A Turn for Independent Media

We may see the glass half full but we're still a little hurt by the hopelash.

Hopelash: Like a backlash, hopelash is a 180-degree reversal of everything Obama-related. Sufferers were once Obama's most passionate evangelists. Now they are his angriest critics. Sample sentence: "At least with Bush everyone knew he was an asshole. Now we've got the same wars, the same lawless prisons, the same Washington corruption, but everyone is cheering like Stepford wives. It's time for a full-on hopelash."


There was a lot of clapping during Naomi Klein’s presentation last night. An energized audience was lucky enough to hear the renowned, independent media journalist and kept the speech as interactive as her “make-a-change” agenda.

Klein’s introduction was internationally prestigious. Her book, The Shock Doctrine, has been translated into 25 languages including Arabic and Hebrew. Although it is targeted and mainly addresses corporate America, the book has the power to reach an international audience and what’s even better: it applies to them. Not only do American efforts of “diplomacy” affect our little town of Ithaca, but more so, do they affect far-world countries and nations most people can’t even pick out on a map.

Klein referenced the capitalistic side of American and foreign outreach programs especially in the private sector. Large private corporations are currently capitalizing (no pun intended) on the situation in Haiti lurking around waiting for large projects that they could invest and profit from. Even though the impoverished country is indebted heavily (from a French slave debt from the 1800’s), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loaded yet another giant loan that will most likely go unpaid. ---Klein noted that the IMF recently overturned the loan into a grant after protests and human rights groups and independent media organizations acted and noted this injustice.

Klein went on to speak of the importance of public versus the privatization of almost every sector of our economy: the military, education (higher education, health care, social security, etc.) She raised a very important question that relates to everyone around the world: Do we want to gamble our futures (i.e. social security for example) on the ups and downs of Wall Street? There is little trust in anything corporate because they mainstream the system to the basics and leave little room for personalization and special protections.

That’s where independent media comes in to really act as the needed 4th estate. The important thing I learned from the presentation is the power of independent media. To note from Klein’s introduction, the Park Center for Independent Media prides itself and their field on how they are able to lend a voice to those who need it. It seems the farther we get away from corporate mainstream, the truer and more accurate narrative will emerge (Isn’t that the point of journalism, we hope?). Klein empowered the people of Ithaca and has done so with the Shock Doctrine. She gave a realistic, yet still optimistic presentation that was supported with detailed research: no opinion, just the facts. It was hard to question what she was saying.

And so, with an Obama-like ease, Klein cut off her speech just in time for a standing ovation.


Please support the truth that comes with independent media! Where else will we get our information?