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Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Election Reform Donate to DU
 
Shalom Donating Member (832 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 12:11 PM
Original message
Cancel Your Subscriptions to LA Times, other print media
Based upon the example as I have provided, it is now time to start cancelling subscriptions to any MSM. When you do so, please let them know WHY you are dumping them:


It was very shocking to read this BS editorial in the 11/29 LA times, which claims:

"The Internet conspiracy theories that George W. Bush supporters stole the election by tampering with electronic voting equipment have finally died down, and for good reason."

First of all, this is incredible because the LA Times to my knowledge has not published ANYTHING that describes the so-called theories...How is a reader supposed to read an editorial that dismisses these theories if they have not been covered by the paper?

Secondly, it is clear that these "theories" are gaining momentum every day - on the same day the LA Times neglected to report on Jesse Jackson's speechs and press conference, it has the gall to publish this editorial.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-fraud29nov29,1,5244316.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials
EDITORIAL
Step Toward Election Standards

November 29, 2004

The Internet conspiracy theories that George W. Bush supporters stole the election by tampering with electronic voting equipment have finally died down, and for good reason. The new machines generally worked well, and there's no evidence that their data were corrupted in ways that could have swung the election.

That doesn't mean, though, that the nation's precincts should continue moving to the latest and most costly e-voting systems. The conventional wisdom now emerging — that the lack of evidence that e-voting systems improperly influenced the election means that fraud would have been impossible — is just as loopy as the cloak-and-dagger conspiracy theories it is replacing.

Touch-screen systems, which recorded about 30% of the nation's votes Nov. 2 (up from 12% four years ago), suffer from a host of security flaws that their manufacturers and local election officials have done little to correct. It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to recognize the possibility of someone using a home computer, a modem and some hacker savvy to break into most of the touch-screen devices now on the market. The most obvious deterrent to such fraud is one that only Nevada managed to implement Nov. 2: a paper printout that scrolls under glass at the edge of the screen.

One way to fix the problem is simply to not use touch-screen systems. Voting-technology experts tend to favor optical scanners, like those used in Los Angeles County, which cost one-third as much and have been shown in some studies to produce lower voter error rates.

Regardless of what system is used, though, it will have a credibility problem until Washington mandates national standards to guide how local precincts oversee voting technologies. Incredibly, the "independent" labs that local election officials hire to monitor software and hardware errors on e-voting systems are often paid by the makers of the machines. When those lab techs find problems, they are often prohibited by nondisclosure agreements from sharing them with election officials. Invitations to mischief rarely come clearer than that.

No one wants Washington to exert federal control over the ballot boxes, which state and local governments have governed since the nation's inception. But that doesn't mean Congress couldn't, or shouldn't, set basic certification and oversight procedures.

Last week, the Government Accountability Office took the first step toward establishing such standards. At Democrats' request, the GAO agreed to study how well both touch-screen and optical scan systems fared in the last election.

The audit should put useful pressure on the many local precincts that still haven't complied with open-records requests by those seeking to verify that everything was above board.

The conspiracy theories should be put to rest, but so should the complacency.
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goclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 12:42 PM
Response to Original message
1. Cancelled and email and cc'd my email list of LA friends

and associates.
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Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 12:47 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. I subscribe to Harper's and The Nation
not to any lying corporate rag of a newspaper. My TV is off during the nightly propaganda hour. I will not support a corrupt press directly with either my cash or my presence.

