Postmodern Culture

Everything you want to know about postmodernism, postmodernity, and postmodern culture. Your guide to achieving postmodern literacy from The Notorious Dr. Rog and the class of ENG 335 at Rollins College.

Monday, November 06, 2006

E.M preclass post 11-7

“A propaganda model focuses on this inequality of wealth and power and its multi-level effects on mass-media interests and choices. It traces the routes by which money and power are able to filter out the news fit to print, marginalize dissent, and allow the government and dominant private interests to get their messages a across to the public.” (Herman/Chomsky 257)

To me this means that the liberal media and the conservative media are at odds with one another. Unfortunately, the days of some semblance of non bias media coverage has gone by the way side. What disturbs me is the polarized slant on how the news gets covered. If you watch Fox you would think that the President is doing a bang up Job. If you watch CNN or any other media coverage you get the exact opposite scenario. Has the media become nothing more than a giant propaganda machine? Not yet.
To me the main focus harkens back to Adorno to be amused or entertained is to be in agreement. Wow and he was writing about Nazi Germany.
The Government tries to use the media in this country to get its message across and in some instances they have achieved some success i.e. right after 9/11 – The country was all about kicking butt and taking names. Now there are some differences – the media has become more like a ten headed hydra – each head representing a varying degree of opinion on any given subject. Has our government been able to marginalize dissent and allow “government and private interests get their message across to the public” I believe by in large yes. For the most part you are not seeing large scale unrest or large marches on D.C. as in the case of the un-popular Vietnam War.
I believe that Eisenhower had some sort of Nostradamus moment when he gave his last speech as president.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
(Public Papers of the Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960, p. 1035- 1040)

Unfortunately the public is only as aware and cognizant as it is willing to be. As long as the masses are content to drive nice cars/ eat out and otherwise be entertained – They will continue to be in agreement. Is there inequality between the wealthy and the powerful – of course – there is a standard amount of inequality. Is important news being filtered out and are we left with a sanitized version. Probably – could we handle the truth?
I am not concerned about the filters--
We are currently inundated with so much information that we can’t concentrate on any one thing --- therefore we do nothing about anything.
Perhaps tomorrows elections will test my theory. I very much want to be wrong.

1 Comments:

Blogger Notorious Dr. Rog said...

Wasn't Eisenhower incredibly prescient?

2:47 PM  

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