Dante's Inferno has nothing on the image of Hell this unholy union has
produced.  As millions sit mesmerized by carefully-crafted sound clips and
well-rehearsed anchors, the media has taken a pivotal role not only in the
bloodless coup of election year 2000 but also in the propagation of the
Integrity Lie of the new "administration". Are they merely unwitting pawns in
this high-stakes game of chess, or is something much more sinister going on?

Forget Fox News - their "we lie, you decide", frothing-at-the mouth
spinmeisters are well under the control of King Rupert Murdoch.  But has CNN,
the 20-year-old love child of Ted Turner, joined the ranks of the petulant
propagandists?  To one who was raised and weaned on CNN, and millions of
others, it would seem so.

No longer is CNN content to "report" the news.  They are following in the
footsteps of all the other corporate conglomerates into the arena of "making"
the news.  We saw this all too clearly in the bitterly-fought campaign and
post-election fiasco.  The sanitized reports of the Inauguration were
expected.  Perhaps, while clinging to our quickly-evaporating naivete, we
held a shred of hope that they would turn their shark-toothed lenses onto the
new occupants of the White House.  It was not to be.

Even as long-time CNN workers were being escorted by security guards out the
doors, summarily terminated without notice, the cable giant's eyes remained
firmly focused on the most clear and present danger that faces us today:
Pardons, Pranks and Gifts.  Nevermind that a man who was not elected, and
fully-possessed with less than half a brain,  is sitting in the Oval Office
with the power to launch a nuclear war. W's pronouncement that "We will
promote peace by redefining the way wars will be fought" was found to be less
important than the fork Ted Danson gave Bill and Hillary.

Ari Fleischer, reveling in his role as MISspokesperson for the new
administration,  tries to appear to take the "high road" as reporters badger
him about "investigations into vandalism".  Nevermind how these distorted
"leaks" about White House pranks found their way into the mainstream of
journalism - the White House will disavow any knowledge in their
sanctimonious fashion - just as they denied the distortion of Senate Minority
Leader Daschle's words yesterday.  From Shrub's mouth to your ears:  "We're
good, they're bad.. and we'll spend the next four years talking about it."

Four Hassidic Jews were pardoned.  Surely no self-respecting Hassidic Jew
would have voted for Hillary Clinton without a full scale conspiracy and
bribery of an entire community.  I don't know. Perhaps they could ask the
"Jews for Buchanan" down in Palm Beach about voting practices.  Stranger
things have happened.

So, while Shrub and his right-wing minions tear apart the fabric of this
nation, I want to rest assured that CNN, along with their congressional
counterparts, will get to the bottom of "Forkgate" and "W-Gate".  I want to
be able to sleep at night without worrying about the fate of missing W's off
of $14.00 keyboards.  I don't care about the fate of women and children
around the world who will be ravaged at the hands of executive gag orders and
zealots like John Ashcroft. Dessimate the public school system, rape and
pillage in Alaska for a few barrels of oil, spend our nation's surpluses so
the wealthy can generate even more power for themselves  - and do it with the
cooperation of CNN and all the other media whores like them.  Resistance is
futile - you will be assimilated.  The Borg have landed.

But I believe AOL/TIME Warner moguls, Gerry Levin and Steve Case, said it
best:  "We care not only about value creation... but also the values that we feel we
can leave as a legacy... that have a lot to do with the social destiny of people everywhere.
This merger is not just about big business. This is not just about money.
This is about making a better world for people."

"We have an unbelievable opportunity to really make a difference, not just in
terms of the services people use, but also in terms of the kind of impact we
can have on society."

Impact indeed...and the flames of Hell have never burned brighter.