Mike Strieber said:
MSNBC commentator Ed Shultz on his radio show today:
“It is a cultural war that's taking place in America, you're exactly right. And it's being played out over the airwaves of America. And I hope the Democrats now turn to the Fairness Doctrine.”
“…we have reached the point where the Congress needs to equal it out. Equal out the audience.”
“And so, I think that, you know, hell, if we're going to be socialist, let's be socialist all across the board.”
Even if he was mocking the use of the term “socialist”, it was an unfortunate choice of words. If nothing else he recognizes, while still supporting it, the Fairness Doctrine would not be consistent with our form of democracy. When Pelosi was asked if she would support a revival of the “Fairness Doctrine” she responded with:
‘Yes, without hesitation.”
Perhaps it’s time for the left to finally realize their dream to control the airwaves as well? Hopefully these discussions don't gain traction.
Mike
Mike:
I would have to see what Pelosi and crew come up with, but the Democrats would have to be pretty careful not to make any "fairness doctrine" completely unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment.
The one angle they do have is that the EM spectrum is a resource strictly limited by physics, so it has always been deemed a matter requiring federal regulation. I am OK with that. In this instance, given the strictly limited nature of the resource reasonable regulation makes sense. But any sideways attempt to muzzle contrary opinion under the guise of bandwidth regulation is going to meet the same fate as McCain-Feingold I think. We will have to see what they come up with.
Also, Shultz's end-goal is completely insane. Although the Federal government appropriately regulates access to the limited spectrum, the Feds can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to "equal out the audience.” Maybe a B School somewhere has prepared a case study on "Air America" that Shultz could read?
Jim
