All this story to describe Meaningful work on a personal level.. To speculate if the current "regime" would agree to have you do it... Years later..? and how it potentially correlates to potentially renaming Lake Ontario. I never comment however I found the positive story with your daughter uplifting yet I agree it was all over the place..
I’m happy you were able to write the stories that needed to be told. And are still using that gift to write about big things that might appear to be small things. Keep up the good work.
During my 35 year career with USA Today I visited every S&S retail location outside Europe. This was because S&S was our distributor on military bases. The most unusual PX was a tent on a wood platform at Warrior Base, the most northernmost outpost right at the DMZ.
The things this Heritage foundation administration do are constantly appalling but also predictable.
Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Which of these boxes have yet to be ticked?
The 14 identifying characteristics of fascism.
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
6. Controlled Mass Media Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Thanks Bill for being a part of a legendary paper. I remember being overseas headed to Desert Storm when we stopped in the Philippines for resupply. We were starving for any information for what was going on and reading The Stars and Stripes filled in the gap from what we were getting through official channels.
Unfortunately you are right. With this administration fire hose of crap this travesty will be quickly lost in the chum.
Great story about your time at Stars and Stripes. I remember now that you had said at one time that you had worked for that esteemed veterans news organization. Sounds to me you wrote some pretty significant items at the time. It’s always a good thing to report on the military and what is actually going on with the organization and the personnel. After all, it’s always been done but by, if all people, those in the “liberal arts”specifically, sculptors, artists, photographers and writers. It seemed chaotic because the times were chaotic. The war(s)were chaotic. Going through a separation and divorce is certainly chaotic. Frankly I’m surprised you got anything out that made sense but you did which speaks to the kind of writer you are. Speaking from experience, it’s not always easy to separate what’s going on personally from that which is happening professionally.
Those stories you broke were important. You covered veterans? Oh the horrors! For Pete’s sake, what took so long for anyone to see the need? Good on you that you did. Now I want to know more; you know, the details.
Blue on green killings? Horrific. How did you find that story? As for the military machine grinding up its soldiers with PTSD, sounds like the shit it pulled over Agent Orange with the Vietnam vets. Different tactics but same outcomes. Really awful. Lord knows what the poor kids will have to go through to get benefits from this current mess. It would not surprise me in the least if this current “government” wouldn’t like to dismantle the VA system altogether. Throw all our vets out on the streets so that others can throw a dollar or two their way.
They can join the poor, seniors and the disabled when those cuts happen to Medicaid and Medicare that they are talking about. Fun times!
Good example of why impartial media is so important. As more media outlets get swallowed up, the stories start to get a slant that readers don’t always see. And w need to start honouring veterans better, not shunning them. At least some outlets have a clear bias. In today’s political environment, this is more important than ever.
Thank you for this! It was shocking to read about the end of S&S, I think your writing about veterans was top shelf. A dear friend is a vet, exposed to agent orange, the only survivor of his platoon, suffers from PTSD. The US military treats him horribly when he tries for much needed and much earned help. It would have been a great story for you.
Administration and regime are both terms used to describe systems of governing a country or organization.
Administration typically refers to the day-to-day management and operation of a government or organization, focusing on tasks such as budgeting, staffing, and policy implementation. On the other hand, regime often carries a more negative connotation, implying a government that is authoritarian or oppressive in nature.
While administration is generally seen as a neutral term, regime is often used to describe a government that is seen as illegitimate or unjust.
I worked on my high school newspaper and I was a journalism major in college, though I never worked in it professionally. I do recall one professor assigning The New York Times because it's all the news that's fit to print and I had a prof. from the LA Times who taught me copyediting.
I've been watching the sad decline of our newspapers and other printed materials (magazines, oh where have you all gone!?), as well as the attack on independence in the media. I don't know how journalism can be taught today with all of this going on. I only hope that enough old school folks who have done the hard work (thanks, Bill!) will be able to carry on and influence the up and coming lot of reporters. I detest news by influencer and the stuff that has not been fact checked as well as the government-spewed propaganda (that's what it is!) that hits us every day.
Your year at S&S was significant and whether you were in the fight or covering the fight (sometimes that just as scary), bravo.
The civic-minded are guardians of the truth and warriors in the own right. That’s why I pay Bill more for his material than I do for even my NYT subscription.
Stars & Stripes was our lifeline to the "rest of the world" for our family when assigned to overseas tour at Clark Air Base in P.I. back in early 1980s. We had no internet, no other newspapers, no cable TV, only one TV station, the official Armed Forces Services Network (AFSN) which of course heavily censored. We could always rely on the accuracy of S&S to report the "good, bad, and ugly" of anything relevant to us military members and families. The "kiss if death" now will have untoward adverse impact on our troops, airmen, sailors and families scattered and deployed all over the globe.
All this story to describe Meaningful work on a personal level.. To speculate if the current "regime" would agree to have you do it... Years later..? and how it potentially correlates to potentially renaming Lake Ontario. I never comment however I found the positive story with your daughter uplifting yet I agree it was all over the place..