The funny thing is how little I miss being propagandized.
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freedom for all Donating Member (55 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 12:47 PM
Response to Original message
2. Great idea
I have suggested something similar about cable tv..I thought it would be great to have a cut of the cable day all across the country at once to make a real big impact...Like cancel cable month Feb 2005 or something like that.. Would also work great for all media including print media.. This could be done locally and nation wide..Maybe someone in LA should work on mobilizing everyone there to cancel their subscription to the LA Times.. I think it would make be more effective if it was done at the same time..Like all the sudden in Feb 2005 they lost 25% of their subscribers in 1 month..Wow ..What a message..There profit margin would go to the negative and maybe they would start reporting the real facts and doing their job..If not they should be forced out of business by their readers..Targeted boycotting must be one of our main weapons to force change..
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Shalom Donating Member (832 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:35 PM
Response to Reply #2
10. Great Suggestion!! Let's Coordinate our Cancellations !!
Can we get everyone tied it so it is synchronous!! I love this idea....
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freedom for all Donating Member (55 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 02:13 PM
Response to Reply #10
13. In Feb or March
I'm going to start a drive to turn of your cable month or cancel your newspaper in 2005...I will be asking for as much help as possible.. This would be more effective if we could get some reputable DU'ers & INTERNET sites to help with this or sponsor it..I think what we need to do is get a web site going where we get pro active people to sign up and build a database of people willing to do boycotts.. Power is in numbers..Also, i believe the list of members should be kept tight lipped..This is another good reason it should be organized by someone well respected...To make it more legit..I don't mind doing the work and not getting any credit..I just want my kids to have a chance for a better life and America to stay a democracy..Eveyone can make a difference in their own way and no way is right or wrong...I thank everyone for everything they are doing for our country.
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wtmusic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 12:50 PM
Response to Original message
4. another misinformed op/ed writer
LATimes,

In the op/ed "Step Toward Election Standards" the conclusion that 'the new machines worked well' is not based on any factual data. But the Times can't really be criticized for a lack of diligence: it is close to physically impossible to know whether they worked well or not.

Perhaps the most respected computer security guru in the world, Bruce Schneier, has said, "Computerized voting is a horrendously dangerous idea," and for good reason. It is people with even a fair amount of programming experience, not paranoid conspiracy theorists, who know that it would only require access and a good hacker's imagination to do some subtle yet significant reshaping of our political landscape. Statements like, "The most obvious deterrent to such fraud is... a paper printout that scrolls under glass at the edge of the screen," reveal a popular misconception that merely printing a person's vote provides any level of security against fraud.

If we must turn to computers, the best solution prints a receipt for the voter with an ID number. The voter can go online or to a public source such as a newspaper, and verify that their vote was recorded properly. Short of this, punch cards with all their hanging chads are far superior in result and in retaining public confidence.

wtmusic
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Shalom Donating Member (832 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:36 PM
Response to Reply #4
11. Even LA Times Recognizes Op Scan is Much Better
"One way to fix the problem is simply to not use touch-screen systems. Voting-technology experts tend to favor optical scanners, like those used in Los Angeles County, which cost one-third as much and have been shown in some studies to produce lower voter error rates."
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bullimiami Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:01 PM
Response to Original message
5. long ago.
my local rag the miami herald sold out to knight-ridder and it was good riddance to bad rubbish.
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212demop Donating Member (515 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:09 PM
Response to Original message
6. I gave up CNN because it leaves a bad taste in my mouth but I can't
part with my New York Times simply to protest MSM. I'll write my letters to the editor decrying their crappy election coverage, but I know that there is a lot in there that is still valuable if I look for it. It's what's missing that's largely wrong with the paper, and what's buried too far in and should be on the front page, or what is misguided on the op-ed page.

Still, like the worst Woody Allen movie, there is always something in there to redeem it. With all due respect I'm keeping my subscription.

