It is axiomatic that indulging in various forms of deregulation, removing rules that applied to the financial industry, the minerals extraction process and other areas has hurt this country badly. One area of our economy that was deregulated and subsequently has hurt this country is the media. When will we talk about re-regulating the media?
The financial crisis which began during the waning months of George W. Bush's administration and which plagues America still has its roots in the various deregulating sicknesses which took hold in this country over many years. As a country we now recognize this to be the case and, despite those republican congress-folk and their blue dog democratic associates who insist on catering and apologizing to their corporate supporters (I'm sorry, BP? Really?), The US knows that re-regulation of many areas is vitally needed.
Similarly, the minerals extraction and associated rule changes made during the Bush administration, about which we are woefully uninformed due to the secrecy surrounding Vice President Cheney's energy task force meetings, have now had their should-have-been-anticipated, catastrophic consequences, in loss of life, loss of habitat/ecosystem, loss of jobs/revenue and loss of life-style. We now are clamoring for re-regulation to ensure that this never happens again.
One of the biggest changes to occur in this country during my life is the degrading of our sources of information. As a young teenager, I was thrilled to read the exploits of Woodward and Bernstein. I admired their editors and publisher, whose support they had. I sought articles by Jack Anderson, who seemed to know those in the know, and was willing, within limits to expose their mistakes. Where are their progeny?
We have deregulated the media to the extant that a former alien, made a citizen through some fancy prestidigitation, now is able to own and destroy various widespread mainstream media, in the same market. This former alien, who has a well-known political bent, is destroying the manner in which Americans get informed, to his benefit and to the detriment of our country. Why was this allowed? When will medial re-regulation become as popular a topic as financial re-regulation?