In his new, and highly acclaimed book "The Assault on Reason" President Al Gore discusses at length the grave consequences of the dumbing down of America. One of the topics he points the finger (middle finger?) at is the preponderence of fluff news that Americans are shown as real news each day.
I thought of that discussion in President Gore's book this morning when I logged into Yahoo.com to check my email. When I did, I saw seven news stories highlighted in the Yahoo news box. The seven stories were:
• 35 killed in Kabul bus bomb attack
• U.S. attack helicopters kill 4 in Iraq
• Car in Tenn. parade hits crowd, kills 4
• TSA video counters 'sippy cup' claim
• U.N. trade talks help slow wave of extinctions
• Internet frenzy intensifies as fans fight to get iPhone
• Dolly Parton named lifetime member of Girl Scouts
Of the seven stories, the only three have any real relevance to whats occurring to Ameican society - those are the first three. For filler, Yahoo chose to give its users fluff news.
Who really cares if Dolly Parton is a Girl Scout for life? What earthly good does it do American society to know this? Did we get this news solely because Paris Hilton did nothing stupid in jail today? Or was it because Lindsay Lohan is still drying out and there was no "news" there to report? Maybe its because Britney Spears was actually able to fit into her jeans without having to suck in her tummy so there was no Britney news either? God/Allah only knows why but the important thing is Yahoo news felt compelled to give us gibberish for news.
Aren't there some late breaking figures on the number of American kids who have died for Bush's lies in Iraqnam? According to the Iraq Coallition Casualty site 3,521 American kids have died there as of yesterday. Dolly Parton becoming a girl scout for life is more important news?
America's trade deficit has and will continue to have grave impacts on the value of the American dollar against other currencies and on our ability to function as a society in response. Our trade deficit has climbed through the roof under Bush but there's no mention of that on Yahoo news this morning. Only information on Dolly Parton being a girl scout for life.
Homelessness continues to be a huge social factor in the United States but Yahoo didn't tell us about it. Instead we learned about the lady from Pigeon Forge.
The Republic Party continues to hose America's veterans yet there was no mention of that on this morning's Yahoo news. Dolly news was there however.
Now, compare the first seven headlines on Yahoo.com news with the first ten headlines on the blog Think Progress http://thinkprogress.org this morning:
Judge orders domestic surveillance docs public.
Bush promises to veto homeland security bill.
Taliban suicide bombers launched a second day of attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday
Military mental health disorders spike.
Lieberman slams Reid for criticizing Gens. Pace and Petraeus.
Sacred Ganges river left in peril by global warming.
Michael Moore talks health care crisis with Oprah.
Special Counsel Probe Into Rove’s Politicization Of Government Advances
U.S. Citing Conservative Calls To Bomb Iran To Pressure Diplomats
Other than the piece about Holy Joe LIEberman, Think Progress is covering real news and real topics that affect America. Unfortunately the Faux News watching, NASCAR driving, Budweiser drinking, Wal-Mart shopping component of American society doesn't get its news from Think Progress. They thrive on fluff news like Dolly Parton being a life time girl scout.
Richard Nixon began the "Southern Strategy" in the 1970s as a first step in getting a Republic Party majority in the United States. The Southern Strategy was highly successful, in part, because of the dumbing down of America.
Faux News, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and other lower life forms contribute to that dumbing down each day. Yahoo News reporting on Dolly Parton being a life time girl scout, when there are real news iteams about real newsworthy issues out there, only adds to the collective dumbness of a substantial portion of America.
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