The Manifesto of Pukin Dog

Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 18 September 2994 | John Armor (Congressman Billybob)

[Jim Noble]

It goes beyond MSM, because they are now a mere subsidiary of the "entertainment" industry.

The captains of that industry fancy themselves powerful enough to choose the President, just as the Medicis and other merchant princes of the Middle ages and early Renaissance could effectively choose the Pope.

They are using ALL their tools of influence to help Kerry, not just Viacom-CBS's phony "news".

The fall of Rather, even if it happens, will be a minor tactical victory as long as 70% of sitcoms broadcast in October have anti-Bush laugh lines.

Get ready for a thirty years war.

[skeeter]

Three cheers from the FR peanut gallery...

[Fury]

One poster called Free Republic the new open source "Linux" of the news world.

I would expect an all out assault on FR in the days right before the election. I would not put it past some folks to try and launch some coordinated network attacks, or attempt to mess with DNS information, in an attempt to futz up access to FR.

[Lazamataz]

There is power in love.

Good L-rd.

Southack is a hippy.

[Ides of March]

A shot across the bow!

Except for SeeBS -- they're taking on water.

[weegee]

There is no "old media", just an establishment media that has now earned the name "buggy whip media".

[Luis Gonzalez]

It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

[weegee]

To be sure. Disruption of FR by the Brownshirts For Kerry can be expected on the eve of the 2004 election. I would even go so far as to suggest closing the registration of new accounts in the week before the election.

There will be all sorts of rumor and innuendo dropped on FR, DOS attacks, and attempts to stop the reporting of observed vote fraud on election day.

During the GOP convention there were coordinated attacks to try to take down several conservative forums and even the Republican Party's website.

Expect them to try to disrupt communications.

[Getsmart64]

Looks like you just wrote your own manifesto Mr. Congressman....all you freepers keep up the good work....I'm in awe!!!

Regards.....

[NCSteve]

Dog,

I think you're spot-on with your rant. I think the revolution started back in the early 80's with the old BBS and dialup boards that were everywhere. The Internet made these dark corners accessible to everyone with a modem and now, to anyone with a telephone line or cable TV and an extra $40 a month.

However, there is a lurking danger I don't think everyone takes seriously enough. I think this information revolution is reaching critical mass and I think old power structures could soon be swept away, but only if people fight to keep these channels free and unfettered by government control.

I give you the steps that China and several Arabic states are taking to control the public's access to content. Power structures don't take threats like this lightly. It can only be a matter of time before they move to protect themselves. The greatest fear a public figure might harbor is a free and objective press. The left, masters of doublespeak, have succeeded in ridding us of such an organ. We have already seen efforts, such as raptor and various other schemes to tax and/or regulate the Internet. These efforts are intended to rid us of the far more powerful successor to the free press: free and instant information

The only way that your manifesto can be fully realized is for all of us netizens, clad in our PJs, to continue to have access to information at the same or better rate that the MSM gets it. It is vital that we resist efforts by those with the most to lose to limit or even curtail that access. It is important that we recognize that the people who might try to impose these limits on us come in both Republican and Democrat flavors. They will seek to impose their will under guises varying from political correctness to protecting us from terrorists.

Unfortunately, if the worst happens, it will be because Joe Sixpack was dozing and complacent. We must take on the responsibility for convincing Joe that he may not always like what we have to say, but the consequences of our inability to say it would be far worse. We must not allow the MSM, which is now simply an organ of the state, to marginalize us, because at that point, Joe Sixpack doesn't care what happens to us. At that point, even though he may not realize it, Joe Sixpack is lost as well.

[rodguy911]

Great stuff tell it like it is, the MSM is all but irrelevant now and in ten years they will be.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks.

You know, Southack, I've been reading some 'highbrow' on-line journals in the world of mass media and higher education, trying to dissect this recent "pajama blogosphere" phenomenon, of Blogs vs CBS. For example, one out of stellar Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, containing bright, young, predominantly liberal people who have already spent many thousands of dollars to get into American journalism the traditional way, through The Establishment Route (they have a vested interest in seeing that additional, alternative information sources of a democratic and diverse nature do not come to the forefront. How to explain to Mommy and Daddy and one's own peers, when paying back the grad school loan that it was all a waste of time?)

At any rate, if these elitist discussions conducted away from the unwashed masses were held in a closed room, after five minutes you'd have to open the doors and windows for lack of air. Full of dank, hot gas. Very arrogant. Very, very angry (at us). Jealous. Threatened. Nervous.

More than a tinge of concern comes to the surface that is quite perceivable. They think we are idiots for naively and prematurely sounding the death knell of the "Old Media", and they think our time will come when WE are discredited in front of the whole world--and their point will have been proven, their superior position confirmed. Not only do they hope and pray for it, I wouldn't be surprised if some are plotting to have a hand in it.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yep.

[Quix]

GREAT PIECE!

CHEERS! CHEERS! CHEERS!

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Though I fear it's going to get lots worse before it gets lastingly better.

[rodguy911]

It's all power and control and the MSM can't stand the thought of loosing either.

[Revolting cat!]

Call me Mr Dense (go ahead, make my day, punk!) but we are still in a reactive mode. The good ole MSM is still the provider of information we chew on. We don't grow our own dog food. We react to the false reports, to the forgeries, and we supplement them with new tidbits, to be sure, but the mode is decisively reactive, sorry. We are like the people who talk to their idiot boxes and argue with Pat Sajak.

What's different and overlooked in this orgy of self-congratulation is that the Internet has now given us the means to talk back in public, to hear each other, and to be heard and in the end to make some difference. But Reuters, which won't name a terrorist "terrorist", still rules the supply chain of information (or is one of the rulers anyhow.) Nuance, friends, nuance.

[Southack]

"we are still in a reactive mode. The good ole MSM is still the provider of information we chew on. We don't grow our own dog food."

I disagree. It was Free Republic that first spotted the Shuttle breaking up over California and into Texas. Freepers have provided firsthand reporting from Iraq, Japan, Iran, Israel, South Korea, and most American states.

Yes, part of what Free Republic is doing is to react to mainstream news, but there is another part of FR that is providing our own firsthand information, and yet another part that is providing unique analysis based upon all available information.

And then there is activism. It was Free Republic that led the March on Washington in 1998 with Congressman Bob Barr that led to Clinton's impeachment in the House. It's Doctor Raoul and Kristinn and the DC Chapter of FReepers who are protesting congressmen and reporters alike.

Taken in sum, Free Republic is providing a brand new check and balance to the old media world, as well as leading the charge to a more American, more conservative tomorrow.

The AWB Has Expired - Gun Owners Have Won Again For All Americans!

[rodguy911]

Be nice or we will sick the Viking Kittens on you and you will run away screaming.

[Revolting cat!]

Free Republic is providing a brand new check and balance to the old media world

Exactly. That is the main change and a major shock to the MSM and to the J-school students mentioned above. But the providers of the majority of information have not changed and are unlikely to go away. They'll be more careful now, knowing the Pajama People are waiting to kick their ass!

[BriarBey]

Good job..."PUNKIN" Dog....:)