Freedom of the Press

News reporters and politicians, mind-controlled 
talking heads of the Matrix Clown Show, once 
in a while glitching in their programming, like
 this, and this, or like this, and  these, and this
...yeah, it can get pretty disturbing sometimes.
Here's why this happens.

          John Swinton, editor of the New York Tribune in the 1880s, is known to have said at a banquet of his fellow editors:

          "There is no such thing in America as an independent press, unless it is in the country towns.  You know it and I know it.  There is not one of you who dares to writes (sic) his honest opinions, and if you did you know beforehand that it would never appear in print.

          I am paid one hundred and fifty dollars a week for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with  –others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things–  and any of you who would be so foolish as to write his honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job.

          The business of the New York journalist is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of Mammon, and to sell his race and his country for his daily bread.  You know this and I know it...and what folly is this to be toasting an 'Independent Press'?!

          We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes.  We are the jumping-jacks; they pull the strings and we dance.  Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men.  We are intellectual prostitutes."

          And thus spake the Oblahma clone to this esteemed conference of well-dressed, keenly-educated and fine-smelling intellectual prostitutes:

Good afternoon.  Uh, blah.  Blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah, blah.  HOWEVER, uh, blah, blah, blah, and uh....blah, and blah, blah. THEREFORE, blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah, blah.  IN CLOSING, blah, blah, blah, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and blah, blah.. And, uh...blah.  Thank you.  I'll take your questions now... 

          And they take notes on this nonsense and submit it as lamestream news --dutiful little mama birds regurgitating worms for the eager consumption of we, the hungry birdie masses.   We lap it all up every drop, day after excruciating day, 'cause we want to stay "well-informed."  Nope, absolutely nothing's changed since your day, Mr. Swinton.  The tools, vassals and jumping jacks still do the same dance, and we clap our hands to the beat.