tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23870293.post6974210296510373052..comments2022-11-30T02:22:02.074-05:00Comments on Antipasto*: Media, Corporations and Democracystefanoqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03957519878567929614noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23870293.post-1345960164641993752019-01-15T09:34:11.676-05:002019-01-15T09:34:11.676-05:00Thank you both, Rich and Hugo. I appreciate your ...Thank you both, Rich and Hugo. I appreciate your comments.stefanoqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03957519878567929614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23870293.post-31769601652049441582017-01-15T00:18:14.363-05:002017-01-15T00:18:14.363-05:00Here is a follow up article from the Times on the ...Here is a follow up <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/business/media/trump-media-news-conference.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share" rel="nofollow">article from the Times</a> on the same subject.<br /><br />The media had "better figure things out, fast, because it has found itself at the edge of the cliff. And our still-functioning (fingers crossed) democracy needs it to stay on the right side of the drop."<br /><br />"Mr. Trump remains a master media manipulator who used his first news briefing since July to expertly delegitimize the news media and make it the story rather than the chaotic swirl of ethical questions that engulf his transition."<br /><br />"The news media remains an unwitting accomplice in its own diminishment as it fails to get a handle on how to cover this new and wholly unprecedented president."<br />Stephen Quatranohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01059361998764319299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23870293.post-88734774033446749982017-01-04T12:54:50.585-05:002017-01-04T12:54:50.585-05:00Great post Steve. Having grown up in a third-world...Great post Steve. Having grown up in a third-world country, I've always wanted to understand why my country of origin couldn't be as advanced as, say Switzerland, in spite of having orders of magnitude more wealth in terms of natural resources and an advantageous location. In their 2012 book "Why Nations Fail" (*) authors Acemoglu and Robinson present a compelling study that points to the independence and strengths of institutions as the key success or failure factor for communities, large and small. Debilitating institutions by way of inaction, ignorance or as a strategy to seize hegemonic control of society (e.g. Chavismo in Venezuela) is the key to failure, according to the authors. Five years later, I still think they're on the right track. Undermine the institutions and nations will decline slowly until they hit the dreaded tipping point.<br /><br />(*) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Nations_Fail<br />Hugo Smitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00524529933224606352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23870293.post-57204861994243926162016-12-31T18:35:47.385-05:002016-12-31T18:35:47.385-05:00AMEN! This experiment in self-government will neve...AMEN! This experiment in self-government will never survive without robust - and diverse - media to challenge that government to fulfill its duty by keeping everyone informed both when it succeeds and especially when it does not. More than that though, to encourage interest and stimulate participation in self-government by educating and elevating citizens, because that is what self-government requires above all else. Votes cast by uninformed citizens are votes that are cast for the wrong reasons. People may not like to bother with keeping up with the dealings of government, but any survey of history would quickly convince them that it is an exceedingly small price to pay.Rich Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01466168368136106838noreply@blogger.com