ddog
11-18-2007, 02:39 PM
What is your take on this comment?
By the way this was from 1961!!!!
"In an effort to influence our votes and our opinions, Congressmen--along with most other public servants--often forget that one of their primary functions is to inform the country about the conditions and problems of the nation; and to describe important issues so that we can understand them. It was because of this requirement that the post of "public information officer" (or public affairs officer of press attaché) was established.
"However, in practice, public information officers have become prostituted. They have ceased serving you and me... Almost all of their energies and talents are spent keeping themselves and their bosses in power... In short, much of our government's energy is squandered in obtaining a pre-determined public opinion. Officials try by selective information releases to have us accept what they believe is proper; as if fearing the decisions we might make on our own if we had all of the truth.
"The government has been shameless in its efforts to attract our attention to a particular point of view, and in this manner mold public opinion. We often are enmeshed into preconceived opinions by the very people we elect and support--the civil servants who are supposed to be doing what we want.
"What is the result of all this? You and I are prisoners of our own government's self-generated publicity. Half the time we don't know what is really going on, and to find out we must apply the torch."
--William J. Lederer, from his book, A Nation Of Sheep
By the way this was from 1961!!!!
"In an effort to influence our votes and our opinions, Congressmen--along with most other public servants--often forget that one of their primary functions is to inform the country about the conditions and problems of the nation; and to describe important issues so that we can understand them. It was because of this requirement that the post of "public information officer" (or public affairs officer of press attaché) was established.
"However, in practice, public information officers have become prostituted. They have ceased serving you and me... Almost all of their energies and talents are spent keeping themselves and their bosses in power... In short, much of our government's energy is squandered in obtaining a pre-determined public opinion. Officials try by selective information releases to have us accept what they believe is proper; as if fearing the decisions we might make on our own if we had all of the truth.
"The government has been shameless in its efforts to attract our attention to a particular point of view, and in this manner mold public opinion. We often are enmeshed into preconceived opinions by the very people we elect and support--the civil servants who are supposed to be doing what we want.
"What is the result of all this? You and I are prisoners of our own government's self-generated publicity. Half the time we don't know what is really going on, and to find out we must apply the torch."
--William J. Lederer, from his book, A Nation Of Sheep