The Ruling Class, The Quest for Media Monopoly, and Independent Journalism As A Buffer

As Democrat-allied media institutions make the case for more sweeping censorship online, independent media platforms that support free speech represent the last line of defense.

Note from the author: Typically, a post like this would usually be found in my Notes, but I believe this particular topic—on propaganda and information wars—deserves a bit more attention because it is fundamental to the issues plaguing society, and the country at large.

On his latest appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, Pulitzer Prize-winning independent journalist Glenn Greenwald spoke to Megyn about a myriad of issues pertaining to the upcoming elections and the presidential candidates. Among these issues, the ruling class’ strategic use of media to boost the candidates they favor and to reprimand journalists or media platforms who are repetitively critical of renowned political figures in such a way that taints their carefully orchestrated image.

During the conversation, Greenwald speaks to the waning power and control of legacy media institutions such as ABC News, CNN, MSNBC, and many others who no longer have a total monopoly on curating narratives, and by extension, the public opinion of the masses. These networks and publications, majority left-leaning institutions, see the writing on the wall. They’ve lost the trust of their readership and viewership, and now, through an act of desperation, look to force the masses into servitude. To stave off their complete loss of control and power, they’ve collectively been beating the drums for more censorship of “hate speech,” and “misinformation,” more regulation against social media tech companies, and for a complete revision of the Constitution, citing that it may be “one of the biggest threats to American politics.”

Greenwald, in the quote below, succinctly summarizes the predicament the ruling class and its media institutions find themselves in. More than anything, the sentiments shared in this quote must be kept at the top of mind as we continue to engage with breaking news and propaganda campaigns alike, analyze political happenings, and attempt to make sense of what is happening in the World in the aftermath of this unprecedented election year.

“When you have somebody like Hillary Clinton, who’s an awful politician, or somebody like Kamala Harris who is as well, this whole [media propaganda] machinery can’t prop them up. Maybe they can for a little while, maybe they can for a few weeks, like happened with Kamala Harris. But the thing is: Americans want to know who these people really are, they do not trust these establishment institutions. 

“Their number one agenda is to regain control of the internet, to find a way to prevent information that they don’t want on the internet from reaching large numbers of people.”

That’s the other big change from the 1950’s where everyone believed what they were reading in the newspaper and hearing on the TV because they trusted most American institutions. That trust is gone. People want to see it for themselves, they look for it themselves, and they then seek out other information that shows them another side.

And this, I really think, is why when you look at Western Liberalism and the ruling class of neoliberals in the West, their number one agenda, and I’m not exaggerating, is to regain control of the internet, to find a way to prevent information that they don’t want on the internet from reaching large numbers of people. Because they understand that that is their huge achilles heel. And the more independent media thrives, the more a free internet thrives, the more their power is reduced.”

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