A Liberal who never trusted the Mainstream Media

Reuters photo

By

Sami Jamil Jadallah

Not so sure if you are like me, but I am a liberal, not a Democratic or Republican liberal but liberal in the sense that I feel the government must represent and be at the service of the people, all the people, not only Wall Street, Lobbyists and Washington Think Tanks.

I am a liberal who believes that the purpose of government is to service and protect. To service by providing all the basic services citizens need from education to health care, to roads, to infrastructure, to science and research, to social services among others. To protect by providing for national defense with the priority on national domestic defense and providing good quality police and fire services to its citizens. Not so sure if we need to have 70 bases all over the world.

I am liberal because I believe citizens have a duty and must contribute to the political process, if not by a contribution to the corrupt and failing two party systems, but to vote in every single election irrespective of the quality or stupidly of the candidates.

I am a liberal who believes that citizens have an equal obligation toward to the state in the same way the state have an obligation toward its people. There is nothing for free, and if you want services you better pay for it. There is no free lunch.

I am also a liberal who never trusted or believed in America’s Mainstream Media from CNN to MSNBC, to Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times or Chicago Tribune among others. I also don’t believe in the lies and incitement coming out of the likes of Rush Limbaugh, who gets paid $40 million a year to make a fool of himself and greater fools of those who listens and believe in the “bullshit” that comes out of his mouth.

You see, I do have a major and serious problem with Mainstream America because it was never honest about any coverage and its stories always fit the political or ideological values and opinions of its managing editors. To say the Mainstream Media is the guardian of the nation and people’s interest is a big lie and stretches the truth to make it “fake news”.

You see, my problems with American media began in the late 60’s when I was unable to even get a “letter” to the editor published that spoke of the Israeli Occupation while seeing comments and editorials from the other side being given so much space in all major media. The Palestinians simply did not exist and must never have a voice or a forum to tell their story; only Jews and Israel seem to have the right to tell their stories. The same story continues today. My files are full of rejected comments and letters to the editors of newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post and even the Chicago Tribune.

Of course, I learn to know better. Perhaps the best statement I read about America’s Mainstream Media came from someone who knows much better than me. Dean Ben Bagdikian, former Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley said it best”

“With a country’s widest disseminators of news, commentary and ideas firmly entrenched among a small number of the world’s wealthiest corporations. It may not be surprising that their news and commentary is limited to an unrepresentative narrow spectrum of policies.”

As we watch the news these days, with a major Cold War going on between President Trump and the Mainstream Media one would think that the Mainstream media is the most powerful branch of government “the Fourth Branch”.

Why our media and Congress are so upset about Russian’s interference in our elections when our “friend and ally” Israel been doing it for 50 years, determining and controlling our national and international agenda and paying hundreds of millions to our national and state representatives. No one wants to talk about that of course.

You see, the “Fourth Branch” is unelected and never accountable to the people, yet it decides for us and for the nations. It decides whom we should vote for and which wars we should support, as well as deciding which criminal regime or countries we should support. We are never free to make up our own minds. The Mainstream media got us hyped up to go to war in Iraq and sold us a bill of lies, showing its “impeded journalists” with invading US troops as if it was a reality show. The recent GCC conflict showed it best when “opinion makers” are on the payroll of one country or the other.

You see, I do have a problem and I am sure you have the same thing. Think about this; “In 1983, 50 corporations controlled most of the American media,” from the magazine to movies, to books and publications houses, to radios among other media.

That number dropped to almost half a decade later. By 1992 only six corporations were the major owners of the Mainstream Media like Warner, Disney, Murdoch’s News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom.

It is true that major newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post continued to be owned by a public corporation but the editorial board continues to follow certain political and ideological lines. It is true also of the Chicago Tribune, LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle.

Now add to this. The largest 100 media corporations like Time Warner, which owns AOL and CNN, own 80% of the top 20 online news sites.

Now imagine that someone like Rush Limbaugh earns $40 million a year to spew his bullshit and tell the people who earned less than $30,000 a year how good they have it and how bad politics is in the country. And think that someone like Megyn Kelly or Bill O’Reilly, getting over $20 million a year for a few hours of media time, only tell us what we should think. How can the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Megyn Kelly or Rachel Maddow represent our best interests?

Yes, I do have a major problem with the Mainstream media; never like it, never trusted it, and it certainly does not represent my best interests. I hope it does not represent your best interests either. They are not our guardians and certainly, no one appointed them as our trustees or the trustees for the nation. They speak for their bosses and only for their bosses and never for the general interests of the American public.

We all should be glad that the internet thus far allows me to publish and exchange my thoughts with you. You and I never have a chance to be published in the Mainstream Media, never. Your thoughts…

Sami Jamil Jadallah

Sami Jamil Jadallah, is a Palestinian-America, a Veteran of the US Army (66-66) he holds a BA (72), MPA/School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Doctor of Jurisprudence (77) from Indiana University.

With over 35 years of international legal and business experience with wide range of responsibilities from legal associate as on the major Wall Street law firm, to general counsel for one the largest civil and electro-mechanical construction company in Saudi Arabia, to director of a defense and marketing company in Switzerland to owner representative of major hotel project in Tangier to managing director of a major airline agency in Morocco and founder, trustee and managing director of a major conservation foundation in Morocco.

Sami also has experience with technology holder of two US patents for the use of smart card technology for tracking operation and maintenance of machine and founder of a start up company and continue to consult for international organizations and clients.

Sami is engaged on Pro-Bono work for the New Arab Foundation and its initiative the Arab Peace Corps and the Veterans Housing & Education Foundation, both are not for profit, tax-exempt organization. He lives in Fairfax, VA.