You got the bubble-headed bleach blonde, comes on at five She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye It's interesting when people die, gives you dirty laundry

Don Henley

“Dirty Laundry”



The sacrifices I make for you, gentle reader, could ruin my innocence and destroy my mind.

Last week I went on the Internet and listened to and watched Glenn Beck as he linked the White House communications director to genocidal communists. As hard as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to believe that the lady he referred to was an actual genocidal communist or wanted to be one, but then I heard a guy call a local radio show who did believe she was dangerous. It sent shivers up my spine.

The problem Beck was having with the White House official was that Obama had sent her out front and center to make the claim that Fox News Channel is not really news, but a propaganda arm of the Republican Party. Duh! Fox News has nothing in common with news, but neither does the rest of the trash on cable that pass for “news” channels.

Fox News is the American equivalent of the Pravda newspaper of the old Soviet Union. Propaganda is the name of the game in the United States and Fox News is the leader at this moment. In truth, all media and education practices propagandizing our thinking and it has worked so well that people are willing to fight to the death for the American myth, or dream, or whatever you want to call it.

All that brainwashing aside, Glenn Beck doesn't even pretend to be anything other than a propagandist. His Web site proclaims that he is the “Fusion of entertainment and enlightenment.” The former is the only truth he is likely to utter and the latter is like watching Yogi Bear and considering yourself an expert on ursine behavior.

That the right-wing of America has embraced Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Fox News as the primary source of news says much for the propagandist system that has enslaved their minds. Repeating the mantra that government is bad and corporations are good is the first step in making sure that the masses continue to remain where they are forever.

Sending in arrogant egotistical blowhards to spread the word is the only part I don't get. Most people I know don't act like these braggarts and most would kick ass on anyone around them that did.

Last week, Ted Turner lamented the fact that he had sold CNN to Time Warner and that he would change a few things if he ran it again. “Less fluffy news, more international news.” Good luck, Ted. How would CNN keep its ratings if it didn't drop all the news of the day to report on the “Balloon Boy?”

CNN is the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment. One second it is asking the tough questions of some hack and the next it has dropped everything for the Balloon Boy or two solid weeks of Michael Jackson coverage.

Its outrage over the hoax being perpetrated on it by the Balloon Boy's father misses the story that it should be reporting on. Namely, how can an attention-seeking sensationalist so easily manipulate a serious news channel if the serious news channel is actually serious and not sensationalistic as well? Tough question for its own hacks.

The Heene family and CNN are made for each other. CNN is willing to sell its own reputation as a news channel for the ratings of non-stop coverage of a child who might die over the plains of Eastern Colorado and Richard Heene is willing to sell out his entire family for a shot at fame.

This is capitalism at its best. Sacrifice everything for the bottom line. CNN would've been more satisfied if the six-year-old had fallen out of his flying saucer – it's interesting when people die.

Instead of outrage, CNN should be praising Heene for the day of ratings magic he gave it. Behind closed doors I'm sure they are, that is if they're not dreaming up another “hoax” to perpetrate.

CNN, MSNBC and Fox are the actual hoax. The fuzzy line between news and entertainment blur Wolf Blitzer and Glenn Beck. Who can tell the difference?

The right-wing blowhards are correct – America is on a downward spiral and it looks as if there is no way to turn it around. However, the dumbing down of America by these same propagandists is the root cause of our country's demise. They may blame it on Obama but Beck, Limbaugh and Fox News are enemies of the state that can't be stopped by anything except the lies that blow up in their face.

The truth is out there but it won't be considered truth until it becomes an imminent threat to the brainwashed. By then we will be in deep economic malaise or open revolt.

Ignore the right-wing and the left. The truth is in the middle. Ignore the cable news channels; infotainment does nothing to save our democracy. Instead of simply validating your beliefs, begin to question them.

Do it for me.

Heck, I listened to two hours of Glenn Beck for you.

First Tracks is available at Sundance Gifts, Short Sport of Aspen and www.ptopress.com. E-mail: snomasokist@msn.com