Free Press?

American voices of dissent have been systematically silenced -- tonight's debate gives us a glimpse into how Fox network controls American politics during such crucial times in history.

One of the first things Russian president Vladimir Putin did in his ruthless exercise of power was to drive media moguls in charge of the fairly new "free press" into exile and put his loyalists in charge of Russia's fledgling media outlets. His goal, as has been reported by many print journalists is to "Restore Russia to greatness and consolidate his power." He sees the two as "inextricably connected" according to the magazine This Week. (December 21st) Controlling the free exchange of ideas is Stalin-esque right? Can we all agree on that?

So, what makes Fox network and ultimately Rupert Murdoch's exclusion of Ron Paul from tonight's debate any different from what Putin is doing in Russia? Voices that do not kow-tow to the powerful mainstream media are finding themselves outcasts from it. Have Americans completely forgotten the Constitution? Is the government so deeply entangled in the bed sheets of these mega-media corporations that voices of dissent are squelched without public outcry? Apparently the answer to that is da.

Fox news network depends upon the war. It made its name by being cheerleaders for it. The network itself depends on the industrial military complex and so do many of the other six mega-media corporations who own the airwaves. At least one, NBC, owned by General Electric, is making huge profits from the war.

In regard to Ron Paul and tonight's debate, Rupert Murdoch and Fox should never be allowed such Putin-like tactics. But much like Russian President Vladimir Putin maintaining power, controlling the people and protecting profit is more important than being public servants to the people our airwaves were meant to serve. In the beginning the airwaves were charged with the responsibility of being conduits of information from all points of view. How things have changed.

Ron Paul talks about the fourth amendment: privacy rights. He says, "Americans never have to give up liberties to be safe." Benjamin Franklin said it first, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Paul even defends Republican Mitt Romney's right to any religious belief he prefers. A strict Constitutionalist, Ron Paul does not believe religion should ever play any role in electing our officials. However, Paul defends any candidate's right to believe whatever he wants as long as that candidate does not make it part of his political platform. Paul knows that a country that votes for the person with the "right" religion is a country destined to fall apart. Paul calls it "a soft form of fascism." Wars fought in the name of religion in the world today are too numerous to count.

Separation of church and state, and personal religious freedom are just two reasons the revolutionary war was fought and America was founded. Ron Paul reminds anyone who will listen of that as well.

Paul also talks about "raising a new generation that understands virtue cannot be legislated," and he is the darling of online voters. That alone must threaten the networks as network ratings dwindle when Paul's followers turn off the tube and get online. That could be the real reason Paul was excluded tonight.

I am not a Ron Paul voter. I am an American who wants to learn as much as I can about every candidate.

Kucinich was stopped from speaking in Iowa and now Ron Paul.

Shame, shame, shame Fox network -- Murdoch and Putin should be pen-pals.

www.lesliegriffithproductions.com

Comments

[realpolitic]

We need a free press and not Fox News jingoism! The press has an important position as the fourth estate. Fox News has its role entirely backward. They are supposed to sift through government propaganda and investigate the truth, and not be a bulwark for such propaganda. Fox is the thought police driving ideas from the marketplace and not contributing to a free exchange of ideas. Fox News says other sources have a liberal bias. This statement is true only if one defines a liberal bias as holding government accountable.

[Karen80]

Thank you, Leslie, for keeping an eye on the important news that's so often overlooked.

[kevinabt]

I think FOX shoudl be allowed to exclude anyone they want. Hear me out.
FOX owns their programs, I don't think they legally HAVE to do anything. They have free speech rights just like the rest of us. Forcing them to broadcast something or not broadcast something a bad idea, that is restricted speech, not free speech.
That being said, the result of their CHOICE is going to be a sharp decline in their credibility as a news source and an increase in public public opinion against them (very bad for them). The problem is not that FOX broadcasts lies and deception, that is an inherent part of being able to speak freely. The problem is that too many people are taken in by their lies, are too lazy or biases themselves to investigate, and are just generally intellectually sluggish. There is an abundance of alternative media, and no one has to look very far to find it.
I think the bottom line of what I'm saying is that if we want free speach then we have to accept all the lies, manipulation and bias that inherently comes with it. We shouldn't restrict what gets said just because we think we know what is best or what is right.

[kopyrightliberationfront]

Leslie! I grew up watching you on channel 2 and now I find you here! Love it.

[TalkingFrog]

We see more support for Ron Paul all over town- lawn signs, bumper stickers, window posters- than for any other candidate. Even my young children have noticed how his name isn't mentioned on TV as if it's forbidden. As a recovering Libertarian, I'm leaning his way. And Ron Paul is even a Texan!

Guiliani has prestige? Please. Of course Guiliani is more a household name than Ron Paul. Isn't that basically the point of this thread?

