On Friday, I began sharing some reflections about some changes I am about to go through.

I wrote about Bill Moyers ending his TV run that evening, posting the video/transcript with his last guest, an interview/transcript with Jim Hightower as well as links to how you can still interact with Bill.

Bill Moyers Final Words: Plutocracy and Democracy Don’t Mix

“It hasn’t mattered which party has been in power — government has done Wall Street’s bidding.

Don’t blame the lobbyists, by the way; they are simply the mules of politics, delivering the drug of choice to a political class addicted to cash — what polite circles call “campaign contributions” and Tony Soprano would call “protection.”

This marriage of money and politics has produced an America of gross inequality at the top and low social mobility at the bottom, with little but anxiety and dread in between, as middle class Americans feel the ground falling out from under their feet. According to a study from the Pew Research Center last month, nine out of ten Americans give our national economy a negative rating. Eight out of ten report difficulty finding jobs in their communities, and seven out of ten say they experienced job-related or financial problems over the past year.

“So along with Jim Hightower and Iowa’s concerned citizens, and many of you, I am biased: democracy only works when we claim it as our own.”" [Full transcript here →]

He was a mensch to the end, paying tribute to all the people who worked with him over the years. I mentioned the the Wall Street protest which was not covered properly by the NY Times (see below) and the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war.

I sent those later comments to Tiana Alexander, a Vietnamese

born cultural whirlwind who directed the film FROM HOLLYWOOD TO HANOI, a Project I played a small role in. She then shared an email about her ongoing work that included this passage”

“During the war, the American command had the “war covered with enough film to go around the earth 3 times…” My editor Roger Schulte and I were told at Norton Air Force base in California (where we went thru wooden files in rooms w horrifying film titles on index cards like: BODIES, RANDOM BOMBS, PEASANTS, AGENT ORANGE, OPERATION PHOENIX…) MOST of the film that made it back never even got processed! WHY we asked. Because there was so much horror. All we could think of was there was all this truth most people NEVER SAW & may never see. We were tempted to slip entire reels into our clothes but it was summer in the LATE 80′S. We knew we were in the vortex of film history. We saw weird scary stuff. Whenever we liked something, we were told by our nice film guy babysitter, whom I still kept in touch with) shaking his head firmly: “You chose FOUO again. No, can do, try another reel.”

Later, the base shut down and materials “went” to Library of Congress. What made it there? I checked years ago… The Theys said: “Call back. When? In a few years. Or it’s all boxed up, dunno for how long, no room, no budget, stop calling!” There had got to be enough amazing stuff to look through today at Library of Congress, but since they don’t make it easy, who can make the time? Public Domain, nice name, but try it.”

SOME OF YOUR LETTERS

When I read these heartening notes, I realize I should put up a sign saying “WILL WORK FOR PRAISE.” Its what keeps me going ever since the money dried up long ago. I feel like I am living that book, “Been Down So Long, It Feels Like UP to me.”

Barry Reese writes from Texas.

Dear Mr. Schechter: My home is in Marfa where the public library regularly screens new releases and I have friends in nearby Alpine where there is a commercial cinema. My mother lives in Houston where I also have lots of contacts. Other cities where friends live include Austin and San Antonio and for all of these communities I am willing to help arrange screenings for your new film per your request for assistance on a recent show of Democracy Now. good luck!

Mark Mersky writes:

Danny: Saw you for the very first time on TV the other night. Had not heard of your movie and other endeavors. The economic forces that have been ruining our democracy since Reagan, must be changed.

Please don’t stop your efforts. I’m going to learn more about what you’re doing and spread the word.

What really disturbs me is the lack of progressive news and information EVEN IN NYC METRO area where I moved from 18 months ago. (I guess it’s not surprising given the story you know so well. Check out the talk show line up on 77WABC AM NY and you’ll see what I mean.) Time for Progressive Talk on a major station in NYC… I’m avid listener of 620KPOJ, Progressive Talk in Portland, OR.

I was stunned to hear that Thom Hartman is on only ONE station in all of NY state. Ithaca – - figures – it’s a college town. I thank goodness every day there are people like you and – Thom Hartman, Rachel Rhoades, Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Norman Goldman and a few others. Plus, I think Senator Sanders and Rep. Alan Grayson are communicating effectively and fighting the fight.

Please keep up your voice!! It’s very much appreciated. Thank you.

Lois Fiore writes: “Quite moving, Danny. Thanks for writing this – and for all of your over-the-top hard work.”

Barbara Johnson writes from Largo, FL:

It is too soon for you to leave Walden Pond. You continue to create new paths. It doesn’t “feel”to this reader that you are in any way stuck in a rut.

