The Omicron Variant: Where Will It Lead Us To?

Well, what do you know? A new "variant" of the COVID virus, dubbed "Omicron", has shown up. This time in South Africa and 18 other countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it's a "situation of concern" and one to be monitored. Thus far this new strain has caused scratchy throats and a on again off again cough. A few people have reported having a mild headache.  Meanwhile, in the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci, President's Biden's Chief Medical Advisor, made a statement where he cryptically said that Americans should "expect anything and everything".  Not exactly comforting words.

While I've never been one to embrace "conspiracy theories" per se, at least not without at least a medicorum of solid evidence and common sense, but there is something, in my humble opinion, going on here. There's been to many medical professionals come forth, with nothing to gain and everything to lose, disputing the official government narrative; to many medical and other professionals claiming this is bio-weapon which either was intentionally or somehow accidentally leaked by a level four military lab.  You pick. Also, why don't people keep getting infected by previous variants? It seems that people are just getting infected by the newest variant. 

In the beginning, about two years ago now, we were told that the virus, which had first shown up in Wuhan China, was being contained, but no. It reached the United States in a matter of  weeks (which says something about the travel habits of individuals flying to and from Mainland China), and spread quickly. We were also told it came from someone eating "bat soup" utilizing an infected bat which accidently escaped a Level 4 military lab, but that theory seems to have flown out the window too.

We were urged to self-quarantine, wear masks, and in a few weeks the worse of it would be over, but once again no. We were placed in a lockdown lasting months. News reports, along with daily "health updates" from government officials made it seem like some sort of apocalypse had befallen us (either that or that we're suddenly living out "The Andromeda Strain" in real life).  

Hospitals, or so we were told, were running out of space, with makeshift "triage centers", and even more morose, makeshift morgues (the news media was always keen to show some black bagged body being rolled out to a waiting freezer). Meanwhile, only "essential" businesses were open, and then only partly staffed.  We were told to avoid social gatherings, even with family, and to maintain "social distancing" of at least six feet. Elevator and public transit capacities were limited. Restaurants were either outdoor dining or drive thru (assuming they were even open).

We were made to feel like we were taking our lives in our own hands if we went for gas or milk. That is, assuming we could even find milk or anything else!  Most of us were shocked by the amount of mass hoarding going on. People were buying 20 multi rolls of toilet paper, paper towels, meats, cheese, bread, lunch meat, and damn near anything else at a time with no thought of anyone else.

Ammo and gun sales were out the roof in anticipation of the soon-to-be expected roving mobs, at least according to the media. Home security systems were installed while people stocked up on gas and batteries. And who knew that ordinary hand sanitizer could be a bartering commodity along with disposable paper masks?

After several months, the "ban" was gradually lifted, although in fact, most people had long ignored any such ban. The public increasingly demanded that things get back to some semblance of normality. Government officials kept promising us they would, but the goal line kept moving.

Finally, the long awaited "magic elixir", a vaccine, appeared in record time. Most vaccine testing take years, and yet shortly after summer here they were! We were assured that once we took the jab, everything would be fine...until it wasn't. A booster shot was introduced for older individuals and those with compromised immune systems.

The government and business went all out to push the vaccine. Not since WWII had there been so much cooperation and coordination between the two! But along with the vaccination, came the introduction of vaccination cards, along with talk of mandatory "health cards" that would have to be carried for entry to businesses, doctor's offices, grocery stores, pharmacies, mass transit, sporting events, and damn near everything else.

The response was deafening. Much of the public here in the United States, not to mention other parts of the world, not so politely told government officials what they could do with their pseudo "passports".  Government officials have for now backed down, but don't expect it go away. Given people's early compliance, you can bet that it will be introduced again in some to shiny pre-packaged way. 

One interesting side effect of the mass shutdowns was the "stimulus checks" mailed out to most Americans (and some illegal immigrants).  With the fear of COVID subsiding, businesses expected people to return to work, but that didn't happen. In fact, most workers decided to take a prolonged hiatus from their employer. For some, it was a matter of pay.

Workers in entry level jobs such at fast food restaurants, had been demanding higher pay pre-COVID. Now apparently was the time to drive the point home. As a result, employers have been forced to raise starting salaries, and offer what perks they can (which has hurt small "mom and pop" businesses), and still employees have largely stayed away.

