All the "Free Speech" Money Can Buy -- Lou Dobbs Gives Corporate Marketers the Nod

I hope you didn't miss Lou Dobbs on Monday night speaking on fairness in the media. It provided a revealing look at what we've come to consider "free speech" in the United States: whoever can afford it. Dobbs was commenting on a "move to reimpose a so-called 'fairness doctrine'...to create balance in broadcasting."

Dobbs stated:

Michael Cops, the FCC Commission chairman, said if markets cannot produce what society really cares about, like a media that reflects the true diversity and spirit of our country, then government has a legitimate role to play.

Dobbs tossed a softball to conservative author and talk show programmer Brian Jennings, asking if Cops was making a "call for government takeover of media."

"It sure sounds it to me," Jennings replied.

Dobbs concurred with a sarcastic: "Government knows best, you know."

This "interview" followed a segment in which Dobbs nearly kissed the feet of General Motors CFO Raymond Young.

Dobbs ended yet another softball interview with this sarcastic cheap shot at Obama:

I think it's the right decision for General Motors to tell President Obama and his, as he puts it, 'auto task force,' it's time to straighten out business practices that permit multinationals to take advantage of the world's richest consumer market and to displace American workers. It's time for people to do a little better thinking than that in Washington, D.C.

But wait! Why is it the responsibility of the U.S. government to step in and make sure multinationals don't take advantage of consumers and displace American workers, when it's absolutely fine for the same government to sit back while the mass media is taken over by ultra-right fat cats who would fire hundreds of people to pay a despicable human being like Rush Limbaugh hundreds of millions of dollars to spew hatred over the public airwaves?

Dobbs called FCC concern for fairness arrogance "beyond imagination."

Isn't the real arrogance trying to cut off debate on this topic at the knees?

Referring to Nancy Pelosi as "this woman," Jennings, and Dobbs directed the blame for even looking at the lack of media balance squarely at her.

And what does the supposedly middle-leaning Dobbs say about this? "And the idea that liberals would be talking about the fairness doctrine, there's nothing very liberal about the idea to be mandating content."

It's a big step from "talking about fairness" to "mandating content," Mr. Dobbs.

Jennings replied in a pathetic attempt at patriotic poetry: "This is not a conservative versus a liberal fight. This is an American freedom. This is an absolute cherished freedom that we have. And if we give up any of this, any of this, all other freedoms matter none."

Wow. Share a little radio time to another view and "all other freedoms matter none." Now that's deep -- and twisted.

Dr. Reardon also blogs at bardscove.

Comments

[bayside]

First thing on Our justice Sotomayor agenda should be to deport Lou Dobbs. Just a suggestion­..She is a one of those scary brown people and a women to boot...Woo­o

[giron]

I bet Dobbs will soon have his own show on Fox.

[FoonTheElder]

Our Supreme Court has already ruled that the ability to spend money is the equivalent to free speech. That was their justification for overruling the limits on campaign spending. According to the SC money isn't property, it's free speech. So apparently, the wealthy have more free speech rights than people who aren't wealthy.

[seanparnell]

You got it wrong.

It isn't that money is free speech, it's that money is required to enable free speech. Just try to advocate your position without spending money, either a couple hundred dollars printing off flyers at Kinko's to distribute to your fellow citizens, or dropping a few million to run ads. It's all the same - political speech, enabled by money.

The First Amendment begins "Congress shall make no law..." What part of that is so hard?

Sean Parnell
President
Center for Competitive Politics
http://www.campaignfreedom.org

[FoonTheElder]

So if I have no money, i can't ENABLE my free speech. If I have billions, I can advocate my position. If I have no money, I can't advocate my position until I get money.

The ability to use your property (money) for self-promotion is different from free speech. If that wasn't the case, why aren't cigarette companies able to use free speech to advertise on most medias?

By your explanation the Supreme Court has equated property with free speech. No property, no free speech, lots of property, lots of free speech. Free speech does not mean that you will always have unlimited access to express free speech. If that were the case, why aren't politicians allowed to have free access to all types of media. Why are books and movies banned by government. These are all restrictions to free speech.

[itolduso]

talk radio, newspapers, network & cable news shows.....­none of them offer any real information, just hyped-up headlines, a few talking points, absolutely zero depth.....­.lots of very loud, very scary, very empty noise. And they all seem to play the same tune to get us dancing on the 'down beat', while our pockets are picked on the upbeat. GAY MARRIAGE (everybody dance while they rewrite the rules on tarp funds-don't look) SOCIALISM (grab your partner and dance while they hand out bonuses to the banksters, and weaken & delay protections for consumers) BAILOUTS CAUSING HUGE DEFICITS (lets all jitterbug while we ignore the billions going to war profiteers) PANDEMIC We are a nation fighting two wars, but you wouldn't know it from our news 'sources'. Our troops are in serious trouble, multiple combat tours, P.T.S.D.'s­, suicides, untreated & misdiagnosed mental illness & battle-fatigue, broken marraiges & homelessness rampant on their return home.... & silence from the msm. Dance.

[Kathleen Reardon - Huffpost Blogger]

Well said, indeed!

[HeevenSteven]

Dobbs is a faux populist, and faux centrist. He's right wing all the way.

[Kathleen Reardon - Huffpost Blogger]

A lot of pretend provacateuring (new verb) going on!

[dan-o]

I think Dobbs has been taking big business and government to task for a long time. He has been railing against the exploitation of our easy import rules by multinational companies who bring in low cost products made in low cost countries when we are blocked from those markets. It is difficult for our manufacturers to export to markets that set up trade barriers or manipulate their currency to keep out our products.

[Kathleen Reardon - Huffpost Blogger]

Could be called "faux-vacateuring," don't you think?

[Budokan]

Dobbs is a stenographer for the RepubliKan scream machine and nothing more.

[lgillooly]

They know the unique power of talk radio. It is the only media outlet that reaches 10's of millions a day and has national saturation. After the national shows are finished (Like Rush, Hannity, Beck etc) then a local parroting host will repeat their talking points on several hundred channels.
Repetition and saturation the keys to controlling the message...­.just read about Goebbels..
We are being taken over by the 5 or 6 corporations that own the media and prevent any progress in healthcare, energy, and the Financial system. They still own the Country even though their greed and self interest brought us to our knees....w­ho gets bailed out?

[Kathleen Reardon - Huffpost Blogger]

Not the people who should.

[blaqntelligence]

I'm just waiting for the news that Lou "I'm-fight­in'-for-th­e-middle-c­lass" Dobbs has moved to fox news a la glenn "I-see-liberals" beck.

[Kathleen Reardon - Huffpost Blogger]

It's entertainment first. If you know that, you're okay.