What Happens When Pack-Like American Media Is Not Unbiased Or Free?

NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams immediately spun the story as a political pitfall for the possible presidential contender: "In a jam. A big problem for a man with big ambitions. Tonight, how a traffic nightmare on the world's busiest bridge has spilled into a full blown scandal with the power to damage Chris Christie's political future." Image Credit: MRCTV

What Happens When Pack-Like American Media Is Not Unbiased Or Free?

Information released last week about a possible scandal in the timing and reality of a traffic study leading to the entrance of a main transportation bridge spanning from Ft. Lee, New Jersey to Manhattan, New York had the American media complex working overtime.

The issue raised additional attention because the traffic study/lane closure actions involved New Jersey Republican Governor, Chris Christie, thought of by the media elite as a front-runner for the Republican political party nominee for President of the United States in 2016 against the assumed Democrat political party, former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

Emails were discovered that placed the lane closures in Ft. Lee, New Jersey as a trumped-up action for payback to the Democrat Mayor of Ft. Lee for not endorsing Chris Cristie's second term run for Governor.

As a result, EMT response to a missing child and a heart attack victim were delayed.  Even after being informed of the EMT problems his traffic study/lane closure actions were causing, it was asserted that an angry Governor Christie refused to lift his vindictive blockade.

In a series of emails, Christie’s deputy chief of staff Bridge Anne Kelly discussed the closures weeks before they occurred, and appears to suggest that the closures were politically motivated.

“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Kelly wrote to David Wildstein, a Christie’s appointee to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. ”Got it,” Wildstein replied.

How Democrats React graphic. Image Credit: The Patriot Post

This excerpted and edited from NewsBusters -

There's Already 17 Times More Coverage on Christie Scandal Than in Last Six Months of IRS
By Scott Whitlock

In less than 24 hours [after these assertions came to light, and after Gov. Christie held a 2 hour news conference],the big three networks devoted 17 times more coverage to a traffic scandal involving Chris Christie than they've allowed in the last six months to Barack Obama's Internal Revenue Service controversy. Since the story broke on Wednesday that aides to the New Jersey governor punished a local mayor's lack of endorsement with a massive traffic jam, ABC, CBS and NBC have responded with 34 minutes and 28 seconds of coverage. Since July 1, these same networks managed a scant two minutes and eight seconds for the IRS targeting of Tea Party groups.

In contrast, journalists such as Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos pounced on the developing Christie story. The GMA host opened the program on Thursday by announcing, "Chris Christie in crisis. Calls at this hour for the feds to step in, investigate the explosive e-mails."

Stephanopoulos later wondered, "One of the big questions right now, how much has it hampered his White House prospects?" Guest Matt Dowd insisted that, on a scale from one to ten, the controversy was already at a "four or five."

On the CBS Evening News, anchor Scott Pelley sounded a similar alarm: "Tonight, a potential presidential candidate caught up in scandal. E-mails show massive New Jersey traffic jams were engineered by aides to Governor Chris Christie as political payback."

Since Wednesday night, NBC included six reports over 14 minutes and 14 seconds. CBS devoted five reports over 12 minutes and 27 seconds. ABC managed 4 stories over seven minutes and 47 seconds.

As a comparison over the last six months, NBC featured a scant five seconds on updating the IRS story. CBS responded with a minute and 41 seconds. ABC produced a meager 22 seconds.

Although the media downplayed the IRS controversy from July through December (it first broke in May), it's not as though there wasn't much happening. As the Media Research Center documented, many potential story leads developed.

In December, House investigator Darrell Issa announced that the FBI and IRS chief counsel is stonewalling the investigation. In October, newly obtained e-mails showed that the scandal-plagued Lois Lerner, the woman at the center of the controversy, illegally gave Tea Party tax info to the FEC. That same month, it came out that an IRS official may have given confidential information to the White House.

These stories were buried by ABC, CBS and NBC, the same networks that have immediately deluged Republican Chris Christie, a 2016 contender, with coverage for his scandal.
[Reference Here]

The American media complex is neither Free or Unbiased.

Most people who listen to, or read information dispatches from AP, Reuters, NBC, CBS, ABC, The New York Times, BBC, and etc. do not know that they are getting their information from employees that all work from offices that can only be understood as a complex. The media complex, centered in the middle of the island of Manhattan, New York, is a four square block area above and below ground level around Rockefeller Center. The people who work for any of these organizations work just around the corner from each other, usually go to lunch and dinner with each other, foster professional relationships for future job opportunities, and to a high 80 to 90 percentile, vote for much the same large central government policies and politicians as America's Democrat Political Party embraces.

It is this herd-mentality and herd-proximity that has diluted the hallmark values of a free and open press. The Gov. Christie flap is just puts a magnifying glass on the level of bias and lack of freedom upon which an organization has to investigate, produce information, and broadcast it in a sufficient volume so that all citizens become informed.

