Gemini v. Aquarius & Bloggers v. MSM

A friend and family member who occasionally comments here, screen name TNPOTUS, is a professional writer and journalist, and unsurprisingly a Gemini Sun. I'm flattered that he even spends time reading my amateurish drivel. We share a broadly liberal outlook politically, but the primaries found us on different sides of the Clinton/Obama divide. He has vast knowledge and experience of American politics, I have only gut feelings and native Aquarian logic. I remain unabashed in my preference for Clinton and distrust of Obama. Sorry, TNPOTUS! In his Sunday column, in our local newspaper this week, he slipped in the following paragraph:

"So you don't trust what you hear and see from mainstream media (which these days includes FOX news), but you do put credence and trust in some self-proclaimed, uh, reporter or commentator in the blogosphere? That's not only curious, that's dangerous."

I realise that the above paragraph is aimed at his wide readership, and not at yours truly, even so, I feel a response coming on - a battle of the Air signs : Gemini versus Aquarius. Who would win in such a mythical contest? The wide ranging knowledge, lightning quick mind and easy communicative ability of Gemini, or the logic, analytical ability, rebelliousness and humanity of Aquarius? It's very hard to say. Aquarius is a Fixed sign, stubborn and determined. Gemini is a Mutable sign, changeable, adaptable, more apt to compromise.

Back to the issue raised by TNPOTUS. Why do I, and millions of other net-surfers choose to trust political blog-writers more than we do mainstream media? Easy answer for me - the mainstream media is owned, bought and paid for, by corporations, who seem to be the true owners of this country, and will allow it only to evolve in ways which are helpful to them. Bloggers, some of whom are professional writers, some have personal political experience too, have their own axes to grind - that much I'll accept. They write hoping to convince others of their own views, the best of them offer documented proof for their propositions and reasoning. When I read a political blog, I know which side of the left/right divide the writer is coming from, Republican or Democrat, whether the author is a Clinton, Obama or McCain supporter. Bloggers do not pretend to be impartial, they do not set themselves up as reporting straightforward news. We know we are getting slanted commentary.

Just this morning at Liberal Rapture, I read this, in the post headed "Fight On", describing the way many of us feel:

"I believe we are seeing the true power of the Internet in this election.......
We are on offense. How many of us even watch CNN or MSNBC anymore? We've moved on from Moveon. Some of us have left the Democratic Party. Many of us haven't made up our minds about what we're going to do in November but we've all agreed we're not voting for Obama.

Without the Internet would we have heard of Rezco or William Ayers?............. Would we know that Senator Obama made an off the cuff remark in San Fransisco belittling voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania? Or how about Michelle Obama's thesis? Would we be able to pull Obama's statements on FISA from February to compare what he's saying now? Would we be able to do the work that reporters used to do?........"

Mainstream media, however, supposedly reporting straightforward news, slants and spins it in such a way as to brainwash viewers/listeners/readers. A good proportion of the public remains innocent and unaware of what is being done.

And where have all the investigative reporters gone? Investigating only what their masters tell them to investigate, I guess. Other matters, which could prove to be important, are ignored.

I trust just a handful of political blog-writers. There are certainly some wolves in sheep's clothing in the blogosphere, best avoided. In contrast, I trust no political commentator on TV, not even Tom Brokaw, who is the best of a very bad bunch. Nor do I trust any writer in mainstream media (local newspapers don't qualify as mainstream media of course!)

"Dangerous" to put trust in bloggers you say, TNPOTUS ? I cannot agree. Mainstream media is dangerous, manipulatory and, these days, corrupt.

Returning to the astrological theme - Gemini versus Aquarius, in a contest of words and ideas, would almost always finish tied. Gemini versus any other sign - not as easy to call, but would likely be victorious. Aquarius versus any other sign (wink): all bets are off!