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Roberta and I are enjoying our annual Hawaii winter vacation. The weather hovers around a womb-like 82 degrees. The beaches are beautiful and the water is perfect. The snorkeling is spectacular. Roberta participates in a small funky art community three times a week, while I try to do some photography and writing. It is a blessing and a privilege to be here. We still get 24 hours a day cable news here. (I know that we could turn it off.) We learned that global warming is hurting the NW United States water supply. We watch from the distance the silliness of the American Presidential Campaign. Hey guys, there are real issues that we need to be talking about. And Bill Moyer taught us the other night about the impact of conservative talk radio. And how effective they are at creating supporting agendas for conservative candidates. This last point hit home this week as we shared dinner with a local long-term resident. It became clear that his only source of "truthful news" was talk radio. He sounded very programmed -- still talking about the liberal media this and the liberal media that. It was impossible to have a serious or reflective conversation with him. It was very disappointing and sad. There was no attempt at finding common solutions. He is traveling to Thailand tomorrow for medical treatments. It is much less expensive there than the United States. He didn't see any irony in that. He argues that the downsizing of America is what we deserve. And that Clinton and the liberals were the one that wanted NAFTA. I did not bring up the fact that Mexico has not benefited much from NAFTA. Or that it is China and India where most of our jobs are going. I didn't even bring up taxes or deficits. Meanwhile on this Island services are not keeping up with development. There are too many cars, too few roads and not enough public services. New condominium projects are going up all over. And the poorer Hawaiians are being pushed out of their traditional homes. While their children's drug problems continue to get worse. Farther up the coast a new millionaires club is going in. We met one of the employees at a restaurant. The annual membership dues at this club is $175,000 per year. Paul Allen has bought three lots there. Michael Dell is building a house with a 10000 square foot bedroom. We understand that these things are relative and that privilege exists. Everything in this world is not fair, nor will it ever be. I think it is the ignorance and denial that bothers me the most. Talk radio feeds into a place in the human brain that desperately needs to hold on to old cultural beliefs that are based on reasoning that can't stand any scientific testing. These are often supported by the misunderstood teachings of religions great mystics. Talk radio is like the voice of the inquisition, spreading lies and innuendo. And it in turn is controlled by the media elite and our politicians. It is the appointees of the President and Congress who decide what the rules are. The media companies lobby and donate extensively for the right rules. And the price paid for their greed and repetitive dark-age teachings is our accelerated demise as a country and as a species. Oh well the surf is calling. And it still is paradise. February 15, 2004 |
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