| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Democracy Defined |
| 2003-11-12 |
| Gore said democracy in America flourished at the height of the newspaper era, which "empowered the one to influence the many." Where do you even start with that... |
| Posted by:rawsnacks |
| #28 Truly, the blogosphere is the reincarnation of the independent newspaper of the Revolutionary period. That's one reason the UN wants to control the Internet. That's one reason the Dummycheats want to allow Internet "taxes", so they can control it (To be able to tax something is to control it - a proven maxim of virtually every dictatorial regime in history). As long as we have the ability to freely associate, freely communicate, and freely assemble, on the Internet and in person, this will remain a free nation. As soon as any entity gets control of any major portion of the Internet, that should be a call to arms for true believers in independence and freedom. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-12 10:49:46 PM |
| #27 I agree with Old Patriot about the import of papers & pamphlets to US history, hello Publius. But I don't think Gore was referring to that period as the heyday of newspapers, which - according to the article - was up until the advent of TV. The loss of the dominance of newspapers "leaves average Americans without an outlet for scholarly debate." This is pure revsionist bullshit. |
| Posted by: Rawsnacks 2003-11-12 10:11:12 PM |
| #26 He is right about media magnifying words many times over. You could also look at Al's message in a different way. There once was a day that you coud say something ridiculous and not have your statement blasted to the width of the Globe for others to laugh at ... continuously ... for a long time. :-) |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-11-12 7:04:40 PM |
| #25 Al's dad Guttenburg Gore invented Movable Type. Oh, that's rich. Very nice. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-12 6:33:51 PM |
| #24 Nobody hates democracy and free speech as much as the Democrats, these days. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-11-12 6:32:06 PM |
| #23 Actually, newspapers played a central role in both the Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution. Of course, back then, each paper was controlled by its own printer/publisher. Ben Franklin had a paper in Philadelphia. One of the Adams (related to Samuel, who was a brewer) had a paper in Boston. Newspapers truly were the voice of the people in that era, as different (well-educated, mostly) people wrote about and commented on various aspects of the new government, the new Constitution, and their anger at the British. By the time of the Civil War, newspapers began to lose their independence, and their role in informing the "masses". First radio, and then television, killed the newspapers as 'champions of democracy', and they became panderers equal to television and radio. I glance through my morning newspaper to read the Assay cartoon (one of the best in the nation for political cartooning, IMO), see what they left out from Rantburg the day before, and to see what the pundits are lying about that day, then check out the letters to the editor. That's about it. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-11-12 5:39:42 PM |
| #22 "empowered the one to influence the many." Sounds like he is in favor of dictatorships. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-11-12 5:39:33 PM |
| #21 He likes newspapers better than TV - cause (i think this is what hes saying) its easier to start and run a paper than a TV network. That strikes me as rather exagerated, but hardly evidence of hidden fascism. And he seems to recognize that the internet improves things. Which shows hes on the right track. Now if only he'd mentioned blogs ..... |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-11-12 4:33:34 PM |
| #20 Al's dad Guttenburg Gore invented Movable Type. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-11-12 3:39:53 PM |
| #19 "Keep in mind that Gore started out as a newspaper journalist." -His idea of being a reporter was spending 4 months in 'Nam lying about his exploits (i.e. taking point) and having a personal bodyguard w/him to keep him outta trouble paid for by his senator daddy.... |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-11-12 2:38:38 PM |
| #18 Or was he just paraphrasing Mr. Spock (as he lay dying): "Jim, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-11-12 2:34:11 PM |
| #17 Bet he's kicking himself now for inventing a means for the many to talk back. |
| Posted by: BH 2003-11-12 2:30:37 PM |
