The Fairness Doctrine

With Bill Clinton plugging the Fairness Doctrine, I guess we should begin to take this threat a little more seriously and his sanity a little less so. (Bill, do you need the work that bad? I got gutters that could use a good cleaning...)

I have always held that it would never be given a chance due to the possibility that such a thing could be turned on the same people who are now proposing it.

It's first and foremost target would be "Talk Radio", a media outlet that is dominated by the Right, but apparently the Doctrine would also include other forms as well. Television and even the internet (blogs like this one) would be targeted for "Indoctrination", a term that quite frankly, scares the crap out of me.

So what is the intended effect of the Fairness Doctrine?

If say, you have a radio show where you habitually lambasted the Obama Administration and Leftists in general, you would have to include (post-indoctrination) an opposing point of view to "balance" the message of your show.

Never mind that people with their current freedoms are allowed to choose the entertainment that they want, now the Government is beginning to make overtures about "changing" the places that political parties draw their battle lines.

Hmmm...

This looks like it could back-fire quite seriously.

If I know the Democrats, they will adhere to their usual modus operandi of "No Success Like Excess", and include ALL media in the wording of the Doctrine. This would make Movies, Literature, Television, Radio, Newspapers, Internet, Podcasts, you name it, all available for Indoctrination.

So could we then push for a Michael Moore film glorifying Bush? How about an Al Frankenesqe rant from Air America on the success in Iraq? What if a Berkeley College radio station was forced to deny Anthropogenic Global Warming (or promote the use of soap...)? Can I guestblog on DailyKos?

No. Wait. I got it:

The New York Times front page might read, "Bush vindicated as 'Messiah' craps out!"

Yes, I'll keep on dreaming, especially of a place that doesn't seriously consider such a flagrant violation of our Constitutional Rights.

H/T: Hot Air