Monkey See Monkey Do

As usual something in the news has struck me again...this time as simply being odd.  Ok also stupid and additionally; entirely revealing.  You can read the full article HERE for all proper context.

So Rep. James Clyburn (not a monkey) feels that it is somehow related to the MLK "Dream" speech to talk about the media being less than diligent in their abilities or willingness to report facts.  I think at least with that summary most people agree...the media has a hard time at being unbiased in its reporting and is more often than not glib.

However...in speaking about Internet based media he claims that they often misquote people or simply quote people out of context.  As if that is something new...and then he blames those "internet media types" for the corporate media (mainstream) not doing their own due diligence and simply running with an unverified story.  So as he gets more and more off-track his thought train de-rails straight into godwin territory.

The quote in context (Hat Tip The Hill.com):

“The people of Germany believed Hitler’s foolishness that led to the Holocaust. They believed that stuff,” Clyburn said. “People will tend to believe what they hear through the media.”

Clyburn singled out “extreme right-wing” bloggers in particular for criticism. He accused such bloggers of forcing Shirley Sherrod to resign from the Department of Agriculture after misrepresenting statements she made to make her appear racially biased. He also said they had libeled the progressive group ACORN, leading to the group’s disbandment. 

"Most of these people are not media people; they are bloggers, and they are bloggers for the extreme right wing," he said. 

“People tend to act now and ask questions later,” Clyburn added. 

He also said that President Obama was vulnerable to misrepresentation due to the media abdicating its responsibilities.

“The media has not been discerning enough, in my opinion, to say to people, ‘This ain’t news. This is foolishness.”

So not only are the "New Media" (Internet media) disciples of Hitler who are intentionally misleading the masses and blaming the jews for everything, but they are somehow removing your ability to think critically and realize what is or is not foolish.  Clyburn obviously feels that there is a growing need for government to do something about these dastardly internet types beyond his control.  Already he has characterized bloggers as "not media people."  So this is related to the discussion that our self-styled betters have been having about the "need" re: desire, to license media people federally so that they can carve out special protections for them and not for you and me.  This was probably talked about for a long time but it was catalyzed by Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden and those who actually distributed the information Wikileaks (Julian Assange et. al. and The Guardian/ Glenn Greenwald...and now by extension his partner who was recently detained for 9 hours under a very broad and likely fraudulent use of an anti-terrorism statute).

So to really get at Clyburn's point.  You're a monkey and we (the government) need to do more to make sure that you get only one government issued and verified take on the days news.  That way you will do what we want.  This is all about control and not what is best for us as individuals.  This is about creating more layers of bureaucracy and it is folly disguised as wisdom at best and at worst it is a strike against the first amendment... disguised as promoting truth.