February 7, 2007: Media Response #2

http://www.cfr.org/publication/12560/diminishing_returns_in_iraq.html

This article talks about the important of the US withdrawing its troops from Iraq as soon as possible. It is summarizing an interview with a leading Middle-Eastern studies expert. He explains that all troops should be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2008 regardless of whether or not president Bush's recent "surge" plan is successful. I believe that this is an important issue for our country because there is so much controversy about the war in Iraq. I also think that this is a very interesting controversy because neither side seems to be very informed about why they think what they do about it.
Although every person seems to have an opinion about what should be happening in Iraq we, as the general public, have very little information that can actually allow to make informed opinions about this. To me, this is one of the most fascinating things about the way that our mass media functions- every bit of information that we do receive and do not receive is filtered and censored before we come into contact with it. Essentially our reality can be completely controlled by media executives, presidents and other people of power without us even knowing it. This makes it so that even if we try to become informed about an issue (which many people do not even do) it is very difficult to determine whether or not the information we are viewing is correct or complete.
This problem is only intensified by the fact that the age of mass-produced media is coming to an end. It is now possible for any person to create their own media and broadcast it to the world. Although this makes for a lot more variety in the points of view and information that are available, it also has its downsides. Because anyone can create their own media it is increasingly difficult to figure out ways to authenticate a source. It is very difficult to pick between what information is simply information and which articles are biased and are simply pitching a certain point of view. Any person can make a blog or write an article about an issue, but that doesn't make them well-informed or well-read on the subject. And even if they are well-read, that doesn't mean that the sources that THEY have come into contact with are credible. I think that the increasing ease with which a person may create media is the downfall of credibility.

February 3, 2007: Media Response #1

Home > News & Policies > Radio Address Archives

Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 3, 2007

President's Radio Address

President's Radio Address Audio En Español

In Focus: Jobs & Economy

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.

This week was filled with more good news about America's economy. We learned that our economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. Overall, our economy grew 3.4 percent in 2006 -- up from 3.1 percent in 2005. The Dow Jones reached an all-time high this week for the 27th time in the past four months. And we learned that America created 111,000 new jobs in January, which means we have added over 7.4 million jobs in the past three-and-a-half years.

This good news is a result of the hard work of the American people and pro-growth economic policies like tax relief. By cutting taxes, we put more money into the hands of American families and small businesses. You have used this money to produce strong and lasting economic growth. And now Congress needs to make this tax relief permanent, so we can keep America's economy growing.

Radio Address 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Radio Interviews 2005 2004

Pro-growth economic policies also play a vital role in our plan to balance the Federal budget. Our growing economy has produced record levels of tax revenue. This increase in tax revenue has helped us cut the deficit in half three years ahead of schedule. And on Monday, we will take the next step when I submit to Congress a budget that will eliminate the deficit by 2012.

!!!!!!******To meet this goal, we must set priorities for government spending. My top priority will continue to be keeping America safe and winning the war against extremists who want to destroy our way of life. The budget I will submit to Congress includes the cost of funding the global war on terror, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our troops deserve our full support, and this budget gives them the resources they need.******!!!!!!

Cutting the deficit during a time of war requires us to restrain spending in other areas. One good way to help eliminate wasteful spending is to pass earmark reform. Earmarks are special interest items that are often slipped into bills at the last hour. Even worse, more than 90 percent of earmarks never make it to the floor of the House and Senate for a vote. They are dropped into committee reports that are not even part of the bill that arrives on my desk. Yet they are treated as if they have the force of law. The time has come to end this practice. So I will work with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to continue reforming the budget process, expose every earmark to the light of day and a vote in Congress, and cut the number and cost of earmarks at least in half.

Another important tool for eliminating wasteful spending is the line-item veto. Today, when lawmakers tack pork-barrel spending onto large bills, the President is left with an all or nothing choice: either sign the bill with the wasteful spending or veto the whole bill and deny funding for vital programs. With the line-item veto, the President can sign the funding for necessary programs into law and send the unnecessary provisions back to Congress for a prompt up-or-down vote on whether to uphold the spending. Forty-three governors have a line-item veto. I urge Congress to pass the line-item veto, so we can work together to control Federal spending.

