Some Notes from "Orwell Rolls in His Grave"

"I can see that your head has been twisted and fed

with worthless foam from the mouth."

-- Bob Dylan, "Ramona"

Saw this movie this past weekend. "Orwell Rolls in His Grave" is a documentary that explains how "...America is under an Orwellian watch with the rise to prominence of the radical, right-wing Republican party, an ascent aided...by the mainstream media." A full, better description is here: http://www.orwellrollsinhisgrave.com/synopsis.htm

This movie has further helped me to see the bigger picture -- the real agenda of the right-wing (further enriching the super-rich at the expense of the middle class) and how they use 'hot-button issues' to get the little guy riled up and voting for them, etc. All the things we argue about with the other side of our families and friends are mostly just diversions, while the rich are busy screwing all of us equally.

Took some notes from the extra interviews on the DVD; here they are (some of these are straight quotes, some paraphrased, depending on how fast I could write -- so my thanks to those who contributed to this movie, and my apologies if I didn't get all the words transcribed correctly. I think I mostly got the gist of the meaning, though I certainly didn't cover all that was said, by any means...):

from Tony Benn (former Labour MP and Cabinet Minister):

He mentioned how astonished he was to learn that Clinton was elected by only 20% of the populace (and of course, George W. by far fewer percent than that), because so many were not registered, or did not vote or voted for one of the other guys. "If people don't vote, it destroys the legitimacy of the government that IS elected, and THAT is the moment at which the hard right picks up."

He talked about how the German people were unemployed and depressed in the 30's, and how Hitler was able to use that to gain prominence: "They went for the man who had a scapegoat."

"Democracy," he says, "requires a well-informed and understanding people with clear ideas which they wish to see represented." But now we're being 'managed' and not represented.

Charles Lewis (Founder and former Director of the Center for Public Integrity):

"A lot of guys in politics get paid a lot of money to manipulate media."

...it's a conundrum for we who are frustrated with the news media. News execs say 'Look at the numbers!' It's prurient, sensational crap that sells the most. The media is NOT into disseminating information. There's no sense of media responsibility. It's "legal corruption."

Robert McChesney (writer, professor and media-access advocate who is critical of corporate concentration and control of media):

Head of the FCC under Clinton was told by former FCC heads," You're referring fights between the super-rich and the super-super rich." You have to let each side win a little bit from time to time. [btw, the FCC is supposed to be in the business of regulating the public airwaves, which we all pay for as taxpayers. Though the public part of their mission seems to have disappeared from their mission statement. Read their current strategic goals: http://www.fcc.gov/omd/strategicplan/ ].

Vertical integration - where a company owns all the different layers of an industry: i.e., with movies -- both production and distribution (and if they also own the TV and radio stations, promotion). This makes it very hard for there to be a competitor, as they have to invest in and compete on all the same levels.

The huge myth of our society is that it's based on competition. That's just the pablum they serve the bottom fishes (i.e., you and me). The top of the system is crushing competition.

Horizontal integration - bad for the public; good for big conglomerates. They hyper-commercialize content. Grotesque commercialization.

1996 Telecommunications Act-- media wanted to keep the public from hearing about it. And mostly did. Congress doled out $70 billion for free airwaves for the mega corporations, while cutting out foodstamps for the poor.

Government creates the giants, built around monopolies.

Murdoch -- Fox news doesn't DO journalism, just pontification. CNN was trying to do journalism (and they were doing well); but FOX showed you could make much huger profits without actual journalists doing actual news. So, in 2000, CNN got rid of their head guy.

Read "The Media Monopoly."

Media manipulation is a science. The agenda of the free market -- to enrich the few and screw over the many. Their agenda -- to lower taxes for the rich and slash social services for the middle class. They do it by finding other 'hot-button' issues to run on (because people would never vote for this agenda if they were aware of it, of course!) -- issues like patriotism, racism, abortion, gay rights. Don't ever talk about the whole underlying purpose of their agenda. [it's been interesting to watch how they are now using the tragedy of Katrina as a further excuse to push their agenda -- see if you can't find this agenda in every new proposal the right-wing makes.]

They have re-defined the left and the right, and dropped all the core issues from the discussion.

They've defined Liberal as:

• ivy-league intellectual
• for gay rights
• for abortion rights
• hoighty-toighty
• does not attend church

And conservative as:

• hard-working
• beer-drinking
• often Catholic
• white
• church-going
• believe in America and kicking ass

However, both political parties are in bed with the military.

All conservative money goes into organizations to conduct ideological warfare and to move the debate to the right.

The right has trained more conservatives to become 'journalists.' They've built up an armada of journalists, a farm-system.

Plus, they help sound convincing by giving 'sources.' Starting in the 70's, they created such institutions as the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute -- all very well-funded with $$ from the super-rich right-wingers (like Richard Mellon-Scaife, etc.). So, those from these institutes become "experts on the issues" and are now employed as media sources. They can really influence the news.

There's so much more in the movie. I can't recommend it highly enough!!! Really, you owe it to yourself to rent this ASAP! http://www.orwellrollsinhisgrave.com/index.htm