Back to the real world

I have a whole list of things I am planning to blog about, including "bitter-gate" or whatever you want to call it, but when I found Tim Robbins' speech at the National Association of Broadcasters, I thought I should share it. It goes from a sarcastic history of broadcasting to total sap and utopian wishes for the future, but it's an interesting take on the role broadcasters have had in making our society more divisive, instead of less, and what they could do about it.
This is a nation divided and reeling from betrayal and economic hardships. And you, the broadcasters of this great nation have a tremendous power, and a tremendous potential to effect change. You have the power to turn this country away from cynicism. You have the power to turn this nation away from the hatred and the divisive dialogue that has rendered such a corrosive affect on our body politic. You can lift us up into a more enlightened age.

[...]
The road we are on is leading us to a corruption of our former selves. We are better than that. You can help us reclaim our better nature, our perfect union. It isn't necessarily a matter of country before profit, or of patriotism and truth before personal comfort. There could be money to be made in appealing to our better selves. Wouldn't that be great? And if there isn't and we came out of it a little less rich but more unified and healthier as a nation wouldn't that be something we could all be proud of?
He may be a little too far to the left, but he's a smart guy.

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