News 071411

America is in danger of spiraling down into the molasses that binds the undeveloped nations to the bottom of the barrel.   That molasses is comprised of debtor states unable to pay their bills or govern in the interest of the people.

Molasses is thick brown sugary syrup that in America is poured on the country by modern day journalism.  Despite a legal verdict being rendered, the media is still attempting to incite a mob against Casey Anthony.  Journalism has become the entertainment industry. Journalists no longer report the news they have become “talent” who entertains by making news.   Stories are drawn from the “Social Media” that is a self generating, amplified voice of a mob.  Important stories are ignored in favor of mob hysteria creating higher ratings. 

This trend is not lost on politicians who gleefully bandwagon on social media, spinning and spinning to deceive, placate or incite the mob.  What is lost is that magical ingredient of democracy, “an informed public.”  An informed public requires facts not entertainment.  Back in olden days of paper and ink the news media was known as the “Fourth Estate” of government.  Even then the media was not always responsible, but columns of print separated facts and opinions.  Today facts are few, failing to fit the one liners embraced by public malaise.

A malaise that brings the country to the point of decline.  In Washington the country is gripped by another crisis of politicians’ ideological interest over public interest.  In its simplest form the issue is that the Right want to free the haves from tax and the Left wants spend more tax money.  A hundred years ago when income tax became law it was stated that the power to tax is the power to destroy. Twenty years later during the great depression the government embraced spending as an investment in the country.  Then politicians went wild spending and destructively taxing for votes.  Responsible budgets became history; deficit spending became the norm.  Unlike most third world countries America was able to rock along for years on lack of international competition.  The bill is now due, economic competition is surrounding a declining economic base.  The debtor nation must pay up or step aside.

The fact is that neither tax cuts nor increased spending will serve the nation.  The fact is that political ideologues are holding the country hostage to their election self-interest.     The fact is that the media is failing to clearly inform the public.  The fact is that this is self-destruction of a great power.  The fact is even with an eleventh hour resolution of the present crisis, the damage has been done, and the international bond of economic trust is broken.

The three-year Anthony media circus should pass into historical darkness and the same intense light should be focused on Washington.  What little remains of journalistic responsibility should publish broadsides and banner headlines on the impending fall of a great power.   Washington power politics must be made to quiver before the mob of public opinion.