Theos-Talk Archives (January 1998 Message tl00166)

At 08:41 AM 1/25/1998 -0500, you wrote:
>M K Ramadoss wrote:
>>
>> I have posted about the enormous impact that Internet is having as a means
>> of communicating and disseminating information. Now you have one more piece
>> of evidence of the power of internet. I visited the Washington Post site
>> and there was a link to www.slate.com which describes the how Net was the
>> first one to break the Lewinsky story. The story was first posted on the
>> Drudge Report site in California late last Saturday -- one week ago -- and
>> the print media did not print it until following Wednesday.
>>
>> So one can expect all sorts of information being disseminated for free on
>> the Internet and it is this free broadcasting worldwide that is going to
>> make it very difficult to contain information considered sensitive or
>> embarasssing by organizations.
>>
>> Ramadoss
>
>Two days ago on an internet brodcast of the Art Bell show people calling
>in were saying that it was being reported on tv that Clinton was
>considering a strike against Iraq as a diversionary tactic to take the
>heat off the scandal. Of course I took this with a grain of salt because
>of the sensationalist nature of Art's programs, but this morning that
>story was also reported on CNN. On the morning that it was reported on
>Art Bell there was no such story on that mornings CNN program or on the
>NBC broadcast news in Washington, D.C.
>
>It is obvious that Clinton has emulated Kennedy, but I think it would be
>unbeliveable that he would even think about commiting a military error
>like the Bay of Pigs.
>
>
>Vincent

Regular media run by multi-billion dollar corporations have be concerned
about legal liability of anything that is put out. That is the reason why
many items are reported at all or reported late or reported in an
incomplete version. But anyone can post almost anything on the maillists
and almost all the posters are individuals many of whom are students or
working class non affluent common men and women. What I see is the general
opening up as a general trend. For example for a long time in Texas much of
the public governmental bodies met behind closed doors and did a lot of
things which no one would dare to do today because by law all of them now
have to discuss and decide in public. There are very few exceptions like
discussing legal matters/legal advise and evaluation of the performance of
employees.

As for Iraq, the situation is ridiculous. The embargo is not affecting the
leadership. It is the common man woman and child who are now suffering.
Call it National Karma or whatever. Those who are responsible have to pay
the price sometime and you and I may have our share of National Karma for
the stand US and UK have been taking so far. Similar is the situation with
Cuba. Couple of years ago USA tried to stop India shipping 10,000 tons of
rice -- how much rice can Castro eat?

Much of the hunger and suffering can be traced to stupid and selfish
politics without any concern for the ordinary human being whereever they
are on this globe.

BTW, live TV has also done a lot to sensitize a lot of people about what is
going on around the world.

mkr