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Paul Graham on PR
ralejs writes "Paul Graham takes on PR. From the article:'Why do the media keep running stories saying suits are back? Because PR firms tell them to. One of the most surprising things I discovered during my brief business career was the existence of the PR industry, lurking like a huge, quiet submarine beneath the news. Of the stories you read in traditional media that aren't about politics, crimes, or disasters, more than half probably come from PR firms.'
As always, it's an interesting, surprising and slightly provoking read."
"People who watch Fox know, in their hearts, that it's a conservative news station and that's exactly why they flock to it. Easier to be steadfast in your beliefs when they're not being seriously challenged."
And people who buy the notch-filter to make sure they never accidentally watch a microsecond of Fox news are the truely enlightened elect who are smarter, more attractive, and definitely much better informed than anyone who would dare admit they watched 30 seconds of Britt Hume. They know in their hearts that no one should ever consider limiting the availability of abortion to pregnant 12 year olds 2 weeks from the delivery date. They know that gays are the type who everyone should strive to be like, and adulated and adored in every corner nationwide. And that every religion is great and worthwhile except intolerant ones like Christianity and conservative Judaism, which should be wiped off the face of the planet--and pushed out of the public square until the wiping is complete. They know that Bush is evil, Reagan was evil, and Clinton and Carter are great good men.
They know that we really brought on any attacks on the US ourselves and we should just do anything the UN tells us to do including giving them all our money and handing them our military. They know that any enforcement of border policy or deportation of "illegal" aliens is wrong and that we should accept anyone with the will to come here and get on the welfare system. They know that all corporations are evil and should be dismantled, or taken over by the government to be run by people who would never lie to investors, destroy the environment, or collect lots of money for executives. They know to look to government or lawsuits as the solution to every problem in their lives, because that is the best way to solve problems.
They know that public schools just need more money, and know that charter schooling and homeschooling is evil for taking money away from public schools. They know that all violence is caused by guns, and the world would be a peaceful utopia if we could just get rid of them all. And they know all these things because they have studied the issues in much more depth than any Fox news watcher or talk radio listener. Plus, all the other networks reinforce these views, so they don't need to be worried about their well-researched, more enlightened views being challenged by misleading facts to the contrary.