Reviewing The Fairness Doctrine Act. Cause and Effect.

There will never be any semblance of Democracy within the United States of America until the time that the Fairness Doctrine Act is updated and re-enacted.

The Fairness Doctrine Act of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), was introduced in 1949. It was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses both prevent controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that fairly reflected differing view points.

Furthermore the Fairness Doctrine Act of 1968 rules that the Fairness Doctrine applies to cigarette advertising. Stations broadcasting cigarette commercial must donate air time to anti-smoking messages. The truth-in-advertising part of the act created the cigarette warning on each package.

The Fairness Doctrine Act required that broadcast media must provide fair coverage to all political candidates on TV and provide a variety of ideology, opinions and stories. This was called Fairness Doctrine quizlet. Another name for this part of the Fairness Doctrine was ” equal time”.

In 1985, the FCC released a report stating that the doctrine hurt the public interest and violated the speech rights of broadcasters guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the USA.

Basically the Fairness Doctrine covered controls over licensed broadcasters to avoid situations like our present day issues with Fox News and similar broadcast outlets. The doctrine makes sure that political candidates had due access to airtime and print media space. This was intended to avoid a scenario where the rich could purchase or negotiate volumes of costly airtime and the less affluent candidates never had an opportunity to have their message heard. The Fairness Doctrine meant to balance the scale, where every comment from a candidate directed to an opponent gave this opponent the opportunity and forum to reply and clarity, if needed, his/her position and political platform. This alone is at the heart of democracy. 1985 changed everything.

Let’s take a close look at the1985 FCC report stating that the doctrine hurt the public interests and violated speech rights of BROADCASTERS guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. Under the guidelines of the Republican Party and then President Ronald Reagan’s tutelage the rights of the people and for the people were exchanged for the rights of the corporations, in this case, broadcasters.

This event is monumental for various reasons. First and foremost Corporations took over the rights of individuals. This is a clear characteristic of the definition of Fascism. Secondly, the “people” you and I, have been thereafter denied the opportunity to postulate a candidate to compete fairly against the rich. No money, big money, no opportunity to win a political campaign. Thirdly, somewhere in the fine print of the changes implemented the door that allowed foreign ownership of FCC licenses was opened. This gives birth to the likes of Fox. They classify news as entertainment and have engaged in a non stop brainwashing campaign of American citizens.

There is a reason “the media” is called the fourth power. Democracy in the United States of America has died a painful death right before our eyes. We can’t see it because we are being manipulated to not see it. We no longer own our reality. The rich own it. Am I angry? Raging mad.

During the Clinton/Trump presidential campaign Trump receive nearly $2 Billion in FREE media, more than double than any other political candidate ever (Wikipedia).

Another source, www.street.com states that Donald Trump “rode” $5 Billion in free media all the way to the White House. (11/20/16)

Once the White House was secured, Donald Trump wasted no time in implementing legendary tax cuts for the ultra rich. For the first time billionaires have paid less taxes than the working class. Also note that billionaire or not Donald Trump only paid a $75,000 tax bill.

Donald Trump was placed in the White House by the ultra rich for the ultra rich. He was meant to further their personal business agendas exclusively. American citizens became inconsequential.

During the past fifty years ( see graph below) a very well thought plan has been implemented into US policy in order to enable and perpetuate the existence of of these pockets of extreme wealth at the great expense of the whole of society. American citizens, proud, hard working people, are falling in dismal poverty from which they will never recover.

Ronald Reagan’s manipulation of the FCC’s Fairness Doctrine Act was a significant and quantitively huge step in accommodating the special interests of the now ruling class, an Oligarchy.

Bush Jr’s creating of the Patriot Act was and continues to be another monumental step that helps the ruling class enslave American citizenship by stripping us of our constitutional rights.

We have protested as Trump and his entourage of mega-rich tried to overthrow the government with the obvious intent of naming himself the ruling President-for-life. Had the coup d’état been successful, future elections would have been eliminated, a military state would have been declared and we’d be leaving our homes when allowed. Blood, sweat and tears stopped that from happening, that time. No guarantees for the next time. Remember that Hitler won his prize during his second try.

The media is the voice of the masses. By reversing the true intent of the Fairness Doctrine Act and allowing foreign investors to own media, the collectivity of American citizens has no voice and cannot be heard. This is the sole explanation for the existence of blatant fascism within the ranks of the poor of the United States. Brainwashed and lost to their own interest they follow the yellow brick road of fascism.

In order to reverse and fix is horror the present administration must address the issue and implement the upgrading of the Fairness Doctrine Act. It is messy to tell Fox to pack it up? Well, so is cancer and we don’t sit around waiting for it to walk itself out of our flesh.

The current administration needs to put the leash on this gargantuan problem. Until this is accomplished all other attempts to stabilize American democracy is a blatant waste of time. The time to stop fascism, before it metastasizes is now. I hope someone is listening. Thank you for reading.