"You know what I mean?"

When SO SAY WE ALL began passing this art (TALIBISION!) out at Anti-War rallies in August of 2004, true war had yet to be unleashed on the middle class, Glenn Beck and BLACKWATER were nightmares no one could have foreseen, and Rita Cosby had no idea how busted she would one day be.

FOX NEWS however, was leading the way in explosive character-generated headlines that were kept just this side of libelous by adding a question mark, so I thought I'd ask a few questions of my own. Questions still unanswerable in 2007.

Maybe not.

Today, as I watch the FedEx KINKO's ad where a manager convinces colleagues of their positions, it's easy to imagine it's counterpart; a morning teleconference where a disembodied voice makes sure the gathered personalities know their “usual responsibilities” in the week leading up to the recent Democratic debate.

Freedom is the right to do what is allowed by the law. Nobody knows the law, so they look to us to tell them what's allowable. So, let's go over what freedom is this week, and pay attention to your stage directions.

Dobbs, you and Cavuto continue making the trans-national highway a joke. Fine job of keeping the Chinese out of it. Focus on Mexicans. (CUT TO Dobbs) ... practicing scowl in mirror.

Blitzer, you and Glenn keep feeding the Fear. IRAN! BRITNEY! IRAN! PARIS! IRAN! Islamo-Fascism!!! (CUT TO Beck) ... “KILL EVERY LAST ONE!”

O'Reilly, Kasich, Hannity, Gibson - you're in charge of name-calling & prejudice; pinhead, whack jobs, hate, hate, hate ... Jarrett & Banderas are coming along just fine. Sean, excellent job of accusing Ron Paul supporters of cheating. (CUT TO Hannity) ... “Ron Who?”

Matthews, keep up the “Main Event” attack on Hillary. Abrams, you and Carlson argue with everybody else. We'll deal with Olbermann later. (CUT TO Tucker) ... “I hate what I don't understand.”

Russert, DO NOT follow up on Kucinich's attempt to impeach Bush/Cheney, but make sure he gets the UFO question. (CUT TO Russert) ...whistles “Twilight Zone” theme.

and Rita... DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD!

Know what I mean?
Know what I mean?
Know what I mean?

Conference ends. Screen goes black except for final message: REMEMBER, OUR NEWS IS YOUR NEWS.

Is your news THEIR news?



My Name is Michael Sterling. Freedom isn't free.
It isn't even freedom* any more.

*To paraphrase Aldous Huxley's "BRAVE NEW WORLD": “A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they do not recognize their servitude. To keep them ignorant is the task assigned, in present day totalitarian states, to the MEDIA.”