This excerpted and edited from PJ Media -

No, Those de Blasio-as-Bane Parodies Make No Sense Whatsoever
Ed Driscoll - PJ Media - January 13th, 2014 - 1:25 pm

Plus #Bridgegate, Gotham City-style, when “De Blasio’s handpicked City Council speaker blocked the Brooklyn Bridge with Occupy Wall Street,” the Daily Caller reports today:

Democratic New York City mayor Bill de Blasio’s handpicked City Council speaker was arrested for blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge while participating in a union-organized Occupy Wall Street protest.

The incident occurred a little more than two years before de Blasio railed against the “immoral” and “not mature” actions of New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s aides in conducting a disruptive “traffic study” on the George Washington Bridge for apparently political reasons.

Melissa Mark-Viverito, who became Council speaker last week after de Blasio and his aides lobbied Council members on her behalf, was arrested on November 17, 2011 while sitting with a group on the approach to the Brooklyn Bridge chanting “We are the 99 percent” and “All day! All week! Occupy Wall Street!”

Mark-Viverito, an eighth-district City councilwoman, and her group only remained in their position for a “few minutes” before they were arrested, but Mark-Viverito noted that “we probably would have been there you know 16, 17 hours.” SEIU 1199 president George Gresham was also part of the group.
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Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, Ed Morrissey notes that the Feds may be probing Chris Christie over the use of Hurricane Sandy relief funds:

Christie burned a lot of bridges in that debate, and in his embrace (literally) of Obama in those final days of the 2012 election.  Ironically, it’s the Obama administration that is widening its probe into the use of those funds now. Don’t expect too many Republicans to rush to Christie’s side in this fight, except to point out that the $2.2 million difference between the two advertising campaign proposals amounts to 0.041% of the porkfest Barack Obama and Chris Christie demanded from Congress for Sandy relief.  There may be a lot of reasons why victims haven’t seen their Sandy aid yet, but this ad campaign isn’t one of them.

George H.W. Bush tried to make nice with Democrats in 1990 by giving in to a tax increase, only to have Bill Clinton(!) call him a liar and use Bush’s rhetoric successfully against him during the 1992 campaign:

John McCain spent virtually his entire career in politics playing the role of iconoclastic “Maverick,” which meant frequently siding with Democrats and pulling the rug out from Republicans, only to discover in 2008 that at election time, the media wing of the Democrat party plays hardball, for keeps, and in the midst of fullblown hopenchange fever cheerfully devoured his presidential campaign in 2008 without batting an eye. Similarly, Chris Christie has all too often as governor of New Jersey embraced Obama and offered very few coattails to his fellow Republicans, particularly when it mattered in the fall of 2012 during the Romney campaign. He too is in the process of having his presidential hopes devoured by the media left.

Charlie Brown never learned that Lucy will always pull the football away; why don’t Republicans ever learn that however much they cozy up to the left, they will eventually be fatally stung. It is the nature of the scorpion.
[Reference Here]

Perspective is everything. One has to stick one's head out from under the Media Complex rock that it is 'imposed' under via the traditional methods and look around in order to begin to find something that is more in-depth than the herd-media-news we get so easily.

... notes from The EDJE

“The [CBS/National Journal] Commander-In-Chief Debate” From South Carolina

Image Credit: CBS News via Politisite


“The [CBS/National Journal] Commander-In-Chief Debate” From South Carolina

With the focus on National Security and Foreign policy, CBS News and National Journal partners with the South Carolina GOP to present the first Republican Presidential Primary debate on broadcast television.

The debate, the second in the last four days, is scheduled to be broadcast live for one hour only [given the local schedule] starting at 8:00 pm ET and is to be broadcast on all CBS stations nationally.

“The South Carolina Republican Party is excited to be a partner on the first nationally televised, broadcast network debate of the Presidential Primary season,” said Chad Connelly, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. “Presidential candidates and Republican activists across our nation know South Carolina’s historic tradition of successfully choosing the Republican nominee, a tradition uninterrupted for over thirty years. We look forward to the debate on Wofford College’s beautiful campus and continuing to demonstrate that in South Carolina, ‘We Pick Presidents.’”

The expectation is that these topics of National Security and Foreign Policy should play to the benefit of former Utah Governor, John Huntsman (also, former ambassador to China for the Obama Administration, he also served as ambassador to Singapore under George H.W. Bush and as a Deputy Trade Representative under George W. Bush.), Former leader of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, and Former Senator, Rick Santorum. The rest of the field, it is assumed, will be coming in with a crash course understanding of the issues and there lays the entertainment ... and the challenge of moderators, Scott Pelley (anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY) and Major Garrett (former Fox News standout and current congressional correspondent for National Journal).

