FBI continues to target journalists and their sources

In 1990, I was fired for being a whistle-blower by the Missouri Attorney General, who subsequently spent time in prison. Therefore, the topic of this post is an issue that speaks loudly to me. If you believe in participatory democracy, it should speak loudly to you too. If you are wondering why there is very little investigative journalism anymore, the attached article lays out one of the big reasons. If you were a whistle-blower trying to get important information to the public regarding government corruption or wrongdoing, you can now be easily identified by government spying without any need for a search warrant and without probably cause, at the un-monitored and unlimited discretion of "law enforcement" agencies including the NSA and the FBI that have repeatedly trampled on your constitutional rights. [More . . . ]

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Little coverage of these important stories by the corporate media

If the media were really liberal, we would see a lot more coverage regarding these issues: 1. Where the jobs went. 2. Upward wealth redistribution and/or inequality. 3. ALEC. 4. The number of people in prison. 5. The number of black people in prison. 6. U.S. health care costs are the highest in the world. 7. Glass-Steagall. 8. Gerrymandering. 9. The number of bills blocked by Republicans in Congress. 10. The Citizens' United Supreme Court decision 11. Nixon’s Southern Strategy. 12. Tax cuts primarily benefit the wealthy. 13. What's happening to the bees? 14. The impact of temporary workers on our economy. 15. Media consolidation

If the media were "liberal," it would serve the public interest and shine a light on issues like the ones above. More people would also have a better understanding of global warming, peak oil, population growth, political lobbying, government's role in a functioning economy, how much we spend on the military, and countless other issues. What you’re more likely to see in the media, however, are stories designed to get you to buy their paper, or watch their show, or listen to their radio station. If it bleeds, it leads. This is why the media is concerned with scandal, celebrities, gossip, and fear. If anything, our news consists of paid advertisements and outlets too scared of offending anyone to publish much of substance. Investigative journalism is also expensive; entertainment is cheap. . . One way to approach the topic is to simply ask: If we have a "liberal media," where are the liberal stories?

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Read more about the article On Being Primed For Worse

On Being Primed For Worse

Haven’t we been gearing up for some kind of O.K. Corral showdown pretty much since the announcement that there would be a grand jury? Haven’t we been gearing up for some kind of O.K. Corral showdown pretty much since the announcement that there would be a grand jury? Sure looked like we expected what we got. [More . . . ]

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Read more about the article Just Talkin’ Here

Just Talkin’ Here

One of the more congenial things about FaceBook is that while flaming (and trolling and all such related hate-baiting tactics) still happens, users aren't locked into the thread where it occurs. With multiple conversations going on all the time among many different arrangements of "friends" it is not a problem requiring something like a nuclear option to deal with. 

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