I think the “current regime” term is an apt description
I’m happy you were able to write the stories that needed to be told. And are still using that gift to write about big things that might appear to be small things. Keep up the good work.
During my 35 year career with USA Today I visited every S&S retail location outside Europe. This was because S&S was our distributor on military bases. The most unusual PX was a tent on a wood platform at Warrior Base, the most northernmost outpost right at the DMZ.
The things this Heritage foundation administration do are constantly appalling but also predictable.
Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Which of these boxes have yet to be ticked?
The 14 identifying characteristics of fascism.
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
6. Controlled Mass Media Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Thanks Bill for being a part of a legendary paper. I remember being overseas headed to Desert Storm when we stopped in the Philippines for resupply. We were starving for any information for what was going on and reading The Stars and Stripes filled in the gap from what we were getting through official channels.
Unfortunately you are right. With this administration fire hose of crap this travesty will be quickly lost in the chum.
Great story about your time at Stars and Stripes. I remember now that you had said at one time that you had worked for that esteemed veterans news organization. Sounds to me you wrote some pretty significant items at the time. It’s always a good thing to report on the military and what is actually going on with the organization and the personnel. After all, it’s always been done but by, if all people, those in the “liberal arts”specifically, sculptors, artists, photographers and writers. It seemed chaotic because the times were chaotic. The war(s)were chaotic. Going through a separation and divorce is certainly chaotic. Frankly I’m surprised you got anything out that made sense but you did which speaks to the kind of writer you are. Speaking from experience, it’s not always easy to separate what’s going on personally from that which is happening professionally.
Those stories you broke were important. You covered veterans? Oh the horrors! For Pete’s sake, what took so long for anyone to see the need? Good on you that you did. Now I want to know more; you know, the details.
Blue on green killings? Horrific. How did you find that story? As for the military machine grinding up its soldiers with PTSD, sounds like the shit it pulled over Agent Orange with the Vietnam vets. Different tactics but same outcomes. Really awful. Lord knows what the poor kids will have to go through to get benefits from this current mess. It would not surprise me in the least if this current “government” wouldn’t like to dismantle the VA system altogether. Throw all our vets out on the streets so that others can throw a dollar or two their way.
They can join the poor, seniors and the disabled when those cuts happen to Medicaid and Medicare that they are talking about. Fun times!
Meaningful, Bill. Really, really meaningful. Keep uncovering and telling these stories. From another veteran ...
Thank you, Bill. You should be proud of yourself for your past accomplishments but even more so, for your remarkable talent to express them.
Good example of why impartial media is so important. As more media outlets get swallowed up, the stories start to get a slant that readers don’t always see. And w need to start honouring veterans better, not shunning them. At least some outlets have a clear bias. In today’s political environment, this is more important than ever.
Thank you for this! It was shocking to read about the end of S&S, I think your writing about veterans was top shelf. A dear friend is a vet, exposed to agent orange, the only survivor of his platoon, suffers from PTSD. The US military treats him horribly when he tries for much needed and much earned help. It would have been a great story for you.
You meant "new administration" right? Because you wrote "new regime".
I believe the writer’s intent was accurate.
Administration and regime are both terms used to describe systems of governing a country or organization.
Administration typically refers to the day-to-day management and operation of a government or organization, focusing on tasks such as budgeting, staffing, and policy implementation. On the other hand, regime often carries a more negative connotation, implying a government that is authoritarian or oppressive in nature.
While administration is generally seen as a neutral term, regime is often used to describe a government that is seen as illegitimate or unjust.
I worked on my high school newspaper and I was a journalism major in college, though I never worked in it professionally. I do recall one professor assigning The New York Times because it's all the news that's fit to print and I had a prof. from the LA Times who taught me copyediting.
I've been watching the sad decline of our newspapers and other printed materials (magazines, oh where have you all gone!?), as well as the attack on independence in the media. I don't know how journalism can be taught today with all of this going on. I only hope that enough old school folks who have done the hard work (thanks, Bill!) will be able to carry on and influence the up and coming lot of reporters. I detest news by influencer and the stuff that has not been fact checked as well as the government-spewed propaganda (that's what it is!) that hits us every day.
Your year at S&S was significant and whether you were in the fight or covering the fight (sometimes that just as scary), bravo.
The civic-minded are guardians of the truth and warriors in the own right. That’s why I pay Bill more for his material than I do for even my NYT subscription.
Stars & Stripes was our lifeline to the "rest of the world" for our family when assigned to overseas tour at Clark Air Base in P.I. back in early 1980s. We had no internet, no other newspapers, no cable TV, only one TV station, the official Armed Forces Services Network (AFSN) which of course heavily censored. We could always rely on the accuracy of S&S to report the "good, bad, and ugly" of anything relevant to us military members and families. The "kiss if death" now will have untoward adverse impact on our troops, airmen, sailors and families scattered and deployed all over the globe.