:)
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BTEagle Donating Member (3 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:10 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. but what do you suggest? that we just read Mother Jones?
i think running away from the media is not the solution. do you want to see every station/paper look like fox news?
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212demop Donating Member (515 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:15 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. Exactly-
I'm suggesting the opposite. That's why I'll keep reading my regular paper like I said. I'd also like to add here that I'm personally sorry to see Dan Rather go. I always liked the guy.
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freedom for all Donating Member (55 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 02:18 PM
Response to Reply #7
14. they all look the same to me on TV.
at least in cable mass media...c-span is still is the best & most fair. fox is the worst.. Now as far as print media i don't know and someone with more knowledge would know about them..But i understand what you are saying and thank you for the work you are doing..
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lthuedk Donating Member (551 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:20 PM
Response to Original message
9. I just sent off a letter to the L.A.Times.
They are truly clueless, which makes them part of the problem.
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freedom for all Donating Member (55 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 01:58 PM
Response to Reply #9
12. i understand
what you are saying about keeping subscribtions..We need to stay informed and some outlets are really. I don't watch cnn, fox, or msnbc anymore except for Olberman Show & Lou Dobbs sometimes..I get most of my news on the INTERNET now because the main media is not giving us news anymore.. They tell us what to think and what to believe.. We don't get the truth from them..I think a lot of newspapers may be different but I'm not sure.. One Question for the people who don't want to try something different like boycotts. What are you doing to force them to change and report facts and do real investigations?? You may have a better idea and if so I'm willing to give it a try.. It seems like to me that the approach taken so far is not working.. The media is not listening and don't care.. They are control by big business and don't care about their viewers or readers only their own agenda..In today's world all that seems to matter is the bottom line (ie their profit) and if they continue to make it then all we do is prove to them they are right.. Please advise me on what else we can do.. And please don't say writing letters cause it proving not to work with the media.. I bet they have gotten millions of emails and letters about covering the elections news but they do nothing...

PS-- I will be starting a campaign in Feb to cancel your cable month after all the election stuff is over...However i realize it will be hard to get people to turn off that addictive box but its worth a try..
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Nordic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 02:24 PM
Response to Original message
15. here's their address: letters@latimes.com
letters@latimes.com

Here's what I wrote them:

Hi, thanks for being a corporate news entity that completely ignores the biggest story in the history of the United States.

History will judge you oh-so-kindly for deliberately ignoring that George Bush stole the election of 2004.

It's not a "conspiracy theory". The "conspiracy theory" is that George Bush won by three million votes and he won Ohio by whatever he's saying he won by.

It's a lie.

Do some homework. You'll be shocked.

If you want some big juicy journalism awards you might want to look into this. Preferably before the "inauguration".

I'm a 42 year old father of two who drives an SUV by the way. I'm not some fringe internet geek. But unlike the mainstream media, I'm doing my homework on this and I am utterly SHOCKED AND APPALLED by what I am finding.

Check it out.

Here's a little video where a Republican Congressman from Ohio actually admits, on camera (while drinking) to the fraud:

http://homepage.mac.com/duffyb/nobush/iMovieTheater256.html

Here's another article that describes the situation as we know it fairly well:

http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/04/11/far04040.html

And you might want to look into Wayne Madsen's work. Here's one of his latest articles on the subject:

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/112504Madsen/112504madsen.html

And here's a site that's keeping a pretty good compendium of all the info:

http://nov2truth.org/index.php?display=new

It must be embarrassing to have private citizens doing your jobs for you right now. History will judge you very harshly.

I'm glad I'm not you.

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Shalom Donating Member (832 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 02:47 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. Eloquent Statement by Nordic: I Intend to Borrow
Thanks, Nordic....I don't expect you to mind, but I'm going to forward your excellent comments and links to a few MSMs, including the LA Times.

I agree my suggestion to drop out of subscriptions to MSMs is a two-edged sword, but I think whacking them with e-mails like Nordics is a win-win approach.

THANKS!!!
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Nordic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 04:41 PM
Response to Reply #17
19. Please! Use me! Use me!
:)

That's why I post the stuff here, in case other people need something to get started.

It's real easy for me to knock something out like that. Takes about two minutes.

