Disrupting Life as Usual at ‘Real Time’ and Beyond
October 22, 2007
by Janice Matthews and Michael Berger
America’s Congressional approval rating is currently at record lows, and even those who believed a Democratic majority would rein in a rogue imperial Executive have finally succumbed to the realization that things are definitely not getting better. Congress has failed in its duty to exact any accountability, and continues to do so, capitulating to Executive authority at every turn. Millions of Americans who have persistently lobbied their elected officials, signed petitions, or visited congressional offices find that their concerns consistently fall on deaf ears.
Millions have taken to the streets to protest abhorrent policies and failings of this government, believing that a significant show of numbers would have impact. Their demands have been ignored and dismissed, and their numbers incorrectly reported low by the media, often by tens of thousands, if reported at all.
Likewise, those who have turned to the Judiciary find they’ve been unable to achieve accountability there, either. 9/11 families are still being derailed six years later, and 9/11 responders’ lawsuits are similarly waylaid at every turn, federal whistleblowers have been summarily dismissed and gagged, and active duty military and veterans are unable to pursue legal recourse when needed. Even attorneys with the courage to represent “enemy combatants,” who are few, have been harassed and threatened for their efforts.
When we pressure the media for accurate reporting and investigation, they churn out articles, talk shows, and “historical” documentaries dismissing the messengers out of hand, while ignoring facts or evidence that undermine the veracity of what’s accepted to be true; for instance, the assumed truth of the official story on 9/11. In this way, what used to be known as the Fourth Estate persuades media consumers to dismiss their troubling questions and get on with “life as usual.” Because they control our public airwaves, they shape the national discourse by relegating these concerns to “kooks on the fringe.” In reality, however, one look at polling demographics proves the millions of people who actually are discussing these important issues, well outside the media-ordained constraints, represent a broad cross-section of Americans for whom the accumulation of haunting doubts about the direction of our country is fast reaching a powerful crescendo.
