When I lived in Arizona many years ago I was surprised to see that at a local supermarket, a regional chain, owned by Mormons, it sold hard liquor. Someone remarked to me that the store is in business to make a profit and the company would service local tastes even if the product sold was against one’s religious teachings. I have jibbed Rupert Murdock for his Fox News which makes a profit. As a cable entity it is limited to viewers that can afford outrageous monthly cable charges. Fox News on cable is one of many profit making instruments in the Murdock communications entertainment empire. (Homer Simpson is a god!)
This cable market has been selective from the beginning. The Average Joe in the mid America does not necessarily know from Fox News but he or she can in many ways be manipulated by the aspects of this new entertainment/news or is it news/entertainment format on a 24/7 digital schedule. The population as a whole can be influenced by what might be called a Minority Market Communications segment through cable on both sides of the right and left.
Back in 1992, I did not have cable but I was aware of a third party figure Ross Perot was running against the two established parties of the time, the Democrats and the Republicans. Ross’s pronouncements on Larry King on CNN were quoted on the local free TV News Stations. I of course was immensely curious about this new political phenomenon. I, part of the general population, had to get my CNN fix on Perot second hand from other news sources because I could not afford to watch it directly and live on cable.
As a result of sheer chutzpah and an immense reserve of cash that Perot had made on Government contracts over the years, Perot effected two elections. Clinton won in 92 and 96 because the Republicans had split over issues. The same thing happened in 1912, when Teddy Roosevelt ran as a third party candidate, the Bull Moose Party, split the Republicans and Woodrow Wilson squeaked into office.
Clinton’s election I theorize frustrated many speculators with warehouses full of arms for sale to the government and ready for a quick trip to Baghdad. The theme of The Republicans since 1992 has primarily been one of legitimacy for any seated Democrat President. With Clinton, he was a minority executive because he was not elected in two cases with 50% or more of the votes caste.
Now with over 50% caste in the last election for the present executive at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue the legitimacy question is the concept hammered away on Fox News. Legitimacy is based on a (fairy tale) missing birth certificate (not missing) both as proof of native born U.S. citizenship status or a crude back stairs gossip – was his mamma really married to anybody, let alone an African, when the great Obama was born.
This past weekend, members of the President's staff went on conventional TV programs and began an attack on Fox News saying that is was not a true news or journalistic effort in the classic sense of the word. I think on one level, these people are frustrated because ideas, words and proposed national programs are coming up against a very vocal minority in this country, the far right, in a form of entertainment on some of Fox News Prime Time that sometimes resembles a four year old’s birthday outing to Chucky Cheese.
That said, I see in the news that the BNP, the British National Party, is an irritant on many people’s nerves in Britain because of this party's outward fascist agenda.
Ideology (BNP)
British Nationalism, Facism, Right Wing Populism, Third Position, White Nationalism, Euroscepticism
Source Wikipedia, Oct.22.09
The BNP holds no present seat in Parliament. It has increased it share of the national vote from 0.7% in 2005 to 5.2% in 2008. A growing dissatisfaction on the extreme end of Britain is evolving into a face and a possible political power base in the future.
The Brits on the far right are doing fascism the old fashioned way with the Jack Boots in the Street Adolph methodology.
While this BNP is a British phenomenon, I look at the “ideology” list above and have to be reminded that a lot of issues on FOX (entertainment) NEWS on cable reflect direct or indirectly on similar issues here in America.
Failure to build long term legitimacy is what makes most Third Parties fail in America. They rise up on temporary populist themes in tough economic times or at turns of the road with the election of an African American president as an example.
All I will say here is – I see profits fed by advertizing by the newly evolved and comfortable with themselves oligarchical corporations further evolving into a comfortable plutocracy with the “Ross Perots” of the world supplied by huge amounts of free government cash. This with a Fox News type entity as critical part of the process, focused on the elites that can afford to watch cable.
The British road to future fascism may be the Jack Boots in the Street method but here in America, we may be seeing a new phenomenon - a couch potato TV watching new age of propaganda, entertainment/news and ascent to power.
My question now is what will we be seeing as Fox News evolves and spawns the basis of possible future openly fascist rule in America in 2010, 2012 and beyond. Will it be an INDEPENDENT AMERICAN FASCIST PARTY or will it be the REFORMED REPUBLICAN PARTY (finally ousting the rowdies and nut jobs) - both either or will historically be the spawn of Fox News or similar entities? No way to deny it.
Have a nice day.
