The Rembis Report and Other Fascinating Topics - Volume LVI

Information is everywhere.

Information is everywhere.

It's at your fingertips, on your phone and computer, on TV, in your mailbox, and in unsolicited phone calls you don't expect. I got an automated phone call at 4:30 the other morning from Duke Energy to let me know there was a power outage in my area.

Great, let's go look at some stars, I thought. But it was cloudy. Oh, well. I had to get up to answer the phone anyway. I went back to sleep and they called an hour later to let me know they were still working on it. I go back to sleep and they called again to wake me up again an hour later to say the same thing. Then, an hour after that, they called right after I got up to let me know that power had been restored. I knew that already. I was awake. If they had just worked on the problem without telling me, I could have had undisturbed slumber. But no, it was a reminder of how important that company is for me, that they are working around the clock to bring me the electricity I need. It was advertising.

You can't get away from it. On the way to the office, billboards abound. Bumper stickers adorn almost every vehicle now. Some are covered from hood to taillight with messages you are unable to avoid because you can't just shut your eyes while driving. I do avoid radio advertising because I listen to prerecorded music and a few select podcasts with minimal ads.

With all that information out there how do you decide what is important and what is not? Personal relevance obviously relates to your likes and dislikes. Not everything is for everyone.

Today I spotted a bumper sticker on a white panel van. It read "I don't trust the liberal media." I don't know why that is important enough for the creeper in the van to advertise, but it is his rig, and he can say what he wants with it.

I can't do much about about the message catching my eye. It is right there in front of me, patiently waiting for the same traffic signal. So, I wonder, what exactly does that mean? What is so bad about liberal media that you would not trust it?

The first definition of liberal is: Willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas. That doesn't sound so bad. It sounds objective. Fair and balanced, like Fox News used to be.

The second definition is: Relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise. This must be what the creeper meant. Why he would be against such a philosophy, I can't say, but again, you can do what you want with your van.

But why tell anybody who you do or do not trust? Why advertise your opinion on a bumper sticker?

This is simply a matter of preference. Some folks feel a need to shout and some don't. All news is not for everybody. People have been divided about what they will and won't listen to for a long time. Like Simon and Garfunkel sang in The Boxer "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

Pew Research did a study on news media in 2020 and revealed how much truth there is to that statement. Most people only watch things they find agreeable, and switch off anything that does not align with their preference. What happens is that division becomes defined as conservative or liberal news media.

Myself, I will watch anything that is not a commercial. I am not pushing the button on the remote control any more than I have to. I am not dedicated to any single news source. I hear the difference of opinion among all the outlets. Some I agree with, while others I may have questions about, but it is clear that news media is geared toward satisfying the advertiser. They won't buy ads if they don't like what the reporter is saying, so it only makes sense that there are multiple news outlets with differing viewpoints. A good reporter reveals and tells us the truth. A successful sales person tells a customer what they want to hear. The tough part about this is that without ad revenue there would be no news.

So you get what you get. Some liberal, some conservative, all selling air time.

The first definition of conservative is: Averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values. Who couldn't get on board with traditional values? That sounds wholesome, right? Averse to change? Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The second definition is: (In a political context) favoring free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas. Hey look, more tradition, keeping alive those value your grandparents had, greatest generation and all, keep what's yours, build your own business, yatta, yatta, yatta . . .

Wait Mike, so both ideologies favor and promote free enterprise?

Apparently so.

Are conservatives against individual rights, civil liberties, and democracy?

Not at all.

Are liberals against private ownership and socially traditional values?

I don't think so.

This is confusing.

Of course it is. This is America. You can try and sell whatever you want.

Thanks for reading.

Psst! If you are not clicking the links in these reports, you are missing out.