An odd question I know. It was posed by my friend Robert, via a Facebook discussion. He's a smart guy. I admire that. We have diametrically opposing political leanings. The cool thing is, that we have be able to discuss the issues and our political differences, civilly, in a reasonable and thoughtfully way, without devolving into name-calling and ad hominum attacks. That is a rare type of political discourse, these days. It is precious to me. I appreciate it, and I figured this is a good time and place to say so. That said:
Short Answer: Yes! Time-Warner's practices are fascist, as defined by Benito Mussolini himself: http://www.brainyquote.com/
Better Answer: It's silly question, of course. Who is qualified to make that kind of assessment of each and every mind and heart within that company? But, is Time-Warner an "evil" company? No such thing. Corporations are not *really* people. But because they are *comprised* of people, they can be relied upon to act in such a way that will acquire, retain and consolidate power - which maximizes profit. It's what they're here to do. So, the actions of Time-Warner and their accomplices [ http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/sessions/2011/bills/house/pdf/h129v0.pdf ] are a blatant attempt to undermine, usurp and subvert the authority of our duly elected officials in order to to solidify their monopoly. Therefore, it *is* fascist activity, on its face. In the absence of anything to stop them, it's only natural. So, please don't be dismissive, dear friend. The form of Fascism which necessitated WWII was not built in a day. It was incremental - a teeny little unobtrusive sliver at a time. This country was built on the idea of protecting We the People (both individuals and our communities) from the tyranny of the powerful - regardless of the source of that potentially tyrannical power. Anyone who believes in "limited government" without limiting also corporate power needs a wake-up call, in my opinion... or maybe a History refresher.
I implore you, citizen: Look at the big picture! It's bigger than saving a few dollars on your monthly payment to Big Consolidated Media. If Big Consolidated Media control of both the content *and* means through which our content (entertainment, news and otherwise) is delivered, consumers lose. We the People lose... and lose big. But this is even bigger than Big Consolidated Media. Merger-mania continues to run amok. You've seen it... probably more closely than most. There are almost no more small fish left as big fishes have eaten them all. Monopolies abound, leaving in their wake the rubble of countless family-owned small business. And in the same way that Time-Warner has tried to do (above), they routinely choke off the possibility of new competitive start-ups wherever they can. Can we agree that this has NOT been good for America?
From what I know, we are both proudly patriotic capitalists. As the price of freedom is, indeed, eternal vigilance, surely we can agree upon our obligation to sound the alarm when we see another sliver of our freedom drift away from us. You and I have witnessed first-hand how the gentle balance between our system of government (representative democracy) and our economic system (capitalism) has been out of kilter for the past 30 years. Restoring that balance will return America to its former self when she was at peace, happier, stronger, more solvent and more free. So, again, I ask: wouldn't you prefer that kind of America to some neo-Feudalistic Plutocratic oligarchy?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.