September 8, 2008

By John Kusumi

I suppose that my unfinished book, Genocidal Correctness, will explain in depth what I can only summarize now: Journalism in the United States is a bifurcated pursuit. Those who go to journalism at a state or local level tend to be competent journalists, qualified by training to get the story, whether that is fire, flood, crime, the school board, city hall, or the state house. I don’t question their veracity. I’ve seen lots of metro and affiliate journalism that is a credit to the profession.

That’s well and good, but U.S. journalism also has its federal, or network, level. While local journalism may be reality-based, network journalism is reality-agnostic. It is a place where stories are taken merely on the word of an authority who “says so.” It is a place where questions are perilous to ask, and second opinions are frowned on. If a second opinion is sought, one might have one’s patriotism questioned, or lose one’s job. And in political commentary, it is a place where “black is white, and night is day.”

If I were Adolph Hitler and putting together a propaganda department, I would want Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, and Dan Rather on the team. (If Jennings is unavailable, substitute Ted Koppel.) They could teach the Nazis a thing or two. And, from its upper echelons, America could contribute many more names to that roster.

It was bad enough when, late in August, I observed that China has a crime against humanity going — Falun Gong organ harvesting, a story which gets more and more solid as time and investigation bear out the story. With recent new evidence added into the hopper, we should take it that the story is confirmed. In a recent article, I chided CNN for sitting on the story since 2006. In light of recent revelations, there is a right thing to do, which is to break the story to the audiences who watch CNN. Alternatively, there is a morally reprehensible thing to do, which is to continue to sit on the story.

It is bad enough that they continue to sit on that story, because there is a modern-day holocaust occurring in China. If you are a civilian in China who wants to practice religion, or politics, or journalism, or law, CNN is clearly signalling that “Death for you is fine by them.” On September 3, I fielded an interview with a Chinese broadcaster who was following up about my article. In many different ways, the question was asked, “What is the problem with the mainstream media?” I tried to field the question in a way that leaves open some room for change. Perhaps, pendulums also swing back, and the MSM may yet come around and reflect humanity on this story.

So, I didn’t tell the Chinese audience that “death for you is fine by them.” I hemmed and hawed and made some excuses, explaining that for political reasons, U.S. mainstream journalists want to carry water for the powerful. I added that “pendulums also swing back,” as for example after Watergate — a time when America had an independent media. I also said that the Chinese Communist regime has been experiencing a run of good fortune, but that their luck would run out.

However, it becomes onerous and burdensome to have any optimism about the U.S. press. (Again, I’m speaking of the federal / network level of the press, not the metro print, radio, and affiliate media which are on the other side of this bifurcated journalism profession.) It may be simpler to report that “death for you is fine by them,” and now there begins to be yet more evidence at hand that other civilians — Americans, not just Chinese — are also getting the same signal.

They are setting us up for World War III.

First John McCain, and then Rudy Giuliani made the absurd claim to Americans that, “We are all Georgians now.” Excuse me? I am not a Georgian. Nor would I escalate that conflict into World War III. Georgia began that conflict by committing atrocities against civilians. Previously, Georgia turned away from freedom to the extent that it imposed severe limits on opposition and shut down free media. Georgia’s President very likely belongs in the International Criminal Court, on trial for crimes against humanity.

But, look at the mainstream spin, which CNN passes along: “We are all Georgians now.” I beg your pardon? We are all being set up for World War III now. And why? It’s because, “Death for you is fine by them.” I’m sure that CNN is prepared to report on World War III, and prepared to be quite chipper as usual. There may be an upcoming Britney Spears trial, so perhaps World War III will never get mentioned at all! Boy, isn’t that a clean way of handling the story — not at all! The CNN audience could all move into refugee camps, and that too would go unreported. I’m sure they would be equally as chipper and cheerful when they broadcast to refugee camps. Remember, death for you is fine by them….

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