Monday, June 28, 2004

MULTIPLICITY OF PERSPECTIVES

When I was Frosh at Bradley University I had one of those science fiction style professors who ralied against the coming totalitarian state. The class was some intro to mass media lecture class in Bradley's biggest classroom. This was 1990 and right before the technology explosion that defines the decade. I consider my self the last wave of old school teenagers before the dawning of the information wave. I stood on the dock and waved good bye to the age of industry and hello intimate details of j lo and trailer tramp spears matriomial mis adventures. My dorm room was called a "DORM OF THE FUTURE" like something from a World Fair which meant it was equipped with PC's with internet access. Not bad for 1990, I think we used it mostly for lining up the nights party options and reading seamy Penthouse Forum style stories about paraplegic sex and horse dicks. Not quite the moving sidewalks and robot maids that I had envisioned, but certainly revolutionary.

Anyway back to the Prof, in retrospect he was probably just well read and selling us on the schools technology initiatives BUT he did rant about the coming explosion, prophetic ideas like housing entire library's on a single CDROM, doing all homework via your personal computer and the strangling of voices in the corporate media via deregulation frenzy by fat cat republicans starting with Reagan. Bush Mach I furthered consolidated media power essentially by creating an airwaves land grab that paved the way for things like Clear channel Communications, Pop Rap and Fox News.


I am not going to repeat what everyone's knows or can find out, but I do want to state my belief that the silencing of the voices of America is the number one issue facing us as a nation. We are still infants in this new era of Information Shock. The power of the media is infinite and easily abused and manipulated. The way to at least safe guard the brain washing that is capable is by allowing the market place of ideas (an idea espoused centuries earlier but seems written for this moment), a buffet of idiocy rather than a single doctrine of madness.



This war over the digital soul of America is being waged on many fronts and in many theatres. The coming election is the first great epic battle. I read so many fantasy novels that I may have damaged my allegorical thinking skills for life but I can't help but feel the swirl of two eternal forces sucking in power for a street fight this fall. The grey area has been obliterated. Its line up on a side time. And I for one am sick of pulling punches. The other side is evil, its thrives in the dark corners and shadows, feasting on corpses and sucking lifeblood from innocents. Like the most stereotypical evil v good story arc (rent Wizards by Ralph Baski for a cool example)the stakes are high and the distinctions are clear. Evil's current champion puppet is Bush who rules like an idiot King who is kept on a short leash by the nefarious necromancer Cheney. Charles the Hammer Martel had nothing on this bunch. Their minions rule fiefdoms across all realms with a constant thirst for more. They preside over easily duped masses who act as cannon fodder in their assaults on the forces of freedom and goodness.


Hmmm, maybe I can write that thinly veiled social commentary Sword and Socery novel I have dreamed of now.....actually Bush is good for me personally as I need more material....BUSH IN 2004.


Yours in Robert Murdoch,
CLarry