A short but possibly sweet debate #10 for the Republican field of presidential/Commander-In-Chief hopefuls.

In order for all to see the debate in total, we were instructed by Scott Pelley to see the last 30 minutes of the 90 minute debate by going to one's computer and log on to CBS.com.

The biggest contention with this format and debate is the adherence to time. Of course, Rick Santorum has trouble with this right away because he gets bogged down in the tall grass with describing policy.

Huntsman's first answer is short and probably the most popular. He looks to isolation and extraction from current involvement save some small force for intelligence and training the government forces of the country we are leaving.

Gingrich hits the problem on the head recognizing this problem is much larger and complex than the way we are addressing it. Then Gingrich goes on to make the case for defending Christians throughout the world from Muslim persecution.

Perry turns the focus back to Foreign Aid and spending as the first issue that informs our foreign policy.

Bachmann on Pakistan - A difficult area and harbors terrorism. They have Nuclear weapon and worldwide connections are aligned against Israel ... we need to stand with Israel.

Gingrich agrees with the Perry approach starting with Foreign Aid at zero every year and have countries that we currently support argue for its maintenance.

Santorum on the Nukes - Pakistan must be handled as a friend because they have the bomb. It is important to keep a solid and stable relationship. Money on foreign aid is spent here in this country first on the manufacture of weapons before they are used to secure our relationships.

BREAK

Gingrich stiff arms Major Garrett on a question relating to how he characterized Romney [as a good manager] on a national radio show - Laura Ingraham | 9:00am to 12:00pm ET - by shaking his head NO! "We are here to replace Barack Obama" as president and we all would be better than the current president.

Parry makes a pitch as being a decision maker [over others hopefuls] as Commander-In-Chief.

Bachmann - Obama has the ACLU managing the activities of the CIA.

Paul - Water boarding is torture. Torture is uncivilized.

Huntsman - Recites his resume then comes down on the side that water boarding as torture.

Pelley then asks Romney about Obama's killing of an American born terrorist in Yeman by an unmanned missile ... Was Obama correct in this act?

Pelley begins to argue with the people taking part in the debate about the Rule-Of-Law. Gingrich fires back that individual people who are creating war with America are defined by a panel as "Enemy Combatants" and therefore not subject to America's Rule-Of-Law (to uproarious crowd applause in agreement with Newt's point of order).

Major Garrett gains control of the direction of the debate by asking Foreign Trade questions of Romney and Perry.

Pelley allows himself a follow up question with Romney on Foreign Trade ... taking precious time away from other respondents.

Huntsman - We do not need a trade war with China. We need to engage the younger, internet connected generations in China on issues of trade for them to have an effect on the Ruling Class ... Author comment - this does not make sense.

BREAK

A Twitter question asks of Gov. Perry if Israel would start at zero in foreign aid? Perry said YES and that this should be applied to the budgets of all of the Federal Departments he had trouble naming in an earlier debate.

BREAK - most people throughout the nation either miss this part of the debate or they tune in to CBS.com on their computers.

In Palm Springs, the affiliate cut away for local news and so the internet came into play.

There was a problem with the transmission and it seems that the internet connection did not have enough bandwidth to handle the demand – choppy video and consequently, choppy audio. Further investigation found that this bandwidth problem was actually with the main server contracted for use by CBS ... REALLY?!

CBS is a bush-league outfit to schedule a Republican presidential debate, title it “The Commander-In-Chief Debate”, and broadcast only a portion of the debate on a national basis, then provide inadequate internet service to carry the balance of the debate.

Hey CBS, why sponsor and hold a debate if you are not serious enough to carry the whole debate?

If this were a Democrat Political Party debate with eight contenders, would you have only enough television broadcast time slot bandwidth to carry a percentage of the whole debate and after debate spin?

Why on Earth would the South Carolina GOP [and the NRCC] agree to such a half-handed set-up … is this the best they could negotiate?

How weak.

WOW!

CBS’s Fall Movie Preview Slants Largely Left

THE MOVIES: Fall Movies - The fall film season is upon us, the time that many moviegoers eagerly anticipate, when the studios release many of their best films, films they think may be contenders come Oscar time. With Los Angeles Times Film Critic Kenneth Turan as our guide, we look at some of the new films coming soon to a multiplex near you. Image Credit: Saatchi & Saatchi

CBS’s Fall Movie Preview Slants Largely Left

We, at MAXINE, were watching CBS Sunday Morning at about 7:37 AM PT and a review of the new fall films was put together and played with what seemed to be an obvious perspective slant.

We do know it is not just us, people have complained over, and over again that when Hollywood produces a film about military conflicts and/or current political situations, only one side of complex issues is portrayed. That one side, or point of view, is almost always from the political American Left/Progressive/Socialist/Group Rights to the rejection of traditionally American Right/Conservative/Self-Reliant/Individual Rights based perspective.

