Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Are we becoming more ignorant? Or are we being kept in the dark?
(remember the mushroom joke?)
The Washington Post reports that Americans know less than ever about current events. But whose fault is this? They suggest that the media is becoming less informative. But, is this really true? (well, I mean, yes it is, but...)
I propose it's not the media but the administration who is at fault. The report uses as an example the fact that Americans don't know who the head of the EPA is. Well, we did when it was Christine Todd Whitman. And we all know what happened to her.
What about the Surgeon General? We knew who held the office when it was C. Everett Koop and Joycelyn Elders . But who's ever heard of Richard Carmona?? HE's not gonna be telling people to use condoms or (yeah, right!) masturbate to stay safe.
Federal officials under Bush are either toadies (oh, I mean cronies), or kept silent under pain of firing (or they know to keep a low profile). After all, look what's happening at agencies like the FDA and the CDC.
AND, if you really want to learn a lot about the Bush admin's repression of knowledge, check out this PDF report from the US House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform.
However, we still can't let the media and the public off the hook. This info IS out there. We can find it without trying too hard. If we're not outraged, we're NOT paying attention.
Look lively, everybody!
(remember the mushroom joke?)
The Washington Post reports that Americans know less than ever about current events. But whose fault is this? They suggest that the media is becoming less informative. But, is this really true? (well, I mean, yes it is, but...)
I propose it's not the media but the administration who is at fault. The report uses as an example the fact that Americans don't know who the head of the EPA is. Well, we did when it was Christine Todd Whitman. And we all know what happened to her.
What about the Surgeon General? We knew who held the office when it was C. Everett Koop and Joycelyn Elders . But who's ever heard of Richard Carmona?? HE's not gonna be telling people to use condoms or (yeah, right!) masturbate to stay safe.
Federal officials under Bush are either toadies (oh, I mean cronies), or kept silent under pain of firing (or they know to keep a low profile). After all, look what's happening at agencies like the FDA and the CDC.
AND, if you really want to learn a lot about the Bush admin's repression of knowledge, check out this PDF report from the US House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform.
However, we still can't let the media and the public off the hook. This info IS out there. We can find it without trying too hard. If we're not outraged, we're NOT paying attention.
Look lively, everybody!
