i agree with Art. i think it's crucial that we contextualize our object of study and for those studying US-based internet (in the very least) we must place it smack within capitalism, as others have already said on the list. when we do that, definate patterns appear and it's these patterns that will help us critique, use, and tweak contemporary media and culture. Art, any chance of adding to your list -- capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy -- capitalism's twin cousins: militarism and consumerism? david On Sat, 31 Jan 2004, Art McGee wrote:
I learn something new from this list all the time.
Reading the digest today, I learned that Capitalism is basically responsible for media lies.
Which I guess excludes socialism, fascism, theocracies, authorianism, etc.
And this clown is a professor? That's the most idiotic and duplicitous branching of logic I've ever seen from someone supposedly past undergrad. Now I understand why the field of CyberSociolology is so damn elitist and off-track, if people like this are considered respected members.
As others have already pointed out, in the context of the United States of America, which is what we were talking about, Capitalism, the all-consuming imperative for profit, perverts, distorts, and basically undermines at every point the attempt to have a truly democratic media system. This is simply a fact. It doesn't mean that in other contexts there aren't other reasons for media lies and distortions, but here, Capitalism (and for that matter Patriarchy and White Supremacy) is the primary barrier.
Art
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