If one can read the tea leaves dished out by the media, one is supposed to conclude that everybody in this country is outraged. Unfortunately the military industrial complex now extends to media-politicians-pollsters-campaign personnel-lobbyists complex. Our election cycle is hijacked by 24 hour cable news channels, media talking heads, radio and TV info-tainment merchants, political pundits and pollsters, campaign managers and personnel et al. Today our election industry actually generates billions of dollars and tons of jobs for full time political cadres.
Here comes the business of being outraged!
If you look at FoxNews, MSNBC, CNN, or the radio talk shows of Limbaugh and his ilk, blogs, newspaper editorials and oped pages, almost every form of news outlets today earn their revenue from making folks outraged. Even in the depth of ever diminishing print journalism, the successful ones are either peddling in celebrity gossip mongering or instigating already outraged newsreaders. At every election cycle, every one running for the election are raising money through their campaign committees. We also witness fly-by or established non-profit organizations doing the same. These are mere front organizations of various interest groups generating tens or hundreds of millions to spend over the election cycle. Now the more outraged you are, the more likely you’re to shell out cash to fund these organizations, their operations and their various agendas.
Today’s Teabaggers’ outrage is very similar to the rants I used to hear during the 1994 election cycle. The same cast of characters like Limbaugh are again screaming at the top of their lungs. Of course, now we have Beck leading the charge. The average teabagger fits the same angry white male profile from the Contract with America days, excepting they are sixteen years older.
I added the blogosphere intentionally because I have come to the conclusion that the most successful blogs thrive on making us outraged. Looking at the revolving window between frontline bloggers and paid campaign jobs, I find it grossly similar to military generals or elected representatives moving into DC lobbying positions for the industry. Look at what Jane Hamsher did to move her blog from a little known blog to one of the frontline left blogs.
This brings us to Jerome’s MyDD. Why is a racist drug deranged rightwing nut masquerading as a frontpager? Well the more outrageous he is, the more comments he attracts…
Next time when somebody is trying to make you outraged, ask yourself, who benefits if you’re outraged..
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