From: bunker@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Alex Bunker)
Subject: Re: WORLD GOVERNMENT
Organization: Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 13:28:50 GMT

In article <PA146008.245.714183518@utkvm1.utk.edu> PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu (David Veal) writes:
>In article <1992Aug18.155310.18355@mcshub.dcss.mcmaster.ca> bunker@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Alex Bunker) writes:
>
>>>  Well, there goes the freedom of expression. How many other freedoms are you
>>>  planning to trash on your way to an all-Good, all-knowing, all-wonderful
>>>  world government? It's beginning to sound more and more like 1984 to me. 
>>>
>>>ab> Television will become more educational and less commercially-consumer
>>>ab> advocating pander to the lowest common denomenator.
>>>
>>>  Interesting. Get rid of ads, and we get better TV. Um, how does this TV 
>>>  get paid for in the first place? Advertisers. You make it sound as though 
>>>  advertising itself is some kind of evil thing. Sorry, but if you remember
>>>  creating a resume, you were advertising yourself. Basically, without it,
>>>  the flow of information decreases greatly. Again, your future world sounds
>>>  less and less inviting and desirable the more you talk about it.
>>>
>>>ab> Look the best television is on the channels without commercials PBS TVO
>>>ab> BBC etc...
>>>
>>>  Here in the US, the Discovery channel and A&E are doing quite well, and
>>>  presenting quite good TV, with commercials too! I think I'll take a stu-
>>>  pid commercial every 15 minutes over interminable "pledge drives" any day.
>>>
>>>  Believe it or not, capitalism is not the source of every stinking festering
>>>  problem facing the world. If there's one thing your posts indicate, you 
>>>  have become radicalized by reading the Net. I remember a kindler, gentler
>>>  Alex Bunker a short time back. Relax, and get mellow. No need to sound so
>>>  final and declarative and know-it-all.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Gary Strand                      Opinions stated herein are mine alone and are
>>>strandwg@ncar.ucar.edu            not representative of NCAR, UCAR, or the NSF
>>
>>There seems to be a misunderstanding here my comments on television
>>and advertising have NOTHING to do with world government. We got sidetracked
>>and they are a seperate issue. I do not particularly like commercial television
>>because it is not a free form of expression because it is beholden to
>>the views of the advertisers. 
>
>     Thems that pays the bills gets to call the shots.  Or, more
>accurately, "He who has the gold makes the rules."
>
>>We see this in comparing PBS to A&E. 
>
>     The Discovery Channel was brought up above.  It's an excellent channel
>with a lot of good programs.  And commercials.
>
>>The
>>quality and intellectual depth and vartiety of perspectives available
>>on PBS is FAR greater than pathetic ultraconservative A&E (the 
>>standup comedy-documentaries about war from a hawkish perspective channel)
>>I want a TRULY free form of expression. 
>
>     You mean where somebody comes into your home and builds you a
>broadcast tower for free?  Such things are expensive.  If you don't
>believe me, buy a television spot.
>
>>What is commercially viable is
>>not free. 
>
>     Nothing is free.  If its not commercially viable, who are you going
>to get to pay for it?  The taxpayers?  Why should they pay for your speech?
>Is *everybody* going to get their own broadcast tower?
>
>>What about programming that is anti-capitalist?
>
>     Obviously the capitalists aren't going to pay for attacks against
>them.  Somehow the idea of letting somebody use *my* lawn to shout that
>I'm evil and corrupt at my house doesn't seem very appealing to me.
>
>>or exposes great wrongs in the consumerist status quo?
>>We do not get
>>to see these shows because the advertisers hold the networks in blackmail.
>
>     The advertisers say, "We'll pay you money for this."  That's not
>blackmail.  Why should the advertisers be *forced* to pay for something
>they don't like.
> 
>     I don't see you advertising in your signature that world government
>is a stupid idea.  A lot of people think that.  Why are you only presenting
>*your* view?
>
>===========================================================================
>|David Veal  PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu  University of Tennessee             |  
>|                                     Division of Continuing Education    |
>===========================================================================
>

But that is just my point I want Television to express ALL views and vbe
an open forum I am very afraid of its propogandistic effect due
to the bious of the sponsors.

ALEX
.
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