Therein lays our observation, and it has to do with the knowledge of one film that was blatantly omitted from the presentation.

"American Carol" is being advertised as unabashedly based in making fun of the political Left in our country through a tale told about a mythical situation that centers around Michael Moore.

Moore, who we are familiar with from movies titled Bowling For Columbine, Fahrenheit 911, SICKO, is a filmmaker who uses a documentarian style to illustrate a point of view he holds about any subject he chooses to highlight. The biggest problem with Michael Moore’s style of filmmaking is that it really isn’t either a documentary, or an issue exploring political tome themed film … it bases itself somewhere in the middle, ending up in the end with just his point of view … which is politically American Left/Progressive/Socialist/Group Rights.

"American Carol" punches large holes of situation-comedy into circumstances the film character of Michael Moore finds himself involved in … through parody from the politically American Right/Conservative/Self-Reliant/Individual Rights based perspective.

CBS Sunday Morning, in it’s presentation, highlighted three of the fall season’s politically themed movies and showed clips of the films, all of which were from an overtly critical viewpoint that stands clearly on the Left. Oliver Stone’s “W.” about a pre-presidential George Bush, "Frost/Nixon" which gives a focus on the interviews that British interviewer, David Frost did with the disgraced President Nixon after he resigned President, and Sean Penn in “Milk” showing Harvey Milk’s life and struggle as a gay rights activist before he was assassinated by one of his fellow city councilmen.

Out of the 23 films previewed (however briefly), why wasn't there room for a movie from a different point of view than these three obviously are?

How about removing any of these other culturally questionable movies while they are at it … and make room for a political comedy from the other side?

Kenneth Turan - The red carpet may be rolled up and every starlet in town may be wearily kicking off her Manolos, but the premiere isn’t really over until Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan serves judgment with breakfast. Even the most mindless summer blockbuster is treated to an inspired, intellectually discerning review by Turan, also a regular commentator for NPR’s “Morning Edition.” … well, duhhhhhh! Image Credit: MovieMaker

This Excerpted and edited from CBS –

The Fall Movies Are Coming
And ... Action! Critic Kenneth Turan Previews Hollywood's Oscar Bait And Box Office Hopefuls
CBS - Sept. 14, 2008

The new movie season has arrived. We'll be bringing you a variety of coming attractions in weeks ahead. To begin, Jerry Bowen with a look at fall movies...

Big names … epic sagas … even a tall tale or two. If you really love the movies, then this is your time of year.

The very best time of year, says Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan:

"You have to be optimistic in the fall," Turan said. "The fall is the season when the studios put all their quality eggs into that basket. So, if you're not optimistic in the fall, you're gonna have a terrible time the rest of the year!"

If its spy craft you crave, there's "Body of Lies," with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe from director Ridley Scott.

"He's really turned into one of the great craftsmen, I think, of modern movies," Turan said. "He always does something interesting."
.
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"Titanic" stars DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite in "Revolutionary Road," suffering together in suburbia.
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And what of this pair? Oscar-winners Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are nun and priest in the film "Doubt" about accusations of clergy sexual abuse.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how they interact with each other," Turan said. "These are two of our best actors, with really strong material. It could really ignite."
----
In a year when the longest-running and most riveting political drama has been the still-evolving presidential campaign, it seems appropriate to have a choice of political dramas at the box office, a trio of films to remind us that truth … or what passes for truth … is always stranger than fiction.

Director Oliver Stone bids farewell to President Bush with "W," Stone's version of how the 43rd president made it into office. Josh Brolin stars.

"You know, this could be anything," Turan said. "It certainly won't be boring. That's the one thing you'll say: 'I don't think it's gonna bore anybody.'"

"Frost/Nixon" is based on the real televised interviews David Frost conducted with the disgraced ex-president.

And Sean Penn stars in "Milk," the story of gay politician Harvey Milk who was murdered by a fellow San Francisco supervisor, a performance with Oscar buzz.

"The strength of the film is gonna be in the performances, and especially Sean Penn's," said Turan. "And whenever he gets really into a part, you want to watch."
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World War II is back in a big way. Daniel Craig leads the Jewish underground against German troops in "Defiance."

"Miracle at St. Anna" is director Spike Lee's story of African American soldiers caught behind the lines in Italy.

And in the epic "Australia," Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman fall in love as war with the Japanese looms.

In an odd way, says critic Turan, Americans find comfort in WWII movies:

"We are in such a quandary now about our place in the world. And I think we have a real nostalgia for the days when it was crystal-clear who the good guys were, the bad guys were, what we should be doing. And also, when we clearly won."
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So if it's movies you like … this is your time of year.
Reference Here>>

Turan observes that in an odd way we all find comfort from WWII movies – then he goes on to impugn the history we have all lived through here in the War On Terror.

