Economic Pundits vs. Kermit the Frog - A Call for Transparency

Every day I follow the headlines and try to decipher individual credit issues to the state of our economy. With that said I must ask to please tell me something I don’t know. It gets very mind numbing having pundits and financial experts regurgitate the same information every day. But in fairness, I think in regards to the media we (viewers of the news) separate into two distinct audiences. One audience likes to be told what is going on, the other audience wants to know and understand what is going on. Personally, I want to understand and I challenge the media to explain it to me, if they can. I get off on intellectual stimulus. I can handle it. I am starving for information.

Action speaks louder than words and words get old very quickly especially if they are saying the same words day in and day out, whether you are an economic pundit, financial self help guru or credit pusher. I can appreciate the fact, no one has answers to today’s problems, but I do want someone to offer challenging insights.

For example, few media outlets have addressed the transparency of our government’s financial bailout. I have only read or heard a call for transparency from the Huffington Post, Bloomsburg, and yes the Daily Show. As an American citizen and consumer, I want to know who is getting bailed out, for how much, what they must do in order to receive the bailout and how much it is going to cost me, the tax payer. It is our tax dollars going to big financial companies that in many cases were exploiting the consumer. I want names and I want numbers. And if it is my tax money, I want a say. I want a voice.

Sadly, what I have found in the media today is that the “fake” news offers more challenging, hardened facts then the “real” news which thrives on entertainment. But as much as reporters broadcast the news, they talk without saying anything, and viewers watch without really listening or understanding. This serves absolutely no purpose and is a waste of time, money and energy. What’s the point of broadcasting the news if it is superfluous?

I guess for me it comes down to the value of all this reporting if nothing new is being said. How are we going to overcome this economic crisis and grow as society if we are not challenging those making the decisions? It comes down to this hard cold fact, big business and the government make deals based on what is good for big business and the government, (not the people). Big business owns the news and filters down to the media like puppet masters what is to be reported. And that be the case, we might as well get our news from Kermit the frog. Jim Henson is a quieter, gentler puppet master.

The problems that face our nation today are far too great to be glossed over with dancing girls and juggling monkeys. I want transparency. I want to know what is really going on and who is going to be held accountable, especially if we’re paying for it. Hey, you wouldn’t invest in a car without knowing how the engine works, but that is what we are doing if we don’t challenge the government, business and the media to tell us.