freedom of the press isn't a popular idea.

[TomOfSweden]

Less then 2 week before the vote a popular country western station drive time DJ started a rant on how the city was financing this deal at a very risking position, and offering a no interest no cost loans to build the stores and mall. All of this was untrue.

Since it was only his opinion based on no facts but it went out to many many listeners. It was about 4 days before the election vote when a friend asked me how the hell I could be involved in such an out right scam or the city. We played 20 question and I found out why he felt this way went back to this DJ.

This is a problem with democracy, not free press. It's a radio DJ!!! He's employed to be entertaining. If people take what he says seriously, it says more about them than the DJ.

I think the freedom to be an idiot is one of the inalienable rights we should have by law. I can have opinions about whether or not idiots should speak up, (on air!!!) but that's just my little private opinion. I wouldn't want it to be enforced. It's the same thing with the "biased liberal media" bollocks. If people are dumb enough to fall for that shit... then... yeah. It sucks... but I wouldn't want to change it. I think that putting up with the rule of dumb asses is better than having a system open to abuse and potentially open to autocratic take-overs. Which is the alternative.

We had a similar thing happen in Stockholm. They where planning to rebuild a part around where I live in central Stockholm. I was all for it. I thought it was a great initiative. Everybody I spoke to thought it was great. But as usual it's only the whiny ludite idiots who can be bothered petitioning the politicians so to every bodies great surprise it was blocked in the city hall. I mean, what the fuck. I vote for a politician to represent me because I don't have time or interest to do it. My only thought on this is, Then Fucking Do Your Job, and don't listen to these fuck-ups who I didn't vote for. That was a nice monday morning rant.

[Thorne]

This is a problem with democracy, not free press. It's a radio DJ!!! He's employed to be entertaining. If people take what he says seriously, it says more about them than the DJ.

It's more a problem with people in general, all over the world, and a press which caters to fame and notoriety rather than intelligence and integrity. Why report the truth when a small exaggeration will sell more advertising and isn't likely to be questioned. There are far too many people who are far too interested in the muddled goings-on of people who can barely remember how to fall out of bed in the morning. The deranged capers of a drugged out pop singer seem to be far more important to some people than what's happening in the real world. No wonder the world seems to run on fads and phony "reality."