Rage Fatigue Syndrome (RFS): America's New Epidemic (by Sheldon Drobny at HuffPost)

[marmar]

Sheldon Drobny

Rage Fatigue Syndrome (RFS): America's New Epidemic

Last night I was listening to the Mike Malloy Show. Mike was asking his listeners if they had what he called "rage fatigue." I was in our Nova M Radio founders chat room and all of us agreed that we were all exhausted from the feeling of powerlessness that has been caused by Bush and the gutless MSM. This country has collectively been subjected to the most egregious psychological challenge since the Great Depression.

Fortunately for America, FDR took office in 1933 with his famous inaugural speech quotation; "The only thing we have to fear is, fear itself." This country had to face a worldwide depression and an impending world war and yet our leader held us psychologically together with the wonderful Roosevelt optimism. The threat to America then was far greater than it is today. The post war nuclear arms race was much more of a danger to our existence than any threat of terrorism inside or outside the United States. As Michael Bloomberg has been saying for many years, the chances of being killed by a terrorist are about the same as being hit by lightening. And yet the Bush Administration aided and abetted by corporate self-serving media have made terrorism a cottage industry.

Goebbels and the Nazis exemplified the success of the big lie in media in the 1930s that also exploited fear to rally the German people into their own self-destruction. In the case of the German media, at least they could say that they were afraid to tell the truth. What in heavens name is the excuse for the reporters and newscasters who know the truth and still refuse to state the obvious? Are they so afraid of losing their jobs that they would allow these lies to go on without comment?

When Katie Couric started broadcasting the CBS Evening News, she and her producers featured the first pictures of Tom Cruise's new daughter. Not only was that an insult to the listeners, it was hardly in the tradition of CBS News people like Edward R. Morrow or Walter Cronkite. What she should have done on her premiere show was to do what Walter Cronkite did in 1968 when he told the nation that the Viet Nam War was a failure. President Johnson famously said after that, "if I have lost Walter Cronkite, I have lost the nation." What a breath of fresh air and what momentum she would have gotten if she would have done something similar on her premiere show. Instead she listened to Les Moonves and his ilk in corporate media to launch her disastrous start. Both will deservedly be out of a job soon.

Unfortunately that is the rule rather than the exception. All of these news anchors act as if they are merely observers that have to remain neutral. Sorry, that is a copout. A person who truly cares for others and humanity does not become a bystander in such an obviously corrupt and evil environment. The Nazis would have murdered any newscaster that betrayed them. What excuse do Brian Williams, Charles Gibson, and Tim Russert have for not speaking up? They are already very rich. Does being famous and rich out trump saving the country from the madness that is going on? You can't help your country and humanity without taking risks. And it is not like they are risking their lives to do this as our soldiers in Iraq have been doing. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheldon-drobny/rage-fatigue-syndrome-rf_b_53065.html

[ixion]

1. yep, I have it...

I've been so pissed off at this situation for so many years now that the rage has turned to a simmering fatigue.

[Auggie]

2. Excuse? It's the media information cartel

See this post: "Restore Fairness, Return to Reality" by plgoldsmith

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=275223

[FloridaJudy]

3. Gotta keep a certain level of rage going

The alternative is depression, and I've been there - the "Why Bothers", when you give up because the corruption of our democracy is so overwhelming. Nope. Gotta do something at least once a day, even if it's only to fire off an angry letter to my elected officials, or donate to one of the few honest politicians (are there any left besides Kucinich and Barbara Lee?).

Otherwise my Prozac bill would be even more outrageous.

[pretzel4gore]

4. the silver lining in the cloud....

back in 1980, it seemed that, well, the rightwingers had exploited our mildness, our innocence and disinterest....years went by and the 'man behind the curtain; pay no attenshun to him people!' act that has gone on....well, people knew clinton was a good prez given the imposed limitations, yet watched the rightwing try to destroy him, people knew al gore was an honourable politician, but again they ho hummed the 2k election, the endless mediawhore efforts to ruin gore's name....it was the same with 911- how on earth could the tough guys who make so damn much noise in this goddam society not notice that ONLY ONE political force had the skills to arrange 911 and was in position to benefit from 911 and was capable of pointing the finger o guilt for 911 at the arabs etc, only one, yet that one just kept on going like that fukking bunnyrabbit with duracell batteries, and no one says anything!
and it's still going on!
The best solution is for bush to win win....he is destroying this THING and the lying liars deflect awareness of how good a job he's doing ...hell, maybe that's the best thing that can happen(?)

[AikidoSoul]

5. Yep. Me too. n/t