It occures to me that this paralysis by inconclusion has alot to do with the past thirty years of TV culture we have been immersed in. TV programing ALWAYS brings things to a conclusion in 30 second or 30 minute intervals. The medium of TV itself induces a 'passive receptive' state in the brain waves of viewers. So people wait for the conclusion. Without a conclusion they wait passively. Do you ever notice that no one says much during a TV show but only talks after the show is over? This is an intensely conditioning medium. The entire populous has been conditions to this medium and its structure for thirty years now and behaves very differently than a culture which does not have TV as its primary time allocation. Other than working or sleeping people spend their time in front of the tube.

I have a feeling that this is completely understood in the halls of power and used to whatever end they wish. In this case it is to immobilize people from action of any kind. When they wish people to act they will begin to 'spin' a story and we will see the 'conclusion' of the story coming from a mile away. Right now they have a few story lines they have been warming up. One of them will be the one they pick. I believe it will be the 'terrorist' story because as a nation we are very afraid of people coming to our homeland to hurt us. We have been 'scot free' from war impact on our soil since the uncivil war over 135 years ago. We are terrified of ever seeing war on our own soil. To my thinking that fear has the characteristic of people wanting to beleive the government will be their only hope and so leads to self submission of people to centralized authority. This plays into their hands perfectly.

I haven't watched TV since the mid 1970's and so may see this differently than those who are soaked in its influence.

-- . (dit@dot.dash), June 30, 1999

Answers

It's as true today as when it was said years ago and plastered on thousands of bumpers in black and white lettering:

Kill your Television!

-- (Tim@Leary.was right), June 30, 1999.

Dit, It also doesn't help that the press believes it must present a balanced approach, even when the "expert" sentiment is really out of whack.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), June 30, 1999.

i agree tim. doing about 4 million hits of acid instead of a little PBS is definitely a harbour for the soul. glad to find a fellow leary disciple in the foru

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), June 30, 1999.

Now, methinks, we can understand Corrine better.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 30, 1999.

that you bear? the hydra headed trails make it kinda hard to see.

never mind, i'll go ask alice.

.

-- corrine l (corrine@iwaynet.net), July 01, 1999.