Fairly Free
It looks like the all-mighty liberals are pulling out all the stops! I have read that Henry Waxman, that old party favorite and I'm not talking fiesta here, is throwing himself full-bore at the fairness in media issue. I imagine that since they've gotten all of that power now it would only be fair for them to exercise it.
And I think it fair to say that since Henry is such a diligent, resourceful and loyal party man, why not charge him to take down the internet along with the airwaves while they're at it? With the control they have over Congress now I'd say they probably have a fair chance of doing it! I think it also fair to say the media will help them out.
By the way this whole concept of a fairness doctrine or censorship doctrine as some are calling it is confusing to me. Doesn't seem very fair at all! After all aren't we the land of the free? Aren't we free to say pretty much what we please under the first amendment? And isn't it fair to say the word censorship seems somehow contrary to the word freedom?
And don't we operate in a free market? Well, before this mess then, didn't we? Our founding fathers went on and on about the importance of maintaining free markets when they were putting our country together. It is the essential economic principle they designed for us and outlined in the Constitution. They were pretty smart fellows. However, our political class has hardly been fair to the Constitution lately.
It's not surprising to me that they've forgotten how a "free" market works. Maybe they've lost sight of the understanding of the two words that describe the term. Maybe they've lost touch with the language as it applies to economics.
Perhaps a refresher would help, so let's get back to the basics shall we? I think we should go right to the source so I went to my old but handy Webster's New World Dictionary to get definitions, albeit abbreviated by me. Here goes:
Free- Not in bondage; not in the control of some other person or arbitrary power; able to act or think without compulsion or arbitrary restriction; having civil and political liberty; able to move in any direction; not confined to the usual rules or patterns; not restricted by anything other that it's own limitationsenough?
Market- Marketplace, marketable, a gathering of people for buying or selling; a place buying and selling; trading in goods that can be sold; fit for sale.
And what is the definition of fairness. Best I could find is "absence of bias". Now that's interesting. Isn't the very concept of a fairness doctrine contradicted by that definition? Miight one think that a fair assessment?
I think it fair to say that a free market can be defined as a place for unrestricted buying and selling of things fit for sale without arbitrary control political or otherwise. Fair enough? - Does that concept seem remotely supported by anything they are want to do with this type of legislation? I think not!
You'd think that with all the fuss about this that Waxman and all the rest of the liberal cronies are being locked into a room every day and forced to listen to Rush Limbaugh. I can see the expressions of excruciating pain on their faces while they wonder how they can escape.
Isn't it fair to say that they just don't understand that regardless of whatever is being broadcast on television, radio or internet; whether or not the content is being forced or fair or not, that we are free to change the channel?
Michael Murphy, San Diego and Costa Rica
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Published: Sunday, March 1, 2009
Last modified: Sunday, March 1, 2009
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