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6A Daily News – Tuesday, October 15, 2013 Opinion Dysfunction junction in the information age DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 The United States will achieve an appalling bad accomplishment this Thursday should Congress and the President be unable to agree to lift the national debt ceiling so we can make good on our national debt obligations. The extent of fall out is unknown because such action is unprecedented, but it will certainly shake Wall Steet, Main Street, and Anywhere Street like never before as lenders lose faith in their creditors as they witness the largest bond defaults in history. This is not a pretty sight that many believe will presage an international depression. How it is that the strongest nation on earth approaches this precipice is of great interest and we are only beginning to understand the dynamics that bring about such intransigence to negotiate and compromise. Methinks that much of the blame returns to you and I because we are awash in a sea of information where we must individually determine which information sources to view, believe, and trust to guide our negotiations. The world changed when Johannes Gutenberg invented moveable type printing in 1492 to beckon the Printing Revolution, widely regarded as the most important event of the modern period. It played a key role in the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution and laid the material basis for the knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses. Subsequently invented communication technologies further broadened and accelerated the distribution of information, the telegraph in 1808, the telephone in 1876, the radio in 1879, the television in 1923 each had pivotal impacts on how we gather and disseminate information. Almost three out of four U.S. adults (71%) watch local television news and 65% view network newscasts over the course of a month, according to Nielsen data from February 2013. While 38% of adults watch some cable news during the month, cable viewers — particularly the most engaged viewers — spend far more time with that platform than broadcast viewers do with local or network news. On average, the cable news audience devotes twice as much time to that news source as local and network news viewers spend on those platforms. And the heaviest cable users are far more immersed in that coverage— watching for more than an hour a day—than the most loyal viewers of broadcast television news. Even those adults who are the heaviest viewers of local and network news spend more time watching cable than those broadcast. In the after reading my column that you evening, Fox News boasts a lineup read the one below, or vice versa to at least expose yourself of conservative talk show to a spectrum of hosts while MSNBC thought. features a team of liberal While I am persuadones. CNN, the original ed that the media as a cable news outlet, has whole abets the politibuilt its brand around cal divide it need not national and global necessarily be so. As reporting of breaking we evolve to always news events. It also airs "consider the source" opinion in prime time, of information and the but includes commentapotential for intentional tors from both the right and unintentional bias and the left. Richard we can achieve the Arguably however it humility to know that wasn't until the recent we are not uniquely creation of computer qualified to speak for based internet transmisothers, only for oursions and easily accessiselves based upon our ble smart phone applicaown prejudices and tions that we had at our experiences. As such fingertips virtual libraries full of data and information. I we can relearn the arts of negotiawould suggest that these technolo- tion and compromise in the inforgies have outpaced the human mation age that are essential to brain's ability to process it all, avoid a dysfunction junction in the leaving us to be selective con- information age. sumers. To me this seems to be at Richard Mazzucchi is a retired the core of our present political research engineer specializing in crises because most of us must limit the amount of news and energy efficiency and renewable information we obtain so we use energy. He has travelled and trust information sources that extensively and now makes his align with our predispositions — home in Los Molinos, where he is and therein lies the root of the striving to manifest a sustainable polarization of political thought, at and spiritual lifestyle and operate least by those of us on the ideolog- a BBQ equipment and supply ical extremes. For that reason it is business. He can be reached at wise, maybe even essential, that living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 3930707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Liars cannot be talked to, reasoned with Tonight's Tea Party Patriots meeting will host Supervisor Bob Williams, giving attendees his take on issues facing the county. Questions will be welcomed; light refreshments provided; newcomers warmly received. It's at the Westside Grange, 6 p.m. Unless unlikely events transpire between Sunday and Monday, this column will find a yet-partiallyshut federal government. Sunday talkers' words will have amounted to so much hot air; and more disgustingly slanted