Karma Talk

by Swami Beyondananda

Dear Swami:

It’s been frustrating hearing first-hand reports of police violence against anti-World Trade Organization demonstrators in Washington from friends and acquaintances, yet seeing no mention of it in the mainstream media.  As a long-time admirer of Gandhi and his techniques for nonviolent resistance, I am reminded of how his courageous stand for justice finally captured world public opinion and ended British rule of India.  But how can public opinion be swayed if the public never finds out?  Have we learned nothing from the Vietnam War?  Oh, wise Swami, is there anything we can do to end the media blackout of stories like this and bring some real issues into the mainstream conversation?

        Susan Winns,
        Asheville, North Carolina

Dear Susan:

Obviously, our government has learned much from the Vietnam War, namely, never show any government-generated violence on TV.  As one D.C. police official was heard to comment gleefully, “It’s like taking Gandhi from a baby.” 

As for what to do about it, as a Swami I would be the last to advise on such secular matters. But if you pressed me to comment on our suppressed press, I would probably suggest a media blackout of our own. What if we completely blacked out the mainstream media by refusing to watch TV news or buy newspapers?  I mean, what if they gave a reality and nobody came?  Then what?  Who would be there to buy what they are selling? Nobody, that’s who.

And when we switch off the television and turn our own tell-a-vision you can be sure we’ll come up with better news than they have right now.  I know many say the change seems remote, but thanks to modern technology the remote is now in our hands.  The question is, are we ready to change the channel? I mean really.  What if millions of us wrote to our TV news bureaus announcing we’d no longer watch any news shows until they report real news?  

Here’s my tell-a-vision:  On July 4th, 2000 we declare our independence from impropaganda disguised as news.  If we don’t buy their story, why should we buy their paper?  Just say no, that’s all.

Instead of getting your head beat in, try this demonstration:  Tell TIME and the rest of them we have reached the end of TIME / LIFE as we know it.  Cancel your subscription and date it July 4, 2000.  Do the same with your template daily newspaper too, if you like. And be sure to write a letter to CNN.  It’ll be a marketing survey. Let’s see if we can get enough of us to vote with our dollars and say no to generically-engineered news, like we’ve said no to genetically-engineered food. And even if they don’t count our votes, I guarantee they will count our dollars.

Let’s put our attention on alternative resources so we natives are altered for the better.  We’ll have more time to work together and create some of that fine reality Deepak and those folks talk about. For if we are not the world, who is?

Now, I’m sure there are still some of you out there resisting this simple plan.  I know what you’re thinking. What if some real news happens, and I miss it?  Don’t worry about it. You have my promise. If by some quirk the Chicago Cubs actually do win a World Series, you will read about it in my column.

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Copyright 2000 by Steve Bhaerman.  All rights reserved.