 How they're able to stay away I can only surmise. I imagine some are living off what little savings they have (Americans have the lowest percentage of savings of any industrialized nation), and credit cards. Some, I suspect, returned to school, using grant and other money to make ends meet while others live off mom and dad. 

But many are staying away at any cost because employers are demanding proof of vaccination or a regular weekly Covid test and wearing a mask. Some employers are keeping unvaccinated employees away from customers, which is tough if you're someone dependent on tips.

No doubt a few are working under the table for cash only (which is one reason Biden proposed allowing the IRS to check bank accounts holding $600 or more).  But, at some point, regardless of how they're doing it, the bills will come do and they'll find themselves working two or three jobs to catch up. 

Of course, with employers raising wages and offering perks, someone has to pay for it, and you can bet it won't be them. As a result, prices have to increase, which means other businesses have to both raise wages and their prices. I should point out that it's not just businesses rising prices, so is the government. Be it property tax, income tax, water and heating rates, gas and road taxes, and so forth, triggering a round of dangerous inflation.

The group hurt the most are those on fixed incomes. Their incomes don't increase with inflation and rising prices. As a result, they have to cut back on their purchases. Often having to choose between food, utilities, gas, rent/mortgage, or medicine. In the end, with the rise in prices exceeding wages we end up with ever spiraling inflation. On top of all this, comes "Omicron", the latest in what will likely be a continuing string of variants, just in time for Christmas, winter, and the increasing threat of another shutdown.

So where does that leave us? In the past, people would turn to government to get us out of this mess but that's not likely to happen. The public's trust of government is hovering around 19%. President Biden is seen as either an old man with serious mental issues who's is incapable of doing much of anything, or just a incompetent old fool completely out of his depth. Personally, I think it's the former. 

Biden clearly is suffering from some sort of mental issue, likely dementia according to some reports. Nevertheless, his approval rating is a dismal 38%. His backup, Vice President Kamala Harris, is just as disliked according to polls with a 28% approval rating.

Americans have long stopped trusting the media--mainstream or social. In fact, our trust of practically all of our institutions, be it education, healthcare, law enforcement (particularly the FBI, CIA, DEA, and NSA), religious, Big Business, and others is virtually nil. We don't trust the electoral process, or the judicial system. Even the military, which was the lone institution which enjoyed any public trust, is losing face, especially as some military leadership has become more political.  

America, as most everyone knows, is a Corporatocracy, which is neo-fascist in nature since it acts as a merger or close partnership between government and Big Business, right down to a never stopping revolving door between public office to boardrooms and back again.

This Corporatocracy is managed by an Oligarchy of the super rich and powerful. Their lobbyists write the legislation and shepherd it through the maze of committees. They dictate domestic and foreign policy, using our military not for our protection, but for enforcing their goals and objectives which usually is all about gaining access to resources and assets.

What they fear, they demonize. What they can use is glorified. Don't believe me? Why are the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers (many of whom are former military and law enforcement) and other "patriot" groups reviled despite having committed no crimes or caused to destruction to property? Meanwhile, anti-Trumpsters, BLM and Antifa had, during the pandemic lockdown, protested and rioted.

They broke windows, randomly attacked people, destroyed public and private property, defaced buildings and cars, looted, caused arson, blocked traffic, and yet the media downplayed or ignored most of the incidents; even referring to them as "mostly peaceful" or "non-violent" with nothing said about the protesters being bused in or key members being paid to the point of being "professional" protestors.

Yet, when individuals ("anti-vaxxers") caution against the vaccine, refuse to wear masks or get injections, they are ridiculed by the media and other groups. They are accused of spreading the virus; of having a total disregard for human life.  What happened to personal decisions and our right to choose?

Those who own guns are seen as mass murderers in waiting. They are somehow contributing to the social violence instead of protecting themselves and others (not to mention providing a barrier against a tyrannical government), and yet ridiculed. Some want them to obtain mental health evaluations before even being able to own a gun, especially if they served in the military or are former law enforcement.

Ironically, the majority of those "protesters" are also demanding "socialism", and yet have little or no grasp as to what socialism actually is. Meanwhile, the ruling elite has, through the media, demonizes socialism. Equating it with Communism and even Nazism (which is a complete farce since it's on the opposite political spectrum and has little to do with socialism). But it isn't about presentation of facts. It's to produce a non-critical emotional reaction and a visceral mental connection like some Pavlov dog. Don't think. React.

