Governments; Governing; News Control, Transparency in Reporting

 By Dint:


Governing is like a bad divorce: both sides tilting Need for neutral fact-finding Install a neutral moderator in legislative committees (not at hearings) to facilitate discussion in partisan times, and ensure all positions are aired objectively at that stage.

Disclose nature of the reporting:  interest, bias, financial stake


Disclosure of Financial Stake by News Purveyor or Owner of Media as to Legislation Under Discussion.  Requirements for those reporting on governing.  The more financial interest the purveyor or owner of the media has in the law, the more the broadcast or other dissemination shall be labeled as propaganda, such rating to be displayed to the public simultaneously with the airing or waving.

The Truth in News Sources Act.
  Disclosure shall be required as to the source of news by name of overall owning conglomerate, not merely the name of the newspaper.  That is, the same conglomerate may send out its news to seven papers it owns, and people think that is original source. Not.

NATURE OF GOVERNMENTS

Similarity: Sassafras and Governments: Varied at the bottom, sameness at the top.
Those who rise to the top get to look alike. Like dog owners.

GOVERNING SKILLS 

Uses of Reverse. Can We Teach It?
Governing skills. People who govern need to know how to drive in reverse sometimes

Who Will Bell the Cat - Piers Plowman.  In the 1377 English poetry version by William Langtrey, the council mouse found that no mouse was man enough to bell the cat, as Aesop had originally told.  However, Piers goes further:  What would have happened if the cat indeed had been belled.... as the mice first wanted. Would it have been worse? Watch what you seek.



FOOLING THE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Propaganda in governing: euphemism, unwarranted extrapolation

FOSTERING PATRIOTISM

Child's Tale: Pledge of Allegiance and the Common Good  We knew a piece had been left out.

NEED FOR SUNSET LAWS; ACCOUNTABILITY

Group formation; sunset laws, foundationalism
Political Parties: Who Needs Them After They Calcify.  Sunset out the names every 16 years. Everybody rethink who to vote for. Platforms may grab planks from prior party designation.