Hey Kenneth (from the LA Times), haven’t you noticed that our country has not had a follow-on attack to the Islamic Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001? That the surge of troops in Iraq has worked to turn the security quotient of this brand new democratic country (three nationwide votes with over 70% participation of 25 million citizens) which includes the recent turnover of one of the formally most violent provinces back to security Iraqi authorities?

What!? There is nothing to dramatize here that would allow Americans to take comfort and know that we do know our place in the world?

If it is largely slanted reporting you want … this (CBS) is only one of about six network channel offerings out of seven available on broadcast and cable/satellite to ones television set.

Thanks for the constant reminder, CBS and Kenneth Turan, to all of us here at MAXINE.

Kid Nation - When Growing Up Is Hard - Guylan Speaks

Photo of the "Pioneers" of Kid Nation. Guylan: Age 11 lays-in-wait at the back of the hall to time his move (he is the one in the knit cap next to the kid with the black hair). Image Credit: Kid Nation (Manhattan Project) - CBS

Kid Nation - When Growing Up Is Hard - Guylan Speaks

Kid Nation is an interesting concept IF it were as advertised ... but it is not.

The producers want you to believe that NO ADULTS are involved in the way these volunteer kids (at $5,000 apiece if they stay - and the possibility of a $20,000 Gold Star if they are liked by others) decide the influences of their Bonanza village experience.

This just is not true. In every episode, a new twist is introduced via a faked up town journal known as the Pioneer Journal that the producers represent to the viewing audience and to the kids as being left behind by the original members of the Town Council of Bonanza City of 1885. The Pioneer Journal is a pure invention of the producers on which they base the episodes events.

This week is the episode we all (the viewing audience) are introduced to the wild card kid of the bunch – Guylan: Age 11.

To really understand why this show needs Guylan: Age 11 is to begin to understand that a group of kids usually find their own way without much confrontation. Most kids want to conform because they would like to feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves … but not Guylan: Age 11. Guylan: Age 11 is a professed admirer of Fidel Castro and he is an atheist.

The producers need him on which to build interest and drama because he does not feel anyone else – no person, no higher power, no higher natural order, no other power of people – nothing is more important to ones destiny than oneself.

Guylan: Age 11 is finally introduced to the viewing audience in the first minutes of episode #104 (the fourth episode). His first words are as follows:

“Really? What? That’s understandable, yeah.”

Producer’s video diary with Guylan: Age 11 –

“Personally, I don’t want religion to be a large part of my own destiny. I think the only person in charge of your own destiny is yourself.”

Reading of the "Pioneer Journal". - Image Credit: Kid Nation (Manhattan Project) - CBS

The producers purposely placed this dialog and video diary in front of the reading of the Pioneer Journal because it became a little less inflammatory as it relates to the subject dictated by the producers via this episode’s reading of the “1885 Pioneer Journal” - RELIGION!

This episode was designed to challenge the way each of these kids were raised – their perceptions, their customs, their ethics, their religion, their culture – all of which had been passed down to them with varying degrees of success by these kids parents.

This excerpted/edited from the Kid Nation website –

Bless Us And Keep Us Safe
[episode #104 recap]

Religion and issues of faith are on the minds of many of Kids in Bonanza City.

While Morgan poses the question of whether God brought the Kids to Bonanza City for a reason, Jared shares with Guylan how he has been called terrible things because he is Jewish.

At breakfast, Colton, Eric, Zach, and some other Kids get into a heated discussion over Christianity and Judaism.

Religious and political strife come to Bonanza City when the Council dictates that all of the Kids attend a group religious service [the idea as dictated to the Council through the 1885 town journal]. When the Towns Kids refuse to attend the service, the Council Leaders are left disappointed.

As Kids of different faiths bicker with each other, it seems as though the town might fracture until Morgan unites the arguing groups by holding a relaxed town bonfire where Kids of different faiths bond together in common prayer.
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“Do you think God put us here for a reason?”
[episode #104 producers narrative detail]

Religion and issues of faith are on the minds of many of Kids in Bonanza City. While Morgan poses the question of whether God brought the Kids to Bonanza City for a reason, Jared shares with Guylan how he has been called terrible things because he is Jewish. At breakfast, Colton, Eric, Zach, and some other Kids get into a heated discussion over Christianity and Judaism.

After bringing a little law and order to Bonanza City in the form of a town curfew, Anjay, Laurel, Mike and Taylor are nervous to see what the Pioneer Journal says next. Their next challenge presents itself in the form of a passage about the Pioneers’ problems with religion in the 1880s. The Journal suggests the Town hold religious services to feed the soul, but the Council must decide whether to hold one large service for all religions, or to split the services up by religion.
Reference Here>>

This sequence-of-events are not natural. Religion and bigotry do not pop-up out of nowhere. Kids generally do not ask about ones religion unless the subject is introduced. Enter the Pioneer Journal!