Controlling spending also requires us to address the unsustainable growth of entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Spending for these programs is growing faster than inflation, faster than our economy, and faster than our ability to pay for it. Unless we act, we will saddle our children and grandchildren with tens of trillions of dollars of unfunded obligations. They will face three bad options: huge tax increases, huge budget deficits, or huge and immediate cuts in benefits. Republicans and Democrats need to come together to confront the challenge of entitlement spending and ensure that these vital programs are there when our children and grandchildren need them.

I look forward to working with Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to address these challenges. Together, we can pass a budget that keeps our economy strong, keeps America safe, and makes deficit spending a thing of the past.

Thank you for listening.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every time I read something about what Bush has to say about the state of our country about politics I am just shocked by how completely removed from reality he manages to be! This speech really made me think about how different things are based on what perspective you are looking at them from. For instance when I read the part that I have hi-lighted in red I have an extremely intense negative emotional reaction whereas a hard-core republican might feel safe and comforted by these "patriotic" priorities. All politicians demonstrate the fact that it is very possible to lie while using all facts. Bush backs up his statements with statistics and information about the success of our tax cuts and why it is good for our money to go to the troops but he manages to leave out all the information that might undermine his point. I think that the way that politics works has a lot to do with how our society works. Even down to the seemingly insignificant concept of a "white lie" we, as Americans, tend to try to mold the truth into something that isn't exactly a lie... but looks a whole lot prettier. Image is everything in our society no matter if you're a high school student, business professional, model, executive or politician. Every person has to formulate an image that the project to those around them. By choosing what you say, wear, read, listen to and watch you determine who will and will not like you and how people will perceive you as a person. You also determine how you will perceive others. Depending on what your image and what things you have done to try to cultivate that image you will see others and other things differently. If you view yourself as a Republican and simply go along with party lines, most likely you will agree everything said here in this speech. If not, you are more likely to know the fact that are omitted as little "white lies."

(Jan 31, 2007) Find the following 7 things in the media:

Something that Represents:
-Power
-Beauty
-Positive Self-Image
-Masculinity
-Poverty
-Community
-Cool

Power:
Something that I feel represents power to a lot of people is the symbol of the American Flag. I think that this symbol is used by a lot of people to represent the "superiority" of the United States over other countries in the world. Displaying this symbol can have a lot of different meanings from "right wing conservative" to a person who just plain has pride in their country. The flag also has a lot of meaning to those who are not part of the nation. Our flag can be a symbol of hope or of evil depending on a person's point of view... but tia always represents the US's immense power.

Beauty:
Models are obviously huge symbols of the American idea of what beauty is. I think that one of the most important symbols that many people know about is Tyra Banks. Not only is she a hugely famous super-model but she is also in charge of "America's Next Top Model" a show that pits beautiful women against each other to prove who is the most beautiful. Tyra is an embodiment of the western ideas of beauty: thin, tall, big breasts and, of course, her "booty".

Positive Self-Image:
This is a really hard thing to find examples of in the media. This is because almost every media message is trying to tell you that there is something wrong with you and that you need to buy certain products in order to correct it. One example I can think of is Proactive. This acne medicine has commercials that show people talking about how much better they feel about themselves after using this medicine. I can really relate to these commercials and I think that using this medication really does encourage positive self-image.

Masculinity:
I think that so many different kinds of products play on masculinity in order to encourage people to buy them. One example of this is the Tag body-spray commercial where there is a man spraying himself and thousands of women in bikinis are stampeding towards him from all sides. I think that these commercials are trying to sell their product by saying that if you use this spray then you will be an irresistable man.

Poverty:
One example of poverty in the media is habitat for humanity. They have advertisements on television as well as posters and pamphlets that advertise their different projects that are intended to help people who are living in poverty to have better lives and homes.

Community:
I think that a huge example of a piece of media that brings our country together as a "community" is the "support our troops" bumper stickers ribbon. I think that a person who has one of these is choosing to express their devotion to what is supposedly the common ground for the United States community.

Cool:
I think that cigarette advertisements are constantly trying to send out a message that smoking is cool. One example of this is a Newports advertisement that shows a young attractive couple on a beautiful tropical beach alone smoking. This sends out the message that if you smoke these cigarettes you will be young and attractive and you will be able to effortlessly enjoy yourself in an exotic place... the essence of "cool"