What a wonderful inclusion of the Thoreau quote in your blog. I had not read that passage for some 30 years. It choked me up. Due to the economic changes, I have been forced to forge some new paths. I still have a little contract work as a corporate trainer but earn 25% of what I did. Aaarg.

You sound discouraged and that is understandable. But you are doing what you love albeit with a ton of challenges. But the Universe will someone support you and muster up the resources for you to continue. I just know it as an intuitive.

We NEED you. Hold your vision – the resources, behind the scenes, will manifest to support you. Do your thing, Danny. Highest regards.

Tshisuaka (citizenminneapolis.com) writes:

Saw you on Democracy Now! I’m proud of you bro. I mean by that, I admire your work. So, I’m thinking it would be great to organize a screening of your flick like you were talking about, perhaps at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College where I am a student. I’m writing because why pass up the chance at getting some input from…you. Anyways, I’m not editing this note so that’s my disclaimer. Looking for tipos, advice, that is-concerning…you were saying that we gotta start doing things, which I fully agree with insofar as I’ve given up looking to the Government to solve our problems. We need to solve our own problems. That much I know. Beyond that, I know relatively little.

Sorry bro, here it goes again.

What do I need to do to obtain a dvd of “Plunder” and permission to screen it for free at my school (Community College)? What are ways I can “raise the flag of economic justice?” I know you don’t have all the answers, just throw me a scrap?

Thanks for your work and your time.

Deborah Emin:

You were so good at attracting the foreign crowd to what you did, to the excellence of your work, but you weren’t all that interested in their praises. You choose instead to want the praises from this country. But in order to receive that, I began to realize, as I sent you several emails saying, there had to be a fundamental shift here in how we go after and receive the news. You spent time regretting what you did not have rather than banking on what you had in abundance. Many of us do that.I hope you take some time to think things through better and with more love for yourself and what you have been able to accomplish because it is enormous.

Steve Brant writes to Mark Crispin Miller re coverage of the Wall Street March I found the NYTimes coverage by searching Google News on “march on wall street april 2010″:

However, I could not find the story by searching the Times website in the ordinary way–by going through the home page to the Business and NY/Metro pages. My conclusion: They buried it somehow–under the heading “Business Day.” (I have no idea what that means.)

I suggest you ask all your readers to write to public@nytimes.com and demand to know why this story cannot be found using a “reasonable search procedure.” Why was it not featured?

We all know the expression “plausible deniability” from the Nixon days. I think that Clark Hoyt should be asked, Who made the decision to bury this story, and why?
I then found this excellent coverage.On CNN? No, RUSSIA TODAY.

Angry Americans March on Wall Street

The largest anti-Wall Street rally since the credit crunch has taken place in New York. Thousands of workers and trade union leaders marched in anger over lost jobs and ruined lives, demanding answers from the source of the trouble – the banks.

My Letter to The Public Editor:

I write as a subscriber.

Thousands, some say 15,000, workers marched in protest Thursday on the Wall Street banks. The march was organized by the country’s largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, whose President Mr. Trumka came to NYC to speak. (He had been on MSNBC the night before.)

I saw him there along with a small army of media people, trucks, cameras, the whole schmear. It was the largest and loudest protest to date in the country about practices that have been page one all week.

It happened not in Nepal but here in our city.

Has the Times decided that only the voices on the Hill, or in the suites, can be heard? Have working people been downgraded and silenced by some ratings agency we don’t know about? Why was this story be buried as demands for economic justice grow in intensity and fury nationwide. Has Labor been “disappeared” in your pages?

Do tell.

Danny Schechter

ON PLUNDER—On The Ephemeris blog

Exposing the forces responsible for the loss of trillions of dollars, millions of jobs, massive foreclosures and the disappearance of retirement funds, Plunder: The Crime of Our Time investigates the unregulated fraud and theft that led to the market’s collapse in fall 2008. Filmmaker Danny Schechter, Emmy Award-winning former ABC News and CNN producer, explores the epidemic of subprime mortgages, predatory lending, insurance scams, and high-risk hedge funds to illustrate the connection between the housing market and the economic collapse that followed. Schechter tells this story by speaking with bankers involved in these activities, respected economists, insider experts, and top journalists, including Paul Krugman, and convicted white-collar criminal Sam Antar. A must for economics, business, and sociology courses, as well as anyone who wants to understand the current financial situation.


Dish TV: Dish Plans ‘TV Everywhere’ Web Site This Year

Dish Network is preparing to launch a “TV Everywhere” Internet destination as soon as this summer that would give subscribers access to TV programming on a range of devices. Read more at Multichannel.com

Welcome to a new week and what could be our last month. Your comments welcome. Write: dissector@mediachannel.org