These same groups have demanded the removal of certain individuals from universities as well as historical monuments in public settings; all of which were duly done. Invited speakers were shouted down or pushed off stage at public events.  Education curriculums are changed without public knowledge or consent. Much of new curriculum does nothing but create a new defacto scapegoat.

The malignant minds behind the Corporatocracy seek division in every way possible. It's the only way we can be controlled, cowed, or manipulated. What they seek is compliance. They fear actual "socialism" in any form because that requires social cooperation, and social cooperation defeats their ability to control. They fear free speech because it veers from their Orwellian "groupthink" which ensures obedience.

Free speech and independent thought means the ability to think for yourself. To do your own research and make your own decisions instead of regurgitating what you're told. It also implies independent critical thinking which is an anathema to any would be authoritarian system. It's why it's no longer taught in public schools and is increasingly rare in universities and colleges. 

Ultimately everyone will have to decide where they stand. Will it be for compliance to an increasing neo-fascist government seeking to control your life or for freedom of the individual? Will government serve us or will we be forced, however subtly at first that force is applied, to serve the state?  

Every authoritarian government starts off wearing a silk glove, but hidden in that glove is a mailed fist which is merciless in its application. They claim to represent what's good for the people but only represent themselves. Today it's a mask and social distancing. Today it's surveillance and monitoring for our protection. Today it's a "reappraisal" of our history and monuments. What will it be tomorrow I wonder?

If you want to know more, please take a look at the links below. If you enjoyed the article, please consider subscribing. It's free!

 

IRS would track all bank transactions over $600 under Bidenplan; Businesses revolt

New COVID variant: What is omicron, are vaccines effective,where has it spread?

Help Wanted: Too Many Jobs and Not Enough Workers in MostStates

Fauci says US should prepare to do anything and everythingto fight the omicron variant

Where Have Our Heroes Gone? America's Loss of Trust in Itself

What has happened to us America? There was once a time where we could trust those in office. We could believe what the media told us. They had integrity. We could trust them. But that's gone. Today we hear voices coming from every direction telling us who to hate, who to fear, or whose fault is was for our problems. They want to rage on about our differences; some real, but most manufactured. Where are the voices telling us who to love or to have compassion for? What happened to those who extolled our commonality and sense of community? What we share is far greater and more important than what separates us.

We've come to expect politicians to lie to us. It's almost automatically assumed they are corrupt. But then, in a nation ruled---not governed---by an Oligarchy, isn't it true? The Oligarchy owns both of the two political parties, and that includes their respective politicians. They underwrite their campaigns. They help to write the bills, which then goes before committees whose members are equally bought and paid for. The only real "partisanship" is between the competing cliques pushing their own agenda and who gets the biggest piece of the financial pie.

But, this wasn't always so. There was once a time where we had faith in those we elected. Yes, there was partisanship and real disagreements, but at the end of the day, they could still come together and treat each other with civility and respect. We could turn on the evening news and feel that we were getting a balanced and honest reporting of the day's events. But not anymore. Gone are the likes of Chet, Walter, Howard, Frank, and Peter, and with them the integrity we once believed in.

Today's 24/7/365 news cycle is less about facts and all about ratings. We routinely watch as these "talking heads" strive to out shout each other; call each other names. We see rumors and speculation presented as truth. They start with an agenda and work backwards, making the parts fit their twisted puzzle, and when they don't, they manufacture the missing pieces. And it's not just one side or the other which is responsible for this, it's both, and why not? 90%+ of all media, including network, cable, magazines, newspapers, radio, as well as movies and video games are controlled by just six corporations; all a central part of the Oligarchy.

Even our nightly entertainment carries with it a divisive political message designed to divide us. Even our movies seem to carry a political message, often a subtle one, which is aimed to influencing our opinions. We're implicitly told what life styles, political opinions, or attitudes are acceptable while those who disagree are villainized or ridiculed. It seems that whatever we watch, read, or listen to has a message that we have to consciously filter out. I suppose Mrs. Cleaver doesn't live here anymore either and Father doesn't know best.

We've watched as those in power increasingly lost their professionalism; their civility to each other. It plays out on local TV, cable, and satellite. We can watch it "streaming" anytime we want, or even when we don't want. It appears every waking moment of every day of the year. We've come to expect politicians to lie. We watch teachers get busted for having sex with children or graduating from high school with the equivalent of a eighth grade education.

