The Media in the US Is Much Better Than in Other Nations - But Still Not Good Enough

If you are a reporter in some countries, you are a marked man and the government is watching you, and one slip up and you are history, you disappear, or are thrown in jail. In the United States we have freedom of the press thankfully, and although we export our products, know-how, and services all over the world, don't expect us to be able to export that as a "new found freedom" to ports afar. In fact, many nations are busy tightening down the reins on the media, and not just newspapers and TV either. Okay so, let's discuss this for a moment shall we?

Not long ago, an acquaintance from Australia said to me; "Modern media today such as news channels do not perform a truly non biased account of the events they broadcast on."

True, but we should expect them too considering how they are paid. If a media company gets money from, oh let's say the Obama Campaign for president, then they are going to run more favorable news content when his name is mentioned, and really this happens at all levels of government, no surprise there, local newspapers cater to those who spend the most on ads too, generally. I find the Murdoch scandal in the UK interesting with the cell-phone spying as well.

It's too bad that people believe everything they view in the media, my acquaintance notes that part of the challenge is the folks are just not educated as to how the media really works, true enough I say; yes, especially kids, and the lower IQ folks just take it all in as gospel, not that gospel is any better or reality based in and of itself. For instance, as my acquaintance correctly notes; "The child grows up looking at the television for both learning and entertainment, the TV becomes effectively a third parent and in doing so we lose the battle for the child's mind."

Right and a child's mind may not recognize the difference between advertising and reality, and to my acquaintance's comments, indeed, he's right; this is an empirically proven fact, he is correct. Do we need to teach our children better about these realities, it seems we do.

As a capitalist, I do not wish to diminish the media, it's a business, and that's fine, still a little education could go a long way. Now then if we'd teach children to think and question authority we'd be there, but we teach them to submit to authority instead, perhaps as a way to ensure they grow up and do not become trouble makers to the system or status quo.

Of course in doing so, eventually some of them will wake up and be VERY Pissed-Off for being lied too, which is probably why we have Hacker Groups, Disruptors, and even some mild-version terrorists. For the "powers that be" it's a challenge of getting the mix right, and it's a trade off.

If we teach kids early on of all the deception in our society, we are indeed, teaching them to deceive, and a lack of integrity also can bring down a society or prevent it from giving future generations a fair deal. We are also teaching them to be distrustful as well. Perhaps, we ought to be teaching the "philosophical" aspect, rather than the tactics.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

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Prison Reform for a Better Tomorrow

You work hard for your money, right? How would you feel if I told you that a portion of your hard earned money goes to the support of felons? Murderers, rapists, child molesters and others of the worst sort of the human animal, convicted felons serving life sentences for heinous crimes who can never be trusted to walk the streets freely. Or inmates serving life sentences involved in gangs and gang related activities, continuing the same anti-social violent behavior that caused them to be incarcerated. Some inmates even running gang activity from their prison cells. Controlling drug trafficking and commanding gang violence such as drive by shootings, which often harm or kill innocent by standers. Take little Sunny Elijah Peralez, who on August 6th, 1999 went to shut his East L.A. homes front door and was struck and killed by a stray bullet, innocent victim of a drive by shooting.

With an overcrowded prison system, the United States has the highest incarceration rates in the world. 750 inmates per 100,000 citizens compared to a world average of 166 per 100,000 (that's.75% compared to.17%) and although crime rates have decreased since 1990, the rate of imprisonment has continued to rise, costing the American taxpayer billions. Combined expenditures of local, state and federal governments for law enforcement and corrections total over 200 billion dollars annually, money that some of which could be better spent on something more beneficial to humankind. For instance, prisons are housing many of the nations mentally ill. The number of mentally ill inmates is nearly five times the number in inpatient mental hospitals. Large numbers of mentally ill inmates as well as inmates infected with H.I.V. tuberculosis and hepatitis (often spread through drug use and tattooing with unclean needles) also raise serious questions regarding the costs and distribution of health care resources. (Facts about the prison system in the United States October 2007)

My proposal for eliminating these costs and redistributing these funds consist of several elements. The first element being the unbiased elimination of the cause or reasons of these costs, by that I am referring to convicted felons on death row and felons serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. I mean, why are we wasting money to keep these worthless pieces society alive? If they have shown by their actions and deeds that they hold no value on human life and serve no purpose or value to mankind then they should just be put to death. Now, the immediate execution of them of course, would be unfair. We need to give them some time incarcerated to actually serve some form of punishment prior to their execution, and time to reflect on their lives and misdeeds and perhaps find their way to God to maybe give their soul a chance for salvation. After all, God is all forgiving right? That's more than most of them gave their victims. Another idea is live televised executions to maybe deter others from committing the same offense. Then maybe a nice cremation ceremony, after which their ashes would indeed make a fine fertilizer for the prison garden there by interring them to complete their life sentence. At least then they would have served some benefit from their existence.

Secondly, lesser crimes that inmates were convicted of such as non-fatal or non-violent crimes like fraud or theft, or persistent drug related petty crimes stemming from drug dependency could be given a military option to help strengthen our depleting armed forces in a more cost effective manner by having them serve their time deployed overseas. For example, let's say someone was convicted for burglary and drug related charges and was given a six year sentence. That person could opt for unpaid military service for seventy five percent of his sentence time, after which if he or she decides to remain in the military the time served could be considered applied towards a military career. Any rank they may have achieved may be considered and the time served would be applied to the twenty year requirement for retirement. That way assists in the overcrowding and expense problems related to incarceration and they have served their country and now have become a valuable and productive citizen instead of a burden and liability. The combined savings to the government from both not having to support him or her in prison and not paying him or her while in the military would no doubt be quite substantial.

Thirdly, money saved by not wasting it on death row and life without parole inmates by simply executing them could be put to better use on programs for drug therapy and rehabilitation of lesser charged inmates. Also some of the money could be used for programs for the homeless for housing, job training and programs for them as well for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Programs for therapy and treatment of the mentally ill homeless could also be instituted to help them re-establish themselves into society so that they may live a happier and more productive life.

I am aware that opponents to my proposal would argue by saying things like that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to the inmates and against their rights. To them I say what about the rights of their victims? What if it had been your child killed by that stray bullet or found horribly abused and buried in a shallow grave? Would you still feel that it is wrong? What if your loved one had been killed in a robbery for only a few dollars they had in their pocket? Does that murderer with no sanctity for human life deserve more than to just die? And knowing that the money saved could be put to better uses to help others more deserving or in need to have a better life and to become a more productive member of society would you still want to let the murderer, rapist, child molester or serial killer languish in a cell often still perpetrating the same crimes that landed them there? Or would you rather see a nice new establishment for the betterment of mankind with a nice organically fertilized garden in front of it, providing hope for the many thousands of people this money could help? That's not really a tough question, is it?

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