It is easy to notice right away that the producers do not want facts to get in the way of the drama – where is video journal dialog from Guylan: Age 11 in the preceeding text? Where are the attitude and beliefs of Guylan: Age 11 in the opening scene description?

NOWHERE!

The reading of the Pioneer Journal and the casting are the tools by which Kid Nation will eventually “TEACH” the viewing public what the producers want to “TEACH” the viewing public. The truth about Kid Nation is that this effort is not about the kids … it is about what the producers want to “TEACH” the viewing public.

What we need to be taught is that religion is what kills all humanity!

What we need to be taught is that a simple religious service is not that simple.

What we need to be taught is (inadvertently) fear and selfishness come from ignorance and the lack of a defined and developed spiritual core belief.

So, Okay, Jonathan, the Jeff Probst wanna-be non-ADULT organizer of the district (team) showdown (competitions), opens up the scene with this quote:

“Pioneers, gather up! It’s time for your next showdown.”

“You guys have thought a lot about religion, lately, and that is part of what this showdown is about.”

Who introduced the subject of religion to these kids and their experience at Bonanza City in the first place? (the producers)

The showdown is about to begin and we are treated to another video diary entry by none other than Guylan: Age 11 ... and he says:

“I want that dang reward! I don’t know what it is, but I want the reward!

The showdown is completed by all districts in the allotted time so the reward is earned, however it comes down to a Town Council choice between a miniature golf course set up in the middle of town.

Cut To Guylan: Age 11 in video diary:

Bingo! Coooool! (in excitement)

Or a library of “Holy Books” (Torah, Bible, Koran, Hindi text, and etc.).

The Town Council did what all great leadership organizations do – they abdicated their decision to a vote of the rest of the kids of Bonanza City.

To the surprise of most of the kids, the kids voted to have as a reward the religious text. They were able to be entertained way beyond a simple game of miniature golf.

Last excerpt from the Kid Nation website –

Morgan (green bandana) leads pioneer kids in Bonanza City in a group prayer meeting. The Town Council takes note of Morgan’s leadership and continuing hard work for Bonanza City, awarding her the fourth Gold Star. Image Credit: Kid Nation (Manhattan Project) - CBS

“That’s a lot of buffalo nickels.”

The Kids wipe away tears as they mourn Cody’s departure from Bonanza City, but the mood in the Town Hall quickly brightens when the Council selects Morgan as the fourth Gold Star Pioneer! Overwhelmed with gratitude, Morgan tells the other Kids, “I think that I have the best friends in the world and I’ll never leave you, I promise.” Everyone is happy for Morgan as all of the Kids applaud the success of the kind girl from the Green District.

Morgan excitedly calls her Mom and Dad with her wonderful news; her parents are proud of her accomplishment, but are mainly overjoyed just to hear her voice. Morgan’s Dad says, “I would think that Morgan got the Gold Star because of her helpfulness. That’s just who she is.”
Reference Here>>

Guylan: Age 11 is shown again for one last time in a preview as the voice over describes the focus of the next episode – Politics!

With great conviction and determination, Guylan: Age 11 states in yet another video diary:

“It’s time for a change!”

We, at MAXINE, believe that there is a larger power working here and it is the agenda of the production staff of Kid Nation. We can not wait to see what we know is coming.

Kid Nation – When Growing Up Is Hard – The Contract

Contract For The Manhattan Project (project name for Kid Nation) - No Human Rights In "Kid Nation" - No liability for CBS in controversial "ghost town" reality series. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks copyright 2007 - ht: The Smoking Gun

Kid Nation – When Growing Up Is Hard – The Contract

The unreal nature of “Reality Television” has its drawbacks, especially when the premise is really to break down authority and make political points.

The length that some producers will go in order to, in their own mind (I can only imagine), make a point and “make a difference” brinks upon a “Wizard Of OZ” scenario where the Wizard of Emerald City pulled levers while the target audience remained on the other side of the curtain to be marveled and influenced through the illusion.

Kid Nation, which is set to air on CBS on September 19, 2007, presents itself as a case study of this unreal nature of reality television.

First off, the program bills itself as having the Kids take over a failed “Ghost Town” in New Mexico … this is only very partially correct. The truth is that the producers were able to find a location that was not too far a distance from Santa Fe, New Mexico where previous production companies had built a functional and working western town near the ruins of a real ghost town to be used for theatrical movie and television productions.