Our kids play video games or go to movies which glorifies violence. They make it seem as if life has no value or some magically "reset" button somewhere will restore everything to right. Yet, we wonder why there is so much violence. We're told the problem is guns or some politician when in fact the problem lays with us and not taking responsibility for what our children are exposed to. We watch as ministers preach one thing and drive away in $100,000 cars to their multi-million dollar mansions; many of whom getting busted for tax evasion or sex scandals of their own.

We must demand accountability, be it teachers, school boards, ministers, or anyone else is suppose to hold the public's trusts. I wouldn't want the pressure a police officer has to endure every day. The vast majority of these men and women deserve our never-ending respect. However, there seems to be a segment which I find utterly disgusting. They tarnish everything they're fellow officers stand for along with the trust of the community. Yet, the system protects them. We see their actions on the body-cams (if they're on). We hear the witness accounts. But, somehow they are typically found not guilty.

That's why independent police review boards comprised of ordinary citizens is so important. We link between the police departments and judicial system is so strong that they're nearly one. A independent review board would, at the least, provide a sense of impartiality for the residents. At the same time, there also needs to be transparency to these hearings. Anything which goes on behind closed doors is going to create a sense of suspension, and in an environment where there is already distrust, it only makes the situation worse.

People tell us to go vote if we don't like how things are being run. Yet, the political system has already been rigged to ensure that change never really happens. Every politician tells us how they're going to "stand up" to Washington or its power brokers; how they are demand change. Yeah, right. The system is designed to filter out any real reformers. For the very few who get through, they are sorted through a system of committees and "door keepers" designed to keep them to bust to focus on any real change.

In addition, they are exposed almost from day one to a strictly enforced hierarchy. Money brokers descend on them like vultures on a fresh kill. If the money and lure of power doesn't convince them, their party leaders will. Barring that, they will find themselves ostracized and facing competition back by their own party. If you won't bite the rotten apple, they'll find someone who will. It reminds me of junkies trying to get others hooked so they'll get more of the drug as a reward. The longer you're there, the deep the hook goes.

I suppose people have stopped voting because they're tired of being disappointed. We've had enough of being lied to. We know that once they're in, they'll either be corrupted or spit out. Political parties control the makeup of their districts through gerrymandering. Essentially, they chose their constituents instead of the voters choosing who they want representing them. Do you think that either party are going to willingly given this up? It practically guarantees that the incumbent will be reelected.

What about term limits? Terms limits would force politicians to focus their objectives to just a few issues which can be accomplished within a set amount of time. It would also limit the amount of corruption which can be imposed as well. It would created a fresh flow of new ideas and energy. Another thing it would do as well is, because of the turnover, it would force politicians of different partied to work together to get things done, which would only benefit us, the voters. The downside obviously is that the old partisan political system would collapse. Frankly, that's not a bad thing at all for the American People. Who knows, it might even resurrect a measure of civility and trust!

Of course, we know Citizens United, which created "individuals" out of corporations (except they have more "rights" than you and I). We must get corporate and other special interest money out of politics. Period. We need to make it possible for the average American to be able to run for office rather than multi-millionaires who have little, if anything, in common with ordinary Americans. Our Founding Fathers intended on this being a nation of "Citizen-Legislators", and not professional politicians. In fact, they also opposed the notion of political parties which they saw has being corrupting special interest groups which would gradually seize power from the people; making government subservient to the parties rather to the American People. Can you imagine that ever happening?

Americans have long lost trust in their institutions, and here's proof. According to a 2019 Gallup poll, only 36% of those surveyed had any trust in organized religion. The Supreme Court only got 38% while the criminal justice system saw a 24% level of trust. Congress, regardless of party, saw just 11% overall. The Presidency had a 38% confidence level. Yet, we still have a 73% level of trust in our military.

Trust in Organized Labor was just 29%, which is still better than Big Business which had only 23% but Americans still little their local businesses. Small business had 63% trust ranking which may be why big businesses try to portray themselves as being "local". Surely our schools would do better. After all, they caring for our nation's future. Well, not so much. Confidence in our public schools was 29%. Despite all the bad press, the police still saw a 53% level of trust.

