Looking for Democracy
By Maliha Masood, Matrix Contributor
Democracy is said to be rule of the people, by the people and for the people. I'm not sure if there is any country in the world at any given time, past or present that lives up to this definition. The United States, for all its hallowed claims to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, is not a pure democracy. If it were, then we would have a truly independent media, one that is capable of taking a firm stand and voicing clear opinions, instead of mostly parroting back official rhetoric, as scripted by the powers that be.
It is sometimes shocking for me to know that in a country allegedly so liberal and democratic, the mainstream press is pretty reluctant to criticize the administration and even the so called progressive barons, like NPR and The New York Times don't offer much in the way of alternative models. Being neutral is of course a way of staking sides and silence does speak volumes. Think I’m exaggerating? OK people, now listen up good.
When is the last time you ever heard or read an account in the media that came as a vociferous attack against the war in Iraq or a nuanced piece on terrorism that did more than just the usual fear mongering or some commentary that perhaps bothered to explain the reasons why our world is so troubled by religious militants and suicide bombers instead of the acceptable shorthand that condenses an extremely complicated issue to the simplistic notion that the good people in the Western world are fighting the evil people supporting Osama bin Laden and dreaming of virgins in paradise all of which can be summed up in two words known as Islamic fascism.
Common guys and girls.
You know there’s more to it than that and you don’t need to open a history textbook to explain the facts behind the facts. All you need to do is go back in time a bit, take that walk down memory lane and shake out the cobwebs clouding the facts that no one likes to admit. Certainly not the American media, whatever its spin which seems to smack more and more of imitating whatever is coming out of the White House.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but often times I see our media as basically a mouthpiece for the government, for better or worse, going along with the status quo, rather like sheep herded back every day to their comfort zone pastures. Now if this is what our lovely country calls democracy, then I think we need a new definition.
Maliha Masood is a writer and teacher living in Seattle, WA.
By Maliha Masood, Matrix Contributor
Democracy is said to be rule of the people, by the people and for the people. I'm not sure if there is any country in the world at any given time, past or present that lives up to this definition. The United States, for all its hallowed claims to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, is not a pure democracy. If it were, then we would have a truly independent media, one that is capable of taking a firm stand and voicing clear opinions, instead of mostly parroting back official rhetoric, as scripted by the powers that be.
It is sometimes shocking for me to know that in a country allegedly so liberal and democratic, the mainstream press is pretty reluctant to criticize the administration and even the so called progressive barons, like NPR and The New York Times don't offer much in the way of alternative models. Being neutral is of course a way of staking sides and silence does speak volumes. Think I’m exaggerating? OK people, now listen up good.
When is the last time you ever heard or read an account in the media that came as a vociferous attack against the war in Iraq or a nuanced piece on terrorism that did more than just the usual fear mongering or some commentary that perhaps bothered to explain the reasons why our world is so troubled by religious militants and suicide bombers instead of the acceptable shorthand that condenses an extremely complicated issue to the simplistic notion that the good people in the Western world are fighting the evil people supporting Osama bin Laden and dreaming of virgins in paradise all of which can be summed up in two words known as Islamic fascism.
Common guys and girls.
You know there’s more to it than that and you don’t need to open a history textbook to explain the facts behind the facts. All you need to do is go back in time a bit, take that walk down memory lane and shake out the cobwebs clouding the facts that no one likes to admit. Certainly not the American media, whatever its spin which seems to smack more and more of imitating whatever is coming out of the White House.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but often times I see our media as basically a mouthpiece for the government, for better or worse, going along with the status quo, rather like sheep herded back every day to their comfort zone pastures. Now if this is what our lovely country calls democracy, then I think we need a new definition.
Maliha Masood is a writer and teacher living in Seattle, WA.
posted by Malik Isasis at
2:18 AM
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