That's just it: We don't know. We've reached a point where the media are so owned by the large corporations and they live in this tight loop where practically all they can convey is what is already believed. I believe that mass media exists to confirm the hallucinations of the masses. If you want to get a story through that doesn't sync up with the dominant belief system, it's just not going to happen. So who the hell knows what else is going on out there?
Via Slashdot, [1] Trouble ahead, trouble behind [2]
An interview with Grateful Dead lyricist (and now String Cheese Incident [3] lyricist) John Perry Barlow, where he echos some of my sentiments towards large corporations.
I also liked the following quote:
The Grateful Dead invented viral marketing without really meaning to…We gave our music away. At the time, we did it because we felt there was no way to stop Deadheads from taping it, and besides, we weren't in it for the money, because we weren't making any. But those tapes became the androgen of our success. They spread that virus all over the damn place, and by the time we died, we were the largest-grossing entertainment act in the business because of performances, but not exclusively.
Put that in your bong and smoke it, RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
[2] http://news.com.com/2008-1082-843349.html