FW: [Peace-discuss] Obama & Media Reform

[John W.]

2008/11/11 LAURIE SOLOMON <LAURIE at advancenet.net>

On this and other campaign promises, I think it would be interesting if
> members of the public would bring class action legal actions against elected
> officials for breach of contract when they break their campaign promises;
> after all these promises are a form of verbal – if not written – contracts.
>

Plainly you haven't studied contract law.



> If we are to be moralists about things, then I would say it is immoral for
> anyone to allow a candidate to make promises for expediency sake which they
> oppose and then if the candidate wins ask the candidate to breach his/her
> contract or repudiate his/her campaign promises. Or a moralist, it is
> tantamount to encouraging and promoting lying and calling such lies white
> lies when they served one's own purposes and serious lies when they were not
> in service of one's purposes.  It would then be hypocritical to want and
> expect one's officials to be honest and up front.
>
>
>
> If we were to be power politics realists, then morality and honesty would
> play no part in our assessments; it would be sheer power politics and
> expediency.  We have already made a sham of party platforms and campaign
> promises to a great extent; now are we promoting dishonesty, deliberate
> deceit, and fraudulent misdirection?
>
>
>
> *From:* peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net [mailto:
> peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] *On Behalf Of *Ricky Baldwin
> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 11, 2008 10:06 AM
> *To:* peace discuss
> *Subject:* [Peace-discuss] Obama & Media Reform
>
>
>
> We might not agree with the tone of this call to action (do we still notice
> tone?  I forget) but I think there are some tangible issues here worth
> supporting.
>
> More fires to light under Obama's bottom ...
>
>
>
> Ricky
>
> "Only those who do nothing make no mistakes." - Peter Kropotkin
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Forwarded Message ----
> *From:* "Josh Silver, FreePress.net" <list at freepress.net>
> *To:* baldwinricky at yahoo.com
> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:34:08 AM
> *Subject:* Obama & Media Reform
>
>
>  <http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=Gg-NsMKJIgwoJJYHAkMIIA..>
>
> Dear Ricky,
>
> Now that the reality of an Obama presidency is sinking in, I want to give
> you a sense of what it means for the future of the media.
>
> *In a nutshell, if the new president lives up to his campaign promises, we
> are poised to see an unprecedented transformation of U.S. media.*
>
> Unlike George W. Bush, the president-elect is a strong supporter of Net
> Neutrality and universal, affordable Internet access. He is opposed to
> further consolidation of media ownership, and he is a friend to public
> broadcasting. Obama's election represents a sea change in leadership that
> allows us to go from playing defense to offense. These are exciting times.
>
> While Free Press is a tax-deductible, nonpartisan organization that cannot
> and does not endorse political candidates, we are heartened by our nation's
> new direction.
>
> Obama's election rekindles hope that media reform may finally claim its
> rightful place in American politics as a bona fide political issue -- one
> whose success is essential to progress on every other issue: from health
> care to the environment; from financial reform to war and peace.
>
> Free Press has worked tirelessly since our founding five years ago to stop
> the Bush White House from allowing runaway consolidation of media ownership,
> from slashing funding for public broadcasting, and from handing over control
> of the Internet to the largest phone and cable companies. Thanks to your
> unwavering support and activism, we have succeeded to an extent that few
> thought possible.
>
> However, as the new president inherits a severe economic crisis, two wars,
> and myriad other problems, it will be too easy for media reform to get
> pushed down the to-do list (click here<http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=VEzkn4EkpS384LveVUb-5Q..>for a look at Obama's important media reform pledges during his campaign).
>
> *Our job -- your job -- is to keep our momentum going and make sure
> President Obama makes good on his campaign pledges in the face of competing
> priorities and well-financed lobbyists from the phone, cable and
> broadcasting companies. *
>
>    - The future of our economy and our democracy requires that Congress
>    and FCC pass policies that get fast, open, affordable Internet to every home
>    and business in America, urban and rural, rich and poor.
>    - We must foster hard-hitting journalism that holds the powerful
>    accountable and covers the issues that affect you most.
>    - There must be no more consolidation of media ownership, and we must
>    create incentives for more independent, local radio, television and print
>    media.
>    - We must double funding for public media -- for PBS as NPR, as well as
>    for community media and other noncommercial outlets, and ensure that public
>    media are protected from undue political influence.
>
> Free Press has emerged as one of the most effective advocacy groups in the
> nation, with a top-caliber combination of grassroots activism, legal
> capacity, aggressive communications and legislative expertise. *Our
> success is driven by you and the thousands of others who support Free Press
> and take action when you are most needed.*
>
> We are building a new and unstoppable coalition of every constituency,
> company and organization that uses the Internet -- young people, religious
> organizations, nonprofits and labor. Together, we can wage and win this
> looming battle for media that nourish -- rather than undermine -- our
> democracy.
>
> We are pulling together the countless millions of Americans who treasure
> public and independent media to create the political will to dramatically
> increase funding and distribution of alternative media.
>
> And we are going to fight efforts by the Bush administration to give more
> handouts to Big Media before they leave office on January 20. Free Press is
> already mobilizing to block eleventh-hour moves.
>
> Over the next few months, we will have a rare moment of opportunity to turn
> President-Elect Obama's pledges for media reform into a reality in the next
> FCC and Congress.
>
> *Together, we will determine whether critical, independent voices will
> reach living rooms in red states and blue states, East and West, rural and
> urban. *
>
> If we do our job right, we could advance several crucial issues in 2009: a
> permanent Net Neutrality law; redirecting billions of dollars in the
> "Universal Service Fund" away from subsidizing telephone service and toward
> high-speed Internet deployment; and laying the groundwork for a major
> increase in support for public, noncommercial media -- the crucial
> alternative to our failing commercial media system. Thanks to overwhelming
> public opposition, we do not anticipate further efforts by the FCC to let
> Big Media get bigger.
>
> We have a lot of work to do, but Free Press is ready. I trust you are, too,
> because we'll need you next to us more than ever.
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
> Josh Silver
> Executive Director
> Free Press
> www.freepress.net<http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=jadsCkm9V1y-4sOnH85dBg..>
>
> P.S. The next 75 days until inauguration are critical, as we fight off this
> president's eleventh-hour gift to the largest media giants, and prepare to
> move from defense to offense in January. Your financial support could not be
> more important right now. *Please consider making a donation today.*<http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=-Zfpl3JhV5ImHT1nSd9sHw..>
>
>
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