Throw in the benefits of this year 2009: internet, a democratic president, ESPN, internet, people becoming slightly more socially conscious, the right to wear orange, and the internet. Things are sweet.
Of course, there are some drawbacks. Sandwiches, for one, have existed for awhile, and I have no reason to believe that their peak in deliciousness is the present day. It could have already happened for all I know. I will also add possibly more important characteristics of contemporary times that I view as partially negative: an increased cancer rate, cell phone, the internet, car accidents, gun violence, rising costs in wheat, dairy, and seafood products, being told not to drink outside or smoke inside, the internet, and perhaps most egregious of all, an incompetent, ignorant, and blood thirsty media.
There are complaints I'm sure you've heard before, like why does the news cover one person's detah for days on end when children die every minute from preventable causes? And beyond that, does the media's obsession over hulman health, fitness, violence, and death really mean they care about it at all? And is there any positive effect or a wealth of knowledge to be gained, or is it pure over-saturation of nonsense? Beyond that, can I even pinpoint who "they" are, or is the whole situation far too clouded to place blame on individuals or those who are actually responsible for the state of media today?
Now don't get me wrong; I realize in many ways, things have improved quite a bit. We don't have elections where Thomas Jefferson is accused of being an anti-tariff, silver hoarding, closest italian paraplegic witch who wants to sell Virgina to the Indians to fund his opium and duck addictions, but by placing the debate in a modern context, we might not be that far off from the days of yesteryear.
Mudslinging is alive and well, but a more dangerous tool has been discovered, the use of code words. If you find that term too extreme, call it something else, but that really only furthers my point. Words that can raise anger from the deepest, darkest points of peoples souls but are so acceptable that the media chooses to repeat them ad-nauseum for months on end with seemingly no conscious recognition of any effect it might have on society.
We may not live in a nation where front page editorials and radio broadcasts repeat terms like nigger lover, cunt, kike, and communist (or whatever else words 18th to 21st centruy bigots use) to deride political candidates and social activists, but sure enough, new words have been invented to take their place, or in many cases, existing words have had their meaning completely changed to fit a subjective and narrow purpose. Think: socialism, liberal, extremism, terrorist, traitor, patriot, hero, evil, legacy, health care, equal opportunity, ironic, and affirmative action.
Many terms, while traditionally possessing either a positive connotation or no real stigma at all, have somehow fallen into hands of people who have no regard for the english language or its effect on civilization. While even the most repulsive of media "pundits", from Sean Hannity to Paula Zahn to Bill Kristol to Mike Wallace to Kathie Lee, (depending on where your allegiances lie) would have far too much to lose by saying any of the previous paragraphs insults on air, the internet has spawned a new format for hate speech, even while your average bigot may keep his/her identity secret while shopping next to you at Target. It goes far beyond words: hate groups continue to expand and organize with the help of the internet, rather than at the expense of it.
Of course on the other hand, the free-flowing of information is making it harder and harder for lies to be perpetuated throughout our country by traditional means, but that doesn't mean people can't change tactics. Perhaps Obama has the internet to thank in large part for his victory last year, but who is to say if John McCain had won, the same wouldn't be true? Aanyone who thinks that 80% of young people these days should be considered "progressive" is fooling themselves. And if you think that modern day media necessarily makes it easier to reason with them, you will gte lmfao'd right out of your pants.
In my next post, I will attempt to continue this rant on media's determination to be somewhat insignificant into a discussion of why Brett Favre isn't a jerk, but everyone (includsing myself I guess) who talks about him is. Plus, NFL picks, and what decades I would most want to live in!
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