Secondly, the producers state that these Kids may be able to show us all how not to make the mistakes the previous occupants of the town made (ostensibly why the town became a ghost town in the first place), all without the influence of adults. We all know that the production staff and the behind-the-scenes support are adults and further, we know intuitively that when one brings a whole group of humans together, influence happens – GET REAL! This statement doesn’t even factor in the influence of the structure of the production plot itself as in the awarding of a real gold star (estimated to be worth $20,000) at the end of each weekly episode – who created this structure in the first place … Kids?

The entertainment reviewers have seized on another one of the most glaring points of the unreal nature of reality television and that would be … The Contract. That is the employment contract that the parents of the kids had to sign before the production was to begin. After all, the producers had to protect themselves from the people that did the work but remained, contractually, on the other side of the curtain.

Children cooking on an old-fashioned stove on the "Kid Nation" set. Image Credit: Kid Nation (The Manhattan Project) - CBS

Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune –

How CBS went wrong with 'Kid Nation'
By Maureen Ryan - The Watcher - Originally posted: September 4, 2007

One of the most chilling documents to come down the pike in a while is the contract parents of participants in "Kid Nation" signed.
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"Kid Nation" is now under investigation by New Mexico authorities, who are looking into whether producers broke any laws during the show's filming in that state a few months ago.

Though CBS denies any wrongdoing and has said that the making of the show did not violate any laws, some "Kid Nation" participants -- all of whom were between the ages of 8 and 15 -- were injured during the course of the filming, according to news reports. A few young participants accidentally drank bleach, one kid sprained an arm and one child sustained a burn from hot grease.

The kicker? The parents of these kids had to sign a contract saying they would not sue over anything that might happen to their kids -- up to and including death.

According to the document posted on TheSmokingGun.com, the parents were told, via the contract they signed, that the show was "inherently dangerous" and could expose their children to "uncontrolled hazards and conditions that may cause serious bodily injury, illness or death." The parents had to relinquish all legal claims on CBS if anything did happen to their children. Oh, and unless the families stick to the terms of a confidentiality agreement that the network is still enforcing, they could be liable for a $5 million penalty.

All for a $5,000 "stipend," which is what most kids got for participating in the show. (Some kids got an additional $20,000 if they won competitions within the show.)

By my calculation, many of the kids who participated in the show -- if they did work 14-hour days for 40 days -- got less than $9 an hour.

No wonder the broadcast networks aren't about to give up on reality TV, despite its relatively lackluster performance of late; the genre is not exactly bankrupting them.
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That ominous contract language flies in the face of CBS' attempts to bill "Kid Nation" as a happy-go-lucky "summer camp" experience.

“In order for a reality show … to really get out there and change the landscape of television, you have to sort of stir public debate,” CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said about “Kid Nation” at a press event in July. “We know we're going to create some controversy. … But I think the whole objective was to get out there, do something different, and try and reach out and have people talk about the show, which is what's happening.”

Yes, but at this point, the "Kid Nation" debate centers on how children were used to create an entertainment property for CBS, a network that plans to charge big bucks for "Kid Nation" commercial spots. The network could have done some things to prevent the "Kid Nation" buzz from going sour, but they would have cost money. And cutting corners when kids are involved -- that's not courting controversy, that's risking condemnation.

The fact is, the kids on the show should have been covered by entertainment-union contracts that would have protected their interests, limited the hours they could work and guaranteed appropriate on-set medical care and supervision.

Even if all that had been done, in my opinion, CBS shouldn't have used performers under 12. The idea that an 8-year-old could realistically consent to this kind of experience doesn't really fly.

And I hesitate to think of what these kids will think of the way they're edited. It's one thing for a contestant on "Survivor" to feel they were made to look villainous or stupid; it's quite another for a 5th grader to face the entire school after having been made to look foolish on national TV.

But maybe what the middle school critics -- or grown-up critics -- think of "Kid Nation" won't really matter in the end. After all, CBS is, as of press time, soliciting applications for "Kid Nation 2" on its Web site.
Article Reference & Article Comments Here>>

Kid Nation … Why Growing Up Is Hard - Guylan: Age 11

Kid Nation logo - Image Credit: CBS

Kid Nation … Why Growing Up Is Hard - Guylan: Age 11

In the early 1990’s, before Rudy Giuliani became the Mayor, radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh would always describe New York City as the place where every liberal dream was tried and had come true. Liberal thinking and governance had failed in allowing the city to be a nice place to live.

When people are asked … how did they arrive at looking at politics from a conservative viewpoint - they generally state … well, I grew up and I have responsibilities.

To read some of the quotes attributed to the "Kid" cast members of a new reality television show to be aired on CBS one begins to gain insight to why growing up and taking on responsibility might be a good thing.

Take the following example of an eleven year old kid from Upton, Massachusetts named Guylan. He is quoted as thinking that Fidel Castro is a world leader that should be admired. The specific reasons he sites are Fidel's accomplishments that include the overthrow of a government, the instillation of a socialist system, and his ability to remain in control against every effort put forward by the United States to remove him.

