PBS

After living through another presidential election campaign, I am afraid that I must join the Republicans in a call for an end to the funding for public television. The idea that there should be television channel available to the public which presents fact rather than opinion is antithetical to sound policy and contrary to those of us who rely on the ignorance of the general population. Without an ignorant population we would be in a real mess. People would ask questions which are always anathema to the goal of a sedated citizenry. The organic produce industry would disappear as quickly as it arose; biblical scholars would be abused; Wolf Blitzer could possibly be pummeled in the street. As I said it would be a mess. We must encourage our friends and neighbors to watch Fox, CNN, or MSNBC depending upon their political persuasion. If they want to to change one canned opinion for another, have an epiphany of some sort, changing from one of the three channels to another should suffice allowing them the satisfaction of believing they have given some thought to whatever opinion they may now hold. A corollary to ending the funding for PBS is the mandate to berate our educational system for producing dunderheads and numbskulls. We must maintain the constant barrage of disillusionment with our public school systems. This has two salutary effects: first, it maintains the illusion that we want an informed and thinking public, and secondly, it allows us to produce more MBA's who with a master's degree, believe themselves to be educated having learned to read an organizational chart of a large corporation. Many of the children that I observe upon graduating from a public high school can barely speak English let alone a second language and writing anything beyond their age and whether its a nice day or not is utterly beyond their capacity. I may be alarmed unjustifiably and remain hopeful that all is not lost. Few people I speak with have ever heard of PBS let alone watched it. The same applies to 60 Minutes which occasionally offers something of substance. Neither can compete with the inanity of Nickelodion or the Disney Channel to which our children watch each evening after a stimulating day at the local public school. We may be safe whether PBS stays on the air or not; but let's not take the chance. Encourage your congressman after this next election to cease the funding for anything that even hints at an objective view of the world or that contains facts on which to base an informed decision for whom to vote.