Steal, borrow, whatever!
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high density Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 02:29 PM
Response to Original message
16. One editiorial and we're supposed to ignore all print media?
Print media is about the last segment of news that hasn't been completely infected by the corporate slant. If you have a problem with their editorial, write them a letter about it. Better yet, write a letter to somebody who can possibly do something about it (your congressman.)

Every time I run across one of these "CANCEL THIS!! IGNORE THAT!!" threads here, I feel like I've joined a cult.
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nolabels Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 05:31 PM
Response to Reply #16
20. Understanding they are under no law or moral code to print the truth
Don't kid yourself, they are selling newspapers and you in the process. Other than sports section, they mostly can shove it, I only read other's peoples used copies of that even.
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LibDemAlways Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 03:11 PM
Response to Original message
18. I cancelled the LA Times four years
ago when they paired a Hillary hit piece on the same page with a gushing bio of Laura Bush.

However, my mother still gets the rag and yesterday I was amused by an article they ran sympathetic to TSA screeners at the airport. What was absurd and scary was the picture they chose to print of a screener patting down the sweetest looking four year old boy and his grandma. Also quoted an 89-year-old who had been lifted from her wheelchair and made to remove her shoes. She liked the security because it made her feel "safe."

I guess she can be excused, but when a four year old child being patted down is treated by the paper as normal and right, this country is seriously fucked.
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Im_Your_Huckleberry Donating Member (160 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 06:06 PM
Response to Original message
21. normally i like the times well enough,
but that one was pretty lame. but if i cancel, what am i going to read on the pot in the morning?

i have to admit, though, that ramirez makes me gag, and i literally have to cover his nonsense while reading the rest of the op-ed page.
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Stahl Donating Member (60 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 06:33 PM
Response to Reply #21
22. Foreign media
If I was american this is what I would consider.

The coverage in MSM has been pathetic to say the least, getting articles to left wing -magazines is like preaching to the choir and larger news agencies will probably just promptly ignore all e-mails they get from this issue. Of course mass demonstrations will give coverage, but I haven't seen them happening.

In my opinion, someone who has a good overview of this possible fraud (exit polls, disenfranchisements, black box voting machines, evidence that Bev has collected, statistical analysis etc. etc.) should also send them to as many credible foreign news agencies as possible. The info is re-usable so this would be beneficial anyway, fairly simple and easy to do.

As I understand, Britain for example has several credible newspapers that probably would welcome such package with open arms. And there are lots and lots of agencies abroad with english news. And if they ignore this information as well, no biggie, it wouldn't take too much time anyway. I believe reporters do collaborate and eventually if there is enough coverage abroad, there will be increased coverage in US as well.

What have you got to lose?
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SoCalDemGrrl Donating Member (786 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 06:55 PM
Response to Original message
23. Hold on a minute! They also publish Robert Scheer every Tuesday and
he always kicks major Bush butt. But I agree that the editorial was uncalled for and I've been thinking about how to respond all day.

I believe we'd be better served if we send Letters to the Editor with a compilation of the facts so far regarding the fraud.

Overall the L.A. Times is very fair to the Dems and supported Kerry for President.
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Shalom Donating Member (832 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-04 08:40 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. Fair Is Fair
SoCalDemGirl:

Other than the evil Martinez and his twisted cartoons, the LA Times does have a reasonable record, and as you point out, deserve credit for endorsing Kerry.

But on the other hand, why are they, and so many other MSMs, ignoring not just the fraud story, but the incontestable screw-ups and denial of voting rights across the country ?
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SoCalDemGrrl Donating Member (786 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-30-04 01:42 PM
Response to Reply #24
25. Shalom, like you I had smoke coming out of my ears yesterday
when I read the editorial. I can't figure why the MSM wants us all to "just get over it" again, but this time unlike 2000 there are just too many of us who are hip to the voting machine manipulations and thanks to work by BBV & DU the message is spreading.

Guess the MSM is still smarting from Rather getting badly burned by Rove and unless we can offer "solid" evidence of fraud, they are CYA.
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