political cartoons will appear on this page. Such cartoons, broadly reflective of the leftist bias of their creators, are a sharp political stick in the eye of this county's majority Republican voters. Whether we read more of the sort of rhetoric I condemned last week remains to be seen. Using the word "terrorist" to castigate the Tea Party is libelous (Webster's: "statement in writing that may unjustly hurt a reputation"), even a "blood libel." Terrorists kill, maim and torture innocent people; it is a perfidious lie to write such twaddle. Such a writer likely spent too many hours absorbing unintelligent, hysterical character assassination from the loons at MSNBC: Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Al Franken, Rachel Maddow, and their ilk. My words last week still hold that "such flaming verbal garbage has become routine for the Republican-and-Tea-Party-hating left." If the shoe fits … as they say. For my part, I offer photoshopped verbiage from a National Park Service sign on the fence in front of the Lincoln Memorial: "Dear America, Go f*** yourselves. –The Administration" Frankly, I think it's far closer to the truth than calling the Tea Party "terrorists." Correcting misinformation (fallacious, phony and disingenuous arguments) is necessary; often, the truth is simply overwhelmed by the legion of lies in the public airwaves and awareness. An online commenter (who a month ago "questioned the patriotism of those that display disrespect for our President") ignorantly stated that "Republicans do not get to pick and choose which laws to fund …" Republicans don't, but it's utterly false to deny the absolute Constitutional duties in Article I, Section 7: "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives …" Because, Constitutionally, all Representatives are elected every two years, the House was considered the ultimate, most immediate control of what the people wanted their federal government to spend hard-earned tax money on. James Madison, Federalist #58: "The House of Representatives cannot only refuse, but they alone can propose, the supplies requisite for the support of government. They, in a word, hold the purse, that powerful instrument (for) finally reducing … all the overgrown prerogatives of the other branches of the government." The voters, having historically swept the Republicans into control of the House in 2010 over Obamacare, and keeping them in charge in 2012, have given arguable approval to Republican attempts to stop Obamacare. Political authority, however, may be fleeting when public opinion and next year's elections are concerned. I see a massive rejection of Democrats coming, but I've been wrong before. Republicans should assume the fighting posture of Senators …" In 1980, President Jimmy Cruz, Paul, Lee and Rubio all the Carter's energy policy oil import fee was overturned by a way to 2016. The peobipartisan veto override ple will reward strong, at the risk of default. principled stands that (Washington Post's clearly state the bene"fact-checker," Glenn fits of fiscally prudent, Kessler gave Obama conservative, free-mar"Four Pinocchios" for ket solutions to all of his claim in September) our problems. RememYes, that makes ber, no Congress can Obama, by definition, a bind a future Conbig, fat, liar. The gress—there are no "When Government laws that cannot be Worked" theme is repealed; Americans belied by the seven aren't required to endDon shutdowns brought lessly fund follies about by Tip O'Neill established by previous Polson under Ronald Reagan. Congresses. Republicans have To hear Democrats, The way voted to fund virtually you'd think they've I see it every element of the never attached "nonfederal government budget items" to the that has been in the debt ceiling (Obama's claim) or shut the government news; Obama has signed some of down over policy differences. Au them (i.e. D.C. funding). Harry contraire. Democrats have been Reid and Obama alone have said the primary manipulators of the no to funding bills. They're debt ceiling to attach and intentionally creating the "crisis" advance their pet legislation: "In that Rahm Emmanuel infamous1973, when Richard Nixon was ly stated "should not go to president, Democrats in the Sen- waste"; their agenda is eliminatate … sought to attach a cam- ing any effective opposition to paign finance reform bill to the unlimited growth of the benefitdebt ceiling … . (Kowalcky and distributing, tax-hiking, borrowLeLoup) wrote, in a comprehen- ing-to-oblivion, all-powerful colsive study of the debt limit, of the lectivist central state. Republigenesis during that time of a pat- cans are the only thing standing tern becoming full blown in the in the way; people throwing mid-1970s and 1980s: the use of bricks from the sidelines should the debt ceiling vote as a vehicle "lead, follow or get out of the way." for other legislative matters." "You can't meet brazen liars "In 1982, Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker unleashed with reasonable argument." a free-for-all by allowing 1,400 (David Gelernter) nongermane amendments to the Don Polson has called Red Bluff debt ceiling legislation (bringing home since 1988. He can be weeks of raucous debate) on limby e-mail at iting federal court jurisdiction reached over school prayer and busing donplsn@yahoo.com.