#16 democracy in America flourished at the height of the newspaper era, which "empowered the one to influence the many"Ah, yes, that great champion of democracy, admirer and defender of the masses, William Randolph Hearst, who said, "You supply the pictures, and I'll supply the war." And he did. Are all the Demo-Rats (besides Zell Miller) raving socialists, or just the ones who make the national press? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2003-11-12 2:21:36 PM |
| #15 I guess we all owe the man a big thank you for inventing the internet. |
| Posted by: mjh 2003-11-12 2:02:21 PM |
| #14 Wasn't a defining feature of the original Bolsheviks their idea that the policies of a country should be decided by small group of elites. Absolutely, except the Soviets, in 1984-speak dubbed it democratic centralism. The concept dates from Marx when he observed in the manifesto that even communists are a part of the ruling class. |
| Posted by: badanov 2003-11-12 1:49:18 PM |
| #13 He also says...Gore said a remedy to television's dominance may the Internet, a "print-based medium that is extremely accessible to the average person." HUH? TV is just about the most accessible medium EVER. Now if he is strictly refering here to controling content, he may have a point - but to hold up newspapers as the ideal is pure fantasy. |
| Posted by: rawsnacks 2003-11-12 1:30:17 PM |
| #12 By the way, a question for those Rantburgers better versed in communist history than me: Wasn't a defining feature of the original Bolsheviks their idea that the policies of a country should be decided by small group of elites ? |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2003-11-12 1:29:41 PM |
| #11 Ahh, he's kissing up to the media. He strokes their egos, they'll stroke back. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-11-12 1:28:33 PM |
| #10 William Randolph Hearst was often praised for his love for the little people, and the dream of a true democracy. Not. |
| Posted by: growler 2003-11-12 1:23:36 PM |
| #9 Having invented the Internet and run for president using a class warfare message, you'd think Shallow Al would be more enthusiastic about independent blogs than newspapers controlled by giant corporations. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2003-11-12 1:17:22 PM |
| #8 "empowered the one to influence the many." That sure does smack of eliticism, doesn't it? And of course eliticism has a grand history of allowing the populace its self governance; except when the egomaniacle miniority was not trying to force its views on the majority. And since self-governance is the purpose of democracy, we can only come to the conclusion that Al Gore is a damned fool. And will someone please tell that nitwit that he is trying to create his own liberal television program? He's thus arguing against the very thing he's trying to build. And people wanted HIM as our President? |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-11-12 1:12:28 PM |
| #7 Here is what Al sed: Gore said democracy in America flourished at the height of the newspaper era, which "empowered the one to influence the many." This is what Al really meant: Gore said democracy in America will flourish at the height of right now when conditions "empowers ME to influence the everyone who votes ." |
| Posted by: badanov 2003-11-12 1:11:41 PM |
| #6 Keep in mind that Gore started out as a newspaper journalist. No doubt he misses the "good, old days" when he and his ilk controlled public discourse. Blogs are democratic with a small "d". |
| Posted by: Spot 2003-11-12 1:08:45 PM |
| #5 "empowered the one to influence the many." Uh... Al... you misspelled enslave... I, myself would like to thank Fred for Rantburg and Zeyad for Healing Iraq and the countless other bloggers who give their own unique perspective on the world. Without you we would still be enslaved to Al Gore and the media. Thank you! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2003-11-12 1:07:41 PM |
| #4 Gore's idea of "democracy" is a society where all the right-thinking people (in other words, Gore and like-minded liberals) control the content and tone of the public discussion. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-11-12 1:01:39 PM |
| #3 Gore has gone off the deep end along with the rest of the Donks. Saying crap like this is the only way that he gets attention. The Demos are like a bunch of lemmings heading to the cliff. The more BS they spout and the more outrageous it is, the more that they believe it. |
| Posted by: remote man 2003-11-12 1:01:02 PM |
| #2 Let's start with the obvious: "the one (with the money -- the owner, or the ink -- the reporter/editor) to influence the many" is on the far end of the spectrum from democracy. This would be scary, if it weren't said by such a pathetic dweeb as Gore. |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2003-11-12 1:00:42 PM |
| #1 Newspapers! As a source democratic dialectic? Hmm…the free reign of the blogosphere must scare the daylights out of him and his ilk. |
| Posted by: Dragon Fly 2003-11-12 12:56:30 PM |