How about the media? Newspapers, which has been in serious decline for decades, saw only 23%. TV news (including cable) ranked a lowly 18%. News on the internet ranked just a bit lower with 16%. Our trust in the medical system was surprisingly low at just 36% (think about the next time you visit your doctor or have surgery). Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) didn't fare any better. Their trust ranking was a unhealthy 19%. Banks received just 30% which isn't perhaps to surprising. Who trusts banks anyway? As an aside, 73% of Americans believe that artificial intelligence will eliminate more jobs than it will create, thus increasing unemployment among blue collar workers and the lower middle class.

The systems is broken across the board. The question is what we're going to do about it. I've presented some possible solutions. There are other things we can do such as demand citizens referendums and initiatives; voter approval for all rate and tax increases (including salary increases for elected officials); a level playing field to allow ballot access for third parties and Independents (who also happen to be the nation's largest voting bloc) and voter recall of those not doing the job we elected them to do.

We can also start taking charge of our neighborhoods and communities and squeezing political corruption out and partnering with other such groups (remember, politicians have no real power without our cooperation). We can start home educating our children; instilling in them the values we want them to have, not the ones the State decides on. We can form block watches. These will not only help to make for safer neighborhoods, but also as way to assist first responders, as well as make it more difficult for corruption to get sweep under the rug too.

We, dear reader, are not powerless. Far from it. We just have to realize that we are the ones who still hold the real power. Without out tacit approval, those in power, even the Oligarchy, can do nothing. They require our cooperation and obedience in order to control us. If we deny them that, they can be defeated and we can take back our government and restore our society.


Gallup Poll: Confidence in Institutions

C'mon...You Can Trust Us

I don't think there's any doubt that Americans have little, if any faith, in Washington. We all sense it. It's almost like it's this big secret that everyone is in on. We know they're lying. They know we know they're lying, and we know they know that we know they're lying to us. Last year academics confirmed what we intuitively already knew, that the America of our youth; the America of our history books was gone. We couldn't quite pinpoint when it happened, but we knew that it had vanished. These same academics confirmed that America is now an oligarchy. What had been created "of the people, by the people, and for the people" was now a government which served the interests of basically the top 5%, which controls the overwhelming wealth of this country, but it was the top 1% which called the shots in Washington. What was in their interests was Washington's marching orders. The debates, speeches, and all the political one-up-man-ship is basically political theater, complete with manufactured crises, staged indignation, and poll induced sound bites, with the real fights being over turf and any remaining crumbs.

This March, a new study from Gallup seemed to hit home. The poll, which is from the week of March 5th, reported the government in Washington is the nation's number one problem at 18%, with the economy at 11%, and unemployment at 10%. Also making the list was illegal immigration and healthcare at 7% and terrorism and education tied at 6%. ISIS came in at 4%, which also tied with poverty/homelessness, national security, foreign policy, and race relations. Now think about that for just a moment. Of all that's happening in world---in Iraq or Syria, or the Crimea, or the riots in places like Ferguson, the lackluster economy, and climate change (which didn't even rank), Americans were more concerned about the dismal performance of Washington.

Part of this may relate back to America's transition from a democratic republic to an oligarchy, the widening income gap along with the disappearance of the Middle Class and accompanying decline of unions, the burden of Obamacare or illegal immigration. But I think it is also the longstanding frustration with both political parties and their monopoly on elections thanks to gerrymandering which all but guarantees the election of whichever political party controls that district, and the Citizens United misruling by the not so supreme Supreme Court which said corporations were more effectively more "human" than you or I and certainly had more rights when it came to financial input into elections which it erroneously defined as "free speech".

It's therefore, not too surprising that only 31% of those surveyed were happy with the current direction of the country (with 69% thinking we headed in the wrong direction), and yet Washington keeps chugging down the wrong track at full tilt. In the same vein, a slightly older Pew Research report from February 2014 indicated that only 24% of people trusted the government, or conversely, 76% didn't trust the government; almost mirroring the later Gallup poll.

