The New World Order

Tonight Keith Olbermann did a great commentary on how the new SupCt ruling will ruin the world. I condense, but that’s the jist of it, and I agree with it. I would agree even if I hadn’t just read the book Jennifer Government.

However, I do disagree with one small point. He said after eliminating all the news outlets that oppose corporations, the new world order of sponsored politicians would eliminate even the news outlets that supported them, like Fox News, after which the only news that would reach our awareness would be news favorable to corporations. All other news would never see the light of day.

I believe that Fox News will carry on because it serves an important purpose in that same new world order, and it’s the same purpose Fox has had for a while now. Specifically, Fox News’ purpose has been to:

1. Distract people from real issues with false issues
2. Muffle or drown out the truth when the truth doesn’t match Fox’s agenda
3. Scare and confuse people generally

In the world Olbermann envisions, a world where you believe what the powers that be want you to believe because you don’t know any better, while at the same time living conditions, rights, and quality of life deteriorate, Fox News is, as it always has been, the corporation’s friend.

The book Jennifer Government (spoiler alert) begins in a world already run by corporations, and the largest ones have divided themselves into two factions that started out as customer loyalty plans. An ambitious Nike executive moves up the corporate ladder with a series of daring moves involving murder to increase sales.

His career seems limitless until he makes the mistake of killing the President of the nominal government. He thinks a world without government would be better for corporations. However, the other executives know that the existence of this nominal, mostly ineffectual government is a big part of keeping regular people content and allows corporations to shield what they do. Just like Fox News does.

If this is the sign of things to come, Keith forgot to mention another thing: in the book, both loyalty programs relied heavily on private for-profit armies.