[350HP930]

Pete, I didn't say that the media is COMPLETELY controlled by the state. You need to pay more attention to to the 6 . . .

6. Controlled Mass Media -
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Did you know that all the major corporate media outllets have agreed not to publicise images of 'collateral damage' such as dead women and babies (the occasional dead combatant is allowed though) for concerns that it could be used by the 'enemy' as propaganda to undermine our willingness to fight the war. That sure sounds like wartime censorship to me.

And on the other

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts -
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

While there are dozens of examples I think a short story about the ACTA says it all . .

Lynne Cheney-Joe Lieberman Group Puts Out a Blacklist

by Roberto J. Gonzalez
December 13, 2001
San Jose Mercury News

AN aggressive attack on freedom has been launched upon
America's college campuses. Its perpetrators seek the
elimination of ideas and activities that place Sept. 11
in historical context, or critique the so-called war on
terrorism.

The offensive, spearheaded by the American Council of
Trustees and Alumni, a Washington-based group, threatens
free speech, democratic debate and the integrity of
higher education. In an incendiary report, "Defending
Civilization: How Our Universities Are Failing America,"
the American Council claims that "colleges and
university faculty have been the weak link in America's
response" to Sept. 11. It also asserts that "when a
nation's intellectuals are unwilling to defend its
civilization, they give comfort to its adversaries."

The report documents 117 campus incidents as "evidence"
of anti-Americanism. More than 40 professors are named,
including the president of Wesleyan University, who
suggested in an open letter that "disparities and
injustices" in American society and the world can lead
to hatred and violence.

Other examples abound. A Yale professor is criticized
for saying, "It is from the desperate, angry and
bereaved that these suicide pilots came." A professor
emeritus from the University of Oregon is listed for
recommending that "we need to understand the reasons
behind the terrifying hatred directed against the U.S.
and find ways to act that will not foment more hatred
for generations to come."

Dozens more comments, taken out of context and culled
from secondary sources, are presented as examples of an
unpatriotic academy.

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni was founded
in 1995 by Lynne Cheney, the vice president's wife, and
Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Its Website claims that it
contributed $3.4 billion to colleges and universities
last year, making it "the largest private source of
support for higher education." Cheney is cited several
times in the report, and is reportedly a close associate
of its authors, Jerry Martin and Anne Neal.

Although the council's stated objectives include the
protection of academic freedom, the report resembles a
blacklist. In a chilling use of doublespeak, it affirms
the right of professors to speak out, yet condemns those
who have attempted to give context to Sept. 11,
encourage critical thinking, or share knowledge about
other cultures. Faculty are accused of being "short on
patriotism" for attempting to give students the
analytical tools they need to become informed citizens.

Many of those blacklisted are top scholars in their
fields, and it appears that the report represents a kind
of academic terrorism designed to strike fear into other
academics by making examples of respected professors.

The report might also function to extend control over
sites of democratic debate -- our universities -- where
freedom of expression is not only permitted but
encouraged.

At my campus, symposiums, teach-ins and lectures about
religion, terrorism, central Asia, the Middle East and
U.S. foreign policy have been organized recently. A
teach-in entitled "Background for Understanding" drew
hundreds of students, faculty and citizens from many
political and intellectual perspectives. The audience
had the opportunity to ask questions and comment freely.
The discussion was lively and at times contentious.

As a microcosm of society, the university is a place
where people of different ethnicities, religions,
generations, and class backgrounds exchange ideas and
opinions. Anyone who has visited Bay Area colleges knows
that they are especially rich places for intercultural
exchange.

The vigorous and often heated debates typical of such
encounters are a hallmark of democratic processes. On
most campuses this can still be done freely, but
official accusations of anti-Americanism might
intimidate and silence some voices. That is not
patriotism, but fascism. The American Council's position
is inaccurate and irresponsible. Critique, debate, and
exchange -- not blind consensus or self-censorship --
have characterized America since its inception.

Our universities are not failing America. On the
contrary, they are among the few institutions offering
alternatives to canned mainstream media reports.

The targeting of scholars who participate in civic
debates might signal the emergence of a new McCarthyism
directed at the academy. Before it escalates into a
full-blown witch hunt in the name of "defending
civilization," faculty, students and citizens should
speak out against these acts of academic
terrorism.Roberto J. Gonzalez is an assistant professor
in the Department of Anthropology at San Jose State
University.