What I found of particular note was that the last time the American People trusted the government in any significant degree was during the last year of the Kennedy Administration and early Johnson Presidency peaked at 77%, which is interesting given the events at the end of the Kennedy Administration (Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and then passage of the Civil Rights Act under Johnson). Even by January 1967, near the height of the Vietnam War, trust in US Government stood at 67%. Even with Watergate and Nixon's resignation, trust in Washington remained at 53%. However, by the time of Jimmy Carter, the Iranian hostage crisis and the subsequent botched rescue attempt, the oil crisis and flagging economy, the public's trust of the government dropped to a dismal 26%. In March, 1994 under Bill Clinton, trust in Washington dropped to 20% (bear in mind that trust in Washington is not the same a public approval of a given president). It wasn't until November 2001, under George W. Bush that we even came close to approaching a majority with 49%. From that point on, it's been all downhill.

Writing a weekly political blog, I came across another article which I thought was not only interesting from my perspective, but also ties into the public's distrust of Washington, and that's the public's distrust of corporate media. A Pew Research Report said that 19% of those polled get their news from sources they didn't trust, be it cable news, a news magazine, or news website. 26% self identified as conservative and 25% as mostly conservative. 14% of those who identified themselves as liberal said they didn't trust the source of their news, while 16% of those who leaned liberal made the statement. Finally, 78% said that trusted the source(s) they got news their news from. In short, those who leaned Right or were solidly conservative were least likely to trust their news source(s). This is consistent with most conservatives not trusting the corporate media--labeling it as biased whereas most liberals seems to generally accept what they're being told (silly lackeys). The source most trusted by conservatives was (naturally) Fox News while liberals were more diverse, with 15% favoring CNN, 13% NPR, 12% MSNBC, and 10% following the New York Times. Interestingly, 39% of the respondents reported neither trusting nor distrusting their news source(s), meaning perhaps that they took what they hear or read with a grain of salt and crosschecked the information with other sources.

Finally, a Gallup poll from September 17, 2014 indicated that overall, 60% said they didn't believe the corporate media was "fully accurate" or "fair". Only 40% said that had a "fair amount" or greater trust in the accuracy or fairness of what they heard or read. 44% thought the media was "too liberal" compared to 19% which thought the media was "too conservative" with 34% reporting that the media's political balance was about right. So what does all this mean? I think that ultimately it means that we've lost faith in our traditional institutions, in this case, Washington and the news media. Most individuals reported confidence in their local governments and moderate trust in their State governments, so the closer to the individual the higher the level of trust. Perhaps that's not too surprising since the Founding Fathers intended for government to be as close to the people as possible with less and less power and control the further away government got. While the media is supposed to be unbiased and report the "just the facts", the key fact is that news is a business with advertisers and owners who have their own political agendas. It's a sad fact, but just 6 companies own 90% of the media. These companies control billions in revenue. That means the remaining 10% comes from independent and alternative new sites such as RT which is State sponsored or blogs like this one which has little in the way of a budget. The end result is that we have to search harder to find what passes for the truth, but it is out there. It requires us to be proactive and think outside the box. My wife sometimes laughs at me because I refuse to watch pre-game or post-games shows just as I won't watch pre and post political news reports. The reason is that I don't want or need an interpreter or filter with their own slant telling me what I'm going to see or hear and then what I just saw or heard. I can think for myself. I am fully capable of understanding whatever it is I'm listening to or watching.

Lastly, I think people need to question those in who are supposed to represent us often and sometimes loudly, and we should never ever except pat answers or refusals to fully answer our questions. I think the polling results reflect our frustration, maybe even our apathy, but we need to equally find ways to reflect our refusal to continue to accept things as they are. And it's the media's jobs to report the facts simply and objectively. I think we are fully capable of making our own informed decisions. That's one reason I routinely recommend people ignore the political "endorsements" of newspapers. It's not their job the manipulate the public's opinions and ultimately their votes. Just tell us where a given candidate stands on a issue. We can do the rest. So there you have it. Never blindly trust government or the media and always question often and loudly if necessary.




Americans Name Government No. 1 Problem
http://www.gallup.com/poll/181946/americans-name-government-no-problem.aspx?utm_source=Politics&utm_medium=newsfeed&utm_campaign=tiles


Public Trust in Government
http://www.people-press.org/2014/11/13/public-trust-in-government/

19% say they get their news for a source they distrust
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/10/24/19-say-they-get-news-from-a-source-they-distrust/

Gallup: 60% of Americans Don't Trust the News Media
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/gallup-60-americans-dont-trust-news-media

Graphic: How Just 6 Corporations own 90% of the Media
http://www.storyleak.com/graphic-6-corporations-own-90-percent-of-media/