John Parker
With both the Democrats and Republicans giddy over a budget proposal in California that takes walkers away from seniors and food from the mouths of poor children and leaves the rich unscathed, the state of the progressive movement today seems even more inadequate for the challenges ahead.There are many reasons why the U.S. has an underdeveloped movement compared to others in the world who face even more repression. One big reason is how well developed and efficient are the means for disseminating the ideas of the ruling class and disseminating disinformation.
As I write this I’m still unpacking my bags from my trip to Gaza with the Viva Palestina convoy led by MP George Galloway and I am experiencing a similar feeling that I had after traveling to Haiti, Sudan and Iraq with Ramsey Clark – a feeling of a pervasive unreality back here in the U.S. What I saw in those and this most recent trip is not reflected in the ideas and information that is disseminated on our TV, or in our movies, or on the radio or any media – print or otherwise. A cloud of disinformation pumped out every second by the State Department is the news that gets put out on Reuters and the AP, then recycled on CNN, Fox, New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times – you name it. If it’s corporate owned news it’s spun the same and edited out the same here in the land of “freedom of the press.”
Unfortunately for our movement, since Ronald Reagan sabotaged public television and radio in the 80s that form of more truthful news has gone the way of CNN. But, more devastating is the fact that this trend is finding its way into “listener sponsored” radio. How? By basing the life of a program solely on the amount of money, not listeners, it generates. When profit is primary, the dollars of the more privileged in society with more expendable income, who are more likely to be in tune with the status quo, win out. Is this why, perhaps, the news on KPFK has been cut like Schwarzenegger’s service programs, or why many times the spin on the news seems parallel to NPR or even CNN. Why, for example, are there more programs on KPFK about the metaphysical as opposed to programs meant to help organize and unite us as a movement during an unprecedented economic crisis. Now more than ever, working people need to share ideas and get educated on how to fight back against layoffs, cuts, increased repression and attempts to divide us using racism, sexism and homophobia.
For the sake of providing the necessary information to counter, not mimic, what is disseminated by the State Department via AP, Reuters and the corporate media and strengthen our movement, we must reverse the trend toward the status quo. My entry onto the Board is a step in the direction of making KPFK a more useful tool for building a stronger, more united movement.
| Kahllid A. Al-Alim | Listen to John’s Promo | Lawrence Reyes |
