my attorney -- unless, of course, you happen to be
friends with the judge.)
We all understand (I hope) how advertising and campaign "donations"
influence their recipients. The strings may not be visible, but they're
there all the same. But these matching contributions are fundamentally
different -- it's apples-and-oranges. The only conceivable way such
funds could possibly turn into "strings" would be if some corporate
evil genii (that's plural of genius) recruited hundreds of Trojan horse
subscribers -- maybe not even real workers! -- all at the same time,
and *in collusion* with people on the inside at Pacifica made it clear
that for those funds to keep coming, the programming would have to
be turned into inoffensive pabulum. Let's be clear, this scheme would
DEPEND ON collaborators inside the stations -- some sort of "fifth
column" -- and if they already had conspirators in position, then why
would they need to bother with the whole matching-funds subterfuge?
Like somebody already said, this whole issue is just making a mountain
out of a molehill. And besides, why would they even bother?!?! If those
capitalists were ever worried about Pacifica in the past, right now they
are laughing their asses off and popping champagne corks over the
self-inflicted damage caused by years of internecine warfare. Frankly,
we've got MUCH bigger things to worry about. This doesn't even
amount to a mosquito on the other side of the screen door. So
unless you can come up with something better than a broken
analogy, I think I'm ready for a nap.
Craig Gingold
PS - When it comes to "patriotic" (or not-so) songs, I much prefer
"Wasteland of the Free" by Iris Dement. Sorry, I don't have the lyrics
on hand... Great song!
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: "Jim DeMaegt" <jdemaegt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: More corporations are needed to pay Pacifica's bills
Date sent: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 15:18:23 -0800
Craig, G. writes: "So I am going to ask one more time:
Since there are literally NO STRINGS ATTACHED to these funds, why
would anyone "allege that just maybe those who make the decisions about
programming and political viewpoints at a media outlet just might skew
their view points toward pleasing those who fund and pay the bills' ??"
-----------------
Well you are never going to get any straight A.N.S.W.E.R.s out of me.
But again I agree with you.
And those who buy commercial spots and advertisement on regular news
programs and regular non-news programs on the television and radio also
cannot and do not have any ability to influence the content of the
programming either.
Check it out. Absolutely every major media network has rules and
standards that absolutely prohibit those who purchase commercials and
advertising from having any influence on any news or even regular
programming.
So it is absolutely impossible for businesses and any who buy or donate
money to news or other programming to influence the content.
Well sure there is no "rule" that the company has to keep giving or
buying advertising if they do not like the programming but they cannot
directly influence the programming content. Actually they cannot even
comment on the programming or news content one way or the other.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED is the "rule" even in regular commercial television
and radio. And in newspapers and magazines as well. Those who buy
advertising absolutely cannot say directly that they will buy advertising
only if the news stories are changed or if the programming is changed..
But just maybe some cynical programming directors might think that if
they do not put on programs or news that the companies like then the
companies just might stop donating or stop buying commercials. But hey that
is really not likely to happen is it?
It is much the same with donors to political office candidates. It is
totally illegal - it is a felony in fact- for a person to donate to a
political candidate only if the political candidate promises to vote for or
against or support or oppose any legislation or for the political candidate
to promise to change his or her position on anything as a result of the
donation of any money to his or her campaign. The law is that there must be
absolutely NO STRINGS ATTACHED.in all donations to candidates for political
offices. So donors to political campaigns have absolutely no influence on
political candidates or office holders at all. [Although again some very
cynical people do dispute this conclusion. Heck those cynical disputers
are all probably Communists though.]
And if Pacifica becomes dependant on corporate donations in order to
stay on the air then some Pacifica programming directors just might think
that the corporations might stop donating of the companies do not like the
programming that is on Pacifica. But again that isn't really likely to
happen its it?
So there is no absolutely problem with Pacifica becoming dependant on
corporate donations. Heck there would not even be any problem with Pacifica
doing paid commercials since it amounts to pretty much the same thing and
pretty much the same rules apply to each circumstance.
And "He who Pays the Piper Calls the Tune" is just not true ------- well
at least it is not true in Democratic, Free, Patriotic and Blessed America
at least. " Let us sing together:
America
My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!
My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.
Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.
-----------------------
Jim D.
-----------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "CraigGingold" <gingold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <Freekpfk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 2:36 PM
Subject: [NewPacifica] Re: [freekpfk] More corporate media outlets are
needed and we love them --
> Jim --
>
> Damn, I was holding such hopes for enlightenment from your reply.
> And you've disappointed me, you've dashed my hopes. But I haven't
> completely given up on you. So I am going to ask one more time:
>
> Since there are literally NO STRINGS ATTACHED to these funds, why
> would anyone "allege that just maybe those who make the decisions about
> programming and political viewpoints at a media outlet just might skew their
> view points toward pleasing those who fund and pay the bills" ?? -- There is
> ZERO incentive for anybody to do any such thing, unless they are pleasing
> their subscriber/members who happen to work at one of those corporations.
>
> So perhaps we should ban all memberships & contributions from people
> who work at big corporations. Yes, that's it! That would solve our problems.
> At the very least, we should inform all such potential subscribers that their
> donations fall into a suspect class, and that they will be required to submit
> a Pacifica Loyalty Oath before their dollars will be accepted.
>
> Craig Gingold
>
>
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