...is hard to come by these days, but today's AlterNet (5/18/05) has certainly started my day off right. Featured was the transcript (with links to live audio and video) of a speech by Bill Moyers, former NOW host who retired last year, that was given in St. Louis regarding government control of media in particular and the state of the nation in general. Moyers received calls to come out of retirement and even two nominations for President!

Moyers points out that reporters also have families to feed and are under undue pressure from government- and corporation-controlled boards of directors. "Did you know one of the Board of Directors for the NY Times is a member of the Carlyle group owned by Saudi's and run by Bush Sr in the US?" To increase the dissemination of truth, one reader suggested bombarding your local media with "real" news from alternative sources or abroad.

Moyer reminds us that media control is not a new problem. He cited a "black list" of journalists, writers, scholars, and politicians dating back to 1984 (!) that included Walter Cronkite, James Baldwin, Gary Hart, Ralph Nader, Ben Bradlee, Coretta Scott King, and David Brinkley. In the course of developing this list, it was found necessary to shred over 700 documents!

However, on behalf of even alternative media, he takes partial responsibility for the information gap in this country; he says of the public, "We treat them too much as an audience and not enough as citizens. They're invited to look through the window but too infrequently to come through the door and to participate, to make public broadcasting truly public."

Moyer agrees with my position that we need unity within our political parties but diversity between them. "I've always thought the American eagle needed a left wing and a right wing. The right wing would see to it that economic interests had their legitimate concerns addressed. The left wing would see to it that ordinary people were included in the bargain. Both would keep the great bird on course. But with two right wings or two left wings, it's no longer an eagle and it's going to crash"¦."

Like us, Moyer wants his country back. "So what's this [flag] doing here [in my lapel]? Well, I put it on to take it back. The flag's been hijacked and turned into a logo -- the trademark of a monopoly on patriotism. On those Sunday morning talk shows, official chests appear adorned with the flag as if it is the good housekeeping seal of approval. During the State of the Union, did you notice Bush and Cheney wearing the flag? How come? No administration's patriotism is ever in doubt, only its policies. And the flag bestows no immunity from error. When I see flags sprouting on official lapels, I think of the time in China when I saw Mao's little red book on every official's desk, omnipresent and unread"¦.

"The flag belongs to the country, not to the government. And it reminds me that it's not un-American to think that war -- except in self-defense -- is a failure of moral imagination, political nerve, and diplomacy." What a beautiful propeace statement! I'll be submitting that one separately to our webmaster to use as a quote on this website. One of the comments following the article congratulates Moyer for his ability to "stand-up for our country and to our government with dignity and without anger." May we all follow his example.