Progressive Media - Not what many Conservatives Think

This could be my last post for a while - staring a new job - back to 60 hour weeks again (need two jobs) - still no benefits..... typical day in the US.

I sometimes think that many people think that when a person sefl-identifies as a progressive/liberal/democrat that they worship President Obama and his administration. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most progressives are horribly disappointed by our current President and his continuation of the Security State among other missteps and lapses.

The current NSA Whistleblower, Edward Snowden, is one such person. He truly believed that Obama would 'dial back' and disconnect many of the abuses of privacy rights of previous administrations. This was a reason for him leaking the documents.

Progressives are very critical of this administration in areas of shared concern with more conservative citizens and in areas of concern only to progressives (areas where Obama has shown himself to be a coward or regressive.

In support of this I'd like you, should you wish, to take a look at today's Alternet site. An often denigrated website that I find to be very well run and sourced new and commentary aggregate site. Yes it is progressive and that is why I am using it as an example of progressive disent. You see progressives tend to view disent in a postitive and benefitical manner and welcome reasoned debate.

www.alternet.org...

Let's look at a few headlines from Alternet, June 11, 2013:

Obama Nominates America’s Biggest Walmart Cheerleader as His Chief Economic Adviser
Jason Furman thinks Walmart is a “progressive success story.”

www.alternet.org...

Note that most progressives tend to see Walmart as the antichrist or posterchild of Corporate/Capitalist greed.

The article that triggered this screed:

America's Most Anti-Democratic Institution: How the Imperial Presidency Threatens U.S. National Security
It's evil, lawless and authoritarian. And as NSA leaker Snowden has shown us, its aims are to be all-powerful.

www.alternet.org...

Some good ole liberal stuff:

Salon / By Katie Halper 15 COMMENTS
Black Woman Gets 20 Years for Firing Shot at Wall; White Man Gets 0 Years for Shooting Man in the Back 3 Times, Killing Him
The insane double standard of stand your ground laws.

www.alternet.org...

Something for the Anti-Obamacare crowd (be sure to have dry panties nearby) - see we can see flaws in things we're in favor of....

AlterNet / By Karen Higgins 15 COMMENTS
7 Ways the Affordable Care Act May Shift Costs to Patients
The burden of cutting costs is on patients, not corporate healthcare profiteering.

www.alternet.org...

and for a bit of controversy:

TomDispatch / By Chase Madar 6 COMMENTS
Our Government's Secrecy Has Caused Far More Deaths Than 9/11
Bradley Manning has done more for U.S. security than SEAL Team 6.

www.alternet.org...

And a couple more, just from today's front page:

Top 10 Reasons to Legalize Marijuana Now
Prohibition creates, sustains and handsomely rewards the illegal drug industry while pretending to fight that very same industry.

www.alternet.org...

More on the Snowden event:

Daniel Ellsberg: Edward Snowden, Saving Us From the United Stasi of America
Snowden's whistleblowing gives us a chance to roll back what is tantamount to an 'executive coup' against the US constitution.
June 10, 2013 |

www.alternet.org...

and

“Digital Blackwater”: Meet the Contractors Who Analyze Your Personal Data
Private companies are getting rich examining your private information for the government. Here's who they are.

www.alternet.org...

reply to post by FyreByrd

Well that wasn't my experience today when posting on FB. Seems he's perfectly fine with the spying this admin does vs that of the prior. Funny thing is he uses the same arguments Bush supporters used when that admin was doing it.

Everyone is blinded by party affiliation. No one looks for alternative views or news sources. They get their news from the media sources that agree with their political bent. Most people are fools and are willingly giving up their rights and freedoms so many gave their life to protect, just because it's too much work to actually do something about it or because they're blinded by party lines.

reply to post by FyreByrd



And here is what I would like to find out: I sincerly would like to know about conservative news sites that are well sourced and written with minimal spin. Help me out here please?

If my short life has taught me anything about politics its that nearly everyone wants to be a slave (no matter where on the political spectrum they reside), they just want to choose their own master.

Originally posted by Bilk22
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

Well that wasn't my experience today when posting on FB. Seems he's perfectly fine with the spying this admin does vs that of the prior. Funny thing is he uses the same arguments Bush supporters used when that admin was doing it.

Everyone is blinded by party affiliation. No one looks for alternative views or news sources. They get their news from the media sources that agree with their political bent. Most people are fools and are willingly giving up their rights and freedoms so many gave their life to protect, just because it's too much work to actually do something about it or because they're blinded by party lines.

Missed my point entirely, I must not be clear. I wasn't speaking about Obama and his opinions and statement - I was speaking about progressives not being happy with him and being critical of his administration.

I was attempting to show that progressive 'media' is very critical of the current administrations policies and directives.

reply to post by FyreByrd

Originally posted by FyreByrd
I sometimes think that many people think that when a person sefl-identifies as a progressive/liberal/democrat that they worship President Obama and his administration. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This is very true. I identify more as a "progressive libertarian" if there is such a thing, but I am not a liberal and DEFINITELY not a Democrat. I do not worship Obama or his administration. He is REALLY messing up lately, especially. I guess he figures he has nothing to lose. I have no doubt, however, that the alternative choices we had in 2008 and 2012 would have been MUCH worse.

Cenk Uygur is my favorite political commentator. A true progressive who has been calling out Obama since he was elected. Much more so lately. Another Alternet Link:

Cenk Uygur on NSA Scandal: 'Barack Obama is a Liar'

reply to post by SirMike


The reason everyone wants to be a slave, as you put it, is that next to no person on this planet has ever tasted life outside of one form of slavery or another. Oh sure, there are no welts on our backs from the lash of the whip, but there are marks on our minds, on our hearts from the measures which replaced them. The mark of an advanced society is not a lack of oppression, but how well it is hidden.

But what you say about people wanting to choose thier masters... For me, I have one master on Earth, and I am living in his skin. There are those who have a measure of petty power over me, but there are none who can control me via subtle means.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
reply to post by SirMike

 

The reason everyone wants to be a slave, as you put it, is that next to no person on this planet has ever tasted life outside of one form of slavery or another. Oh sure, there are no welts on our backs from the lash of the whip, but there are marks on our minds, on our hearts from the measures which replaced them. The mark of an advanced society is not a lack of oppression, but how well it is hidden.

Very well said! It is so depressing to see that people are not aware that slavery has not diminished at all. Only mutated.