Are we really sure that Guylan wrote these opinions by himself? Honestly, we at MAXINE know a few eleven year old human beings and we DOUBT the validity of the following quotes taken from the CBS website set up to engage potential viewers. Take a read and let us know what you think. Who makes this stuff up?

Excerpted from “Kid Nation on CBS”, the website that holds the claim - “Check out the bios created & designed by the kids” -

Kid Nation on CBS
Premieres Wednesday, September 19, 8PM ET/PT

Guylan: Age 11
Upton, MA

What world leader do you admire?

Fidel Castro is a world leader that I admire for many reasons. Firstly, he led a revolution against a corrupt government ruled by an evil dictator named Fulgencio Batista. Then he went on to lead the country of Cuba by ousting their existing political system in order to instill a socialist government throughout the country. That meant out with the rich and corrupt and in with a more fair and balanced environment for his people. Although he has not always been fair nor kind in how he governed, he is like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going and going…! And no matter how many times we try to assassinate him, he just doesn't die. Although it is more difficult for his country to succeed due to the embargo banning trade with Cuba, he and his people have persevered and shown the USA that we can kick him and fight him all the way, but he just won't fall down.
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What makes a good leader?

What I think makes a good leader is a person who can wield power without becoming corrupt. I also think that a good leader should have the right balance of courage and common sense. A good leader must be patient and able to deal with people in a manner that gets a good response. Instead of screaming in their faces and calling them incompetent he/she should see what he/she can do to help them succeed. A good leader does not need to be recognized through his or her actions and successes but only though the successes of those he or she leads. That is how he or she knows they have done well.

Who have been some of the best U.S. presidents, and why?

Washington, because without him I don't think our country would be as strong as it is now. He led the war for independence and by being the first president, helped to found and was first to be elected to, a rarely used (at that time) kind of political system.
Thomas Jefferson, because he was another person who played a key role in the founding of our nation. He wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence and helped to start the train of ending slavery moving by including a paragraph against slavery. "He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither." Unfortunately it was not included in the final draft and he himself owned many slaves.

Who have been some of the worst U.S. presidents, and why?

One president I think was really bad is James Buchanan. He was pro-slavery and wanted to make Kansas a slave state. Luckily, the Free-Soil cause kept him from doing that. By the time he left office the civil war was bound to happen. George W. Bush is in my opinion one of the worst. No offence to Mr. Bush. Here are a couple reasons. One, he wants to start drilling for oil in Alaska. Why would he do that? Ummmmmm... we need oil? Well, that is true since we haven't done anything to change our dependence on it. What Mr. Bush could do to make oil not so much of a problem is to fund the development of alternative fuels such as solar, hydro and wind. However, I don't believe that we should use nuclear. It may be a fuel that doesn't contribute to global warming, but it has large problems of its own. Another thing, why are we in Iraq? Did they attack us? Maybe I've been watching the wrong news or reading the wrong websites but I don't think they attacked us.
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If you had the power to change one or two things about our country right now, what would it be?

Well, I would like to change the president to one who actually cares about global warming and will do something about it instead of just putting it aside until later... I would also increase funds to save the few remaining wild places and wild life parks and reserves in the hopes of being an example for other countries.

If you could put into place one law that pertains to kids in our country, what would it be?

If there were one law that I could put into place it would be for kids 9 and up to have the right to vote.

Why are some people rich and others poor?

People are rich or poor depending on life circumstances. This includes where people come from, what types of opportunity surround them and what decisions they make in life. Some bad decisions can cause different levels of poverty and sadness. An example of a bad decision would be drinking irresponsibly and having unprotected relations which can lead to unwanted children that create financial burdens. An example of decisions that may lead to wealth might be to complete your education by receiving a degree that will allow you to become a wealthy businessman with a wife and two kids and a very stable job that you enjoy doing.

Do you believe global warming is a fact or a myth?
If you think it is a fact, what would you do about it if you were in charge?

I believe it is a fact and If I were in charge I would cut emissions by slowly severing our ties to fossil fuels and exploring different sources of energy such as wind, hydro power, solar power, and last but not least definitely not nuclear power.
Reference Here>>

These “BIOS” are a scam … they have to be a scam … just take a look at the highlighted snippets and ask yourself, “Is this knowledge that a real eleven year old kid would actually write about (even though he might have had the questions in advance)?

Remember, Guylan is only eleven years old ... he wonders why we are in Iraq ... considering that he was only about five years old when the World Trade Towers were taken down with hijacked passenger jet airplanes on September 11, 2001, how could he ever be expected to connect the dots.

“Kid Nation” should be renamed “Lib Village”!