The News Flashcards
Let’s switch on the TV, see what the news is today. I hear the anchor is quite good looking. Oh, here he is, Mr Square Jaw and cheek bones. Don’t you love his voice? It’s like a bass guitar flowing over a rock in the sea.
“The reporter on the ground wanted to tell you this story in person, but she can’t get the words out. So it’s my job to tell you that today for every child that died in a developing country, ten died in other countries, two thirds of them from easily preventable diseases and one third from malnutrition. We report that there is enough food on the planet for nine billion people and the measures it would take to save them are easy and cheap. Our reporter wants you to know that her investigations into why the children are dying in pain and misery have all lead back to the banks and the financial elite.”
Oh he’s so good looking, I could watch him all day. Look though, his hands are shaking, he doesn’t usually get this emotional about a story. I wonder what the rest is, he’s wiping his eyers. “Our reporter says the bread crumb trail always leads to the banks no matter where she starts. She says they literally invent money for loans and then instantly own the real world goods while you have to slave to pay them back in real labour. Should you default, they still own the property. Either way they win and most of them are privately owned. We, as the people, earned the money, we made the goods, we built the homes, we ran the companies and they get it all for free. The banks owners then hoard the money and the surplus food instead of feeding real babies, real children, who are dying right now as your watching this show. Each one of those children is as special as your own children, they are just as cute, as loving, as smart, as funny. There is no shortage of food and there is no over population, we could all fit comfortably into the state of Texas.”
Well that was a funny story, who’s for popcorn? Chocolate? Cake? Chips? Nothing?! You are odd…
What was the point of the Dakota story? Because you have to know how easy it is to manipulate the truth, or make bad decisions made on partial evidence. Again, similar to Kitty, with Dakota there is a life vs money issue; but there is more than that going on. Every day when you watch the news you see only a partial story, like the first three envelopes. And in real life you never get the second three, the truth of the matter. So unless you train yourself in critical thought you will be a puppet of the media and advertisers. It’s all designed with psychology, you have to know that to get your free will back.
I don’t care what country you live in, your news is propaganda. Fear and misdirection. They’ll tell you who to hate, who should live and die - show you how the enemy is barbarous and the powers that control your life are heroes. Those enemies are all “Dakota,” they were children once too, perhaps they still are children. Maybe they have names you can’t pronounce and no-one to speak for them. Maybe they call their God by a different name than you do. Maybe they pray differently, eat differently, have a different family structure. Do any of those things mean they should die? Be expendable in “war”? Does it mean they should be allowed to starve to death? Are they so good at dehumanizing the “enemy” in your mind that you will turn a blind eye or even support war? Chances are strong that if you met these “enemies” in real life you’d be firm friends very quickly. I know I’ve fallen into a rant again, but I need to finish or my brain will boil over.
Love is the answer, not hate; let’s have grace over intolerance; critical thinking and genuine research over ignorance and impulsiveness. If you were back in the Nazi Germany, how would you avoid being swept away with anti-semitism? How can you avoid hating people you don’t know now, likely people from another culture and religion? Are any of them expendable? For less than we spend on war we could save them all.
You look like you’re on guard, defensive. Can I help to put you at your ease? This is only a conversation with an exchange of views. Your face is so serious right now I wish I could play you twenty four hours of good comedy. Not in the mood to laugh? Okay. What if I say to you, “Let’s bring more Love into your life,” is that scary? No? What if I say “I’m going to encourage you to be guided by Love”? Scary? No? But you think I might say something different later? I said to think for yourself, be as difficult to herd as cats. I say Love is to be embraced and fear rejected - do we do that in our current society, or do we have it backwards? What do we have in our news and in hollywood? No wonder we’re confused - we’re scared by horrific news spliced with Fluffy the Wonder Cat and then distracted by “shiny things” (adverts and celebrity gossip). We think we’re addicted to gory murder shows and violence - all we do is self medicate ourselves into a deeper sleep so we don’t have to acknowledge that our world is dying at our own hands. We are killing the Earth…why are you blinking so much? Is there dirt in your eyes? I suggest a bath of pure water, clean it. You’ll see so much more clearly…
Oh hey,
Welcome to my home! The sun is shining the birds are singing, the grass is growing all the stores are jammed with yummy food. Would you like a pistol for dinner? Maybe an AK47? I can grate some cheese on top! What? Have I gone mad? Maybe, it is distinctly possible.
It’s just that I blew the food budget on some guns to beat all those terrorists. The problem is, I can’t find any. I’ve actually never met one. The news said it was those naughty muslims but all the ones I met were wonderful people, really connected, I was baffled.
Everyone I know is either really nice or just a bit selfish, where are all these evil bastards? The news is packed with them, they kill their kids and chop heads off. Hmmm. So confusing. You know, if it wasn’t for the media I might think most people were really nice… I might relax… start thinking of others instead of myself… Hmm. Nice thought…
Oh wait! The news is on, I can’t miss that! How would I know what’s going on in the real world? So, after some fear, silly story to confuse and a redirect I think I’m unhappy because I’m fat and I need new shoes. I was thinking something… can’t recall what… have some tomato on a landmine, they’re almost out of date, I need to go to the mall…
Love you, come back soon!
“There was a time I didn’t watch the news for six months, not even once. When I saw it again it was bizarre. I think all of us growing up with this strange spectre don’t even question it, but we should. It’s trauma presented as drama, you know that from the dramatic music and poe faced actors in make-up. They tell us things that traumatize us: dead children, rapists, war… and instead of discussing it thoughtfully, helping the viewer to properly digest something so tragic, they move on to something funny and light-hearted. Well, I guess if those fine folks aren’t crying over the news but instead indulging in banter about coffee or rain, that’s what we should do too? I’ll say it again, it’s a truly bizarre way to behave. Imagine if your neighbour came over to give you some bad news and behaved like that. ‘Mrs Pike just lost her son to cancer; now, did you hear about the one legged crow that can tap morse code with her beak?’”
The news was never “the news.” It was population control made easy. Something in every home, carefully designed to be addictive and keep the sheeple in their place. Fear and confusion all presented by pretty people the audience would trust. And why not? They were so symmetrical in their bone structure, so confident and happy…
The news rolls over me like an old russian tank, slow and painful, carrying on as if nothing happened. There is not a single thing I can do about any of the crap I just heard and all of it makes me feel like bilge. All I can do is sleep and eat so I have enough energy to work, sleep and eat. I guess we’er supposed to watch it and be glad we aren’t the evenings “entertainment.”
I wonder what would happen if the news wasn’t so depressing. Would we be ill-informed idiots or free to think freely and find our own sources of information? Would we still be a nodding donkeys or learn how to walk our own paths? One thing’s for sure, our opinions would diverge - a loss of the “hive mind.” I can’t help but think it would be a good thing, make folks think before they open their mouths. They’d have to, without the media telling them what to think what choice would they have? Oh, I forgot, social media is another “hive mind.” Sometimes I look at all the technology that is supposed to free us and give us more opportunities and all I see is a closing net with the chance of escape getting smaller by the day.
