Nationalizing the Newspapers

By Selwyn Duke

Quite a while ago, when all the bailout mania was just getting started, I mentioned on a radio show that the left soon might propose aiding their public relations team, the newspaper industry.  Well, it wasn't but a few weeks later that a story on the subject broke, and I wrote about it here.  And now this movement seems to be picking up steam.  As Ann Shibler at JBS.org tells us :

In the nationalization spirit of the day, this has sparked Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland to introduce legislation to bail out privately owned, for-profit U.S. newspapers. "We are losing our newspaper industry," Cardin was quoted as saying. "The economy has caused an immediate problem, but the business model for newspapers, based on circulation and advertising revenue, is broken, and that is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy."

Cardin is hopeful that these once private enterprises will operate as non-profits, just like public television. His Newspaper Revitalization Act [PDF Download], currently before the Senate Finance Committee, would allow newspaper companies to report on all issues including political issues, but the endorsement of political candidates would be disallowed.

Shibler correctly points out that such a move would make our newspaper industry like Pravda (although, in practice, some might wonder how it could be more biased than it already is). 

I also have to say that I find our current non-profit model completely ridiculous.  If the newspapers are granted non-profit status, they will be forbidden to endorse political candidates, in the same way that churches labor under that prohibition.  But have you ever seen greater pretense?  Who really believes that the NAACP is "non-partisan"?  For that matter, who really thinks the Christian Coalition — whose work I've appreciated (and which now enjoys non-profit status but is also, unfortunately, leaking oil financially) — is non-partisan.  These organizations actively push an agenda that is highly ideological, and, given that political parties are also so, this makes these non-profits highly partisan in a de facto sense. 

In reality, churches or any other entity should be able to endorse whomever they please.  The only criterion for being non-profit is that, call me crazy, you shouldn't be turning a profit.  Of course, the larger issue is that our current tax system should be scrapped completely.  There should be no such thing as income tax — or real-estate taxes for that matter — as these ideas are quintessentially un-American (but who knows what American means anymore?  I mean, isn't that word spelled "Amerikan"?).  Our current tax code just serves as a vehicle through which the government can fleece and control the citizenry.

                             © 2009 Selwyn Duke—All Rights Reserved

Comments

[Walt]

Once the "rags" our nationalized under a one party government I am sure adequate watch dogging will take place to insure no political bias will occur. NPR and PBS are great examples of fair and balanced public information.

I am sure the powers that be know, that we know, this whole thing is fiendish; such an observation is obvious. However, within their calculations, they assume, we the people feel powerless to act against it. Are we? With every Executive order, hurried legislative bill (eg stimulus), judicial legislation and ear mark, the power that was once close to the people is now fading dopplaresque. As some feel increasingly helpless in this day- the day faux democracy- I look forward to the day when I can write to my grand kids and tell them how we put America straight. Every second generation needs a tangible link to the realities of life, the abuse of power and goodness of Godly men. Although a bit hazy I recall my grandfather’s recollection of the Great Depression and WW2. To me it is a foggy reality...to my kids it is just one step away from fairytale.

Make no mistake; this newspaper nationalization plan is not by accident. The control of information is vital to absolute power.

[Philip France]

This just in: Usurper-in-Chief Obama names Jason Blair his new Communications Czar. His Under-Secretary in charge of visual images will be Michael Moore. In the newly created Cabinet Department, a new Bureau of religious outreach is to be created; headed by Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Said newly appointed undersecretary of the fledgling Department, Pastor Philp Pfleger: "The time has now come to make race the central issue emanating from our pulpits. Americans of differing races for too long have gotten along in churches, in blissful ignorance of the serious racisim that dominates our society,". Asked in a brief interview from his Rainbow Coalition office, Rev. Jesse Jackson had this to say: "I'm-a nevah known a tom whun resshil isshooz wuz paid closuh attenshin. Omm dipply sorruh faw thuh tebbil thangz I say'd about Obumma's bawlz".