[Pdubya]

ron paul is on jay leno tonight, 1/7/08

tune in.

democrat for ron paul

[twofish]

Shame on Fox? Sure. But the real shame is on the Democratic Party, which put up with the media deciding who could be in on their debates. (The Repugs have never had any shame anyway, and I don't really care how many clowns pile out of the clown car at their debates.)

Debates? Bite my own tongue! Dumb questions and vapid answers at best.

[joja]

Ms. Griffith --

Excellent article! And badly needed.

Ron Paul was excluded by Fox because he makes them uncomfortable -- conservatives never want to hear an opposing view of their Candyland-world because it's contrarian to their authoritarian leanings -- "Just tell us what to think and believe and we'll do it, 'cause exercising free will is the work of the devil!"

Fair and balanced, my ass!

[loslobo]

Thank God for Bill Moyers, Ron and Dennis were on Friday.

[Lemeritus]

How ironic is it that Ron Paul was excluded from the Republican debates on Fox but Dennis Kucinich appeared on Hannity & Colmes?

[Pdubya]

Leslie, I really don't know if you realize what is at stake.

Do you like the crash of your dollar? that your house is worth half of what you think?

that oil has gone up 200% on the canadian dollar, almost 400% on the American dollar, but on gold ZERO? Do you understand our inflationary monetary policy and that the federal reserve is a private bank not answerable to Congress?

our constitution states that only gold and silver (or backed currency) be legal tender AND that only Congress (thats you and me) shall issue money. do you understand that a free society can only exist when those two components exist? and that we had it before 1913...

“Allow me to control the issue and the nation’s money and I care not who makes its laws!” — Amshell Rothschild

“It is well enough that the people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system for, if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” — Henry Ford

These are the real reasons that Paul is being black-balled. He is a threat to the globalist agenda and free market principle.

..and no, we have not had a free market, we've had a managed market....corporatism... a "soft form of fascism" as Paul stated in Russert's interview.

peace

there is a rEVOLution going on Leslie....Indies, Dems, Conservative Repubs....be a part of it. Numbers count this time.

more than ever.

[Pdubya]

Thank you for this article!

Free press? sure, if you're a spokesperson candidate for the Council on Foreign Relations and their globalist agenda....Hucky was tanked in the polls and funding (and not much better now in funding), but a day after he visited the CFR...bam! national polls went up...free press ensued.

I too, think you just may be a Ron Paul supporter if you looked deeper into Paul's position.

He is the only one speaking about the monetary system. Know our last Presidents that were not CFR member? Reagan, JFK, and Eisenhower. Ike warned against the military industrial complex. The Gipper touted free markets, but his ideals failed because they could not work in a fiat money system and ultimately allowed the neocons to run amock (with Daddy Bush whispering in his ear....Reagan turned into a puppet in his senility). And well, we know what happened to JFK...Executive Order 110.

tin hat? research. The Creature From Jekyll Island..read it.

here are some other videos to ponder:

http://www.infiniteronpaul.com/meetupmaps/

http://www.indedge.com/ronpaul.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07TVBLFroSM

www.youtube.com (search for ron paul)

www.ronpaul2008.com

www.dailypaul.com

www.whowouldtheworldelect.com

www.meetup.com (join us!)

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071108/NEWS08/311080111

http://media.newsreview.com/TearSheets/files/R/2007-11-08/0036.pdf

www.ronpaulgraphs.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF3NtEWj6ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur4hKqTikqM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaxdUPNYj2s

homosexuality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJz81lAwY0M&NR=1

minorities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ji_Ft23BDw&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TJ9ZITd2rs

www.opensecrets.org

Paul not only speaks about hope, he has transition plans, pragmatic solutions to get there. All of the others is either Guns or Butter and a dissolution of our sovereignty.

peace,

democrat for ron paul

[PainfullyAware]

I think you would be a Ron Paul Voter If you were able to hear and understand his message.

Ron Paul is a representative for the people; not the government or global corporations.

If the establishment does not want the people to hear of or about Ron Paul; it should be taken as an endorsement.

The Economy is the big issue of our time; why is only Ron Paul talking about it.

Core Character Counts. Country Before Party !!!

I vote for virtue; I vote for Ron Paul !!!

[RepublicanBrain]

You'd best do a little more research then. Ron Paul is not a popular candidate. There's almost no reason to include him.

There are other instances in a newscast that aren't about ideology. Things like time, and interest. But it seems this blogger wants to assume the worst without any evidence. Truly the wrong way to go about things.

[LizM]

Y'all are really too much! A free press!? Hell, I'd settle for a press that wasn't so woefully and willfully ignorant and incompetent, almost without exception - free or not.