Journalism's Slow Death

JOURNALISM'S SLOW DEATH

"You may ask questions, but the Government
still has the freedom not to answer them".

by Henk Ruyssenaars

FPF - The Netherlands-Febr. 2nd 2005 -'Is this Freedom of Information?' the Independent in England today asks, complaining about the fact that one month into the Government's 'new era of openness', outrage grows at a catalogue of obfuscation and evasion, in answer to requests for disclosure'.

Not only in the UK, but globally one of the main problems in the so called 'civilized world', seems to be the following: the representatives we ask and pay to represent us in the parliaments and similar gatherings, seem to immediately sell their soul to the devil and start behaving like little kings or 'naked emperors'.

Even if they are supposed to work for us, are paid by us with taxes, and at our behest and request, should advocate our interests, most of them, alas, choose the 'warp' immediately become a part of the establishment
they are expected to control on our behalf.

Those chosen and/or elected, seem to be victims of some kind of amnesia, forgetting that we the people pay their many times too high salaries, fringe benefits and 'Golden handshakes' when they leave. Voluntarily or many times also forced to; because of their incompetence and massive fraud.

A combination of both, is found in the Dutch railway project 'Betuwe-line'.* An investigation has shown the hair-raising example: Euro 7000.000.000.- (7 billion) the rough equivalent of US $9,1 billion, has been totally wasted.

The maintenance of this unnecessary railway will cost 200 Euro a year. And, no, this is not deducted from the salaries of those responsible nitwits, nor is any of our incompetent workers going to jail. Mostly the civil servants are not even fired for their swindle: in Holland they even made a law ('Pikmeer-arrest') - against them being fired for incompetence etc. So last year - with nobody getting a raise - they took on average 6% more income from the tax till. And that's their own figure...

All these little kings in the Administration's 'Court' hide their many times illegal actions behind dark clouds of secrecy, confirming that the acts can not stand the light of the day: the transparency which we, who pay them, are entitled to.

We must and should know what the people who work for us do with our tax money, and why. It's about their responsibility and accountability towards us.

The smoke-screen of evasions and lies is of course supported by the media - and the people they own in these propaganda machines. Which is why the biggest mainstream media have turned into dishonest 'His Masters Voices'.

'NEWS AGENCIES'

In the Netherlands the so called 'National News Agency' (ANP) is owned by the multinational 'Fentener van Vlissingen: 'adjusting' the 'news' to their ideas of what and when the other dutch media get information. The news which is not profitable and/or commercial, plays a very small role. Most of the alternative news sources are infiltrated as usual, but keep fighting for their readers/listeners/viewers and their 'honest journalism'.

In England today, where the taxpayers have the same problem with the people working for them in the administration, the newspaper The Independent writes
about how the British-US-prone government is attacked for their 'hypocritical' attitude towards the Freedom of Information Act which daily is abused, ignored and trampled upon by many civil servants 'working for the people'.

An interesting list of examples is given: the questions and the denying answers by the people we pay and are supposed to work for us.*

One can only agree with the Independent's leading article, where the warped situation is described as: "You may ask questions - but the Government still has the freedom not to answer them". They think they are above the law, or like Bush 'send by God'.

Like the totally justified question all people should ask their administration's workers: If the war in Iraq is illegal, as not only all non-US international law experts say, but also Kofi Annan, the Secretary general of the United Nations*: doesn't that make us all guilty of war crimes by association?

In an answer on serious questions like that, in England - and many other administration-infected countries - the taxpayers can get this drivel as an answer:

Q. Please disclose the legal advice given by the Attorney General on the legality of the war with Iraq?

A. No. It is exempt as legally privileged information. (Attorney General-UK)

And, another expression which is often misused: ''We need extra time to determine if this is in the public interest.'' The public is apparently - according to their servants - not capable of such a mental tour de force.
One wonders why 'we the people' should go on paying civil servants who give this array of arrogant answers?

Too many seem to have forgotten who pays
their bills, and whom they should work for.

Those miscreants should be fired.

HR

* Independent list/article - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5nz43

* Annan/BBC-War in Iraq is illegal - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/5pl2v

* 'Betuwelijn' railway route - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/6bj2f

* ANP/Fentener - SHV - Url.: http://tinyurl.com/66erx

Foreign Press Foundation
The Netherlands
fpf@planet.nl