3/18    TPTB Silence the Dixie CH1X:
        http://csua.org/u/b0b (news.yahoo.com)
        \_ It goes like this: you have the right to say just about anything
           you want, however, you do *not* have the right to be heard.  They're
           getting paid to sing, not share their political philosophy.  People
           uninterested in their political philosophy are not required to pay
           them for that or their singing or anything else.  She's not
           President Sheen so she's screwed.
           \_ It goes like this:  don't badtalk the Pres. or advertisers on
              country/western stations will freak and pull your music.
              Ani Difranco's been saying bad stuff about the Pres., but her
              target audience is expected to support that message, so she
              doesn't get pulled.
              \_ They run a business.  This is something Ms Ch1x didn't get.
                 She has no right to use their airwaves and equipment to get
                 her philosophy out, and doubly so since the listeners are
                 likely to get pissed off and kill the station ratings and
                 stop buying products on those stations.  Perhaps you'd
                 prefer a Soviet style music selection chosen by a committee
                 which determines what you're allowed to listen to?  No one is
                 stopping you from supporting Ms. Ch1x.  Go into a store and
                 *buy* her music.  I support Ms. Ch1x right to say what she
                 wants.  I do not support her putting people out of work when
                 stations go under so she can attempt to spread her political
                 opinion on other people's time and dime.
                 \_ Actually they're _our_ airwaves.
                    \_ Which makes this a tragedy of the commons.
                       \_ *laugh* perfect.
                 \_ oh please.
                    \_ uh huh, great response.
                 \_ Wake up.  Natalie Maines didn't use radio to peddle her
                    beliefs; she made comments at a concert in London.  Read
                    the article and realize that you're talking up the wrong
                    issue.
                    \_ I already knew exactly when she made her comments.  My
                       comments still stand.  If you're going to mouth off
                       about topics beyond your job scope you have to expect
                       that there might be repercussions.  For example, I'm
                       very conservative but work in a very liberal company.
                       I shut the fuck up and do not in any way share my
                       political beliefs with others because I put my income
                       above my right to mouth off.  She chose the other path
                       and has that right as an adult but has to understand as
                       an adult that other adults have the right to boycott
                       her.  I'd think the left would understand the boycott
                       concept *really* well by now.  Are you upset at all
                       that the left is trying *really* hard to get a boycott
                       going on Michael Savage's new TV show?  Does that upset
                       you the same as Ms. Ch1x getting pulled off the air?
                       \_ Hells bells, of course they have the right to
                          boycott her.  However, the radio boycott was called
                          by owners of radio stations before the public even
                          had a chance to tell us how they felt about her
                          comments. Of course, the owners also have the right
                          to boycott, but when they do it, they're making
                          themselves represent "the people" by forcing their
                          listeners to implicitly take part in the boycott.
                          That's tyranny of ownership, not tyranny of vox
                          populi.  The message they sent was "toe the line or
                          don't get played," not "the public disapproves." [fd]
                          \_ how do you know they weren't flooded with phone
                             calls and letters everytime they played Ms. Ch1x?
                             you're just assuming they pulled her instantly
                             when it was almost a week later in reality which
                             is plenty of time for US post to show up.
                       \_ If a left-leaning network exec pulled the plug based
                          on fears that people would pillory the network for
                          playing the show, I'd be disgusted.  If the same exec
                          pulled the plug because the show lacked quality or
                          couldn't pull in the ratings, I'd say go figure.
                          If the left managed to get people to write in and say
                          they were going to boycott the network unless the show
                          got pulled, I'd say they were exercising their
                          rights as citizens.  I may not agree with what they
                          say, but I support their right to say it.
                          \_ He isn't pulled yet but the left are beating on
                             the advertisers this second.  How about Dr. Laura?
                             Her show didn't even get a chance to air before
                             advertisers were pulling out due to boycotts.  I'm
                             a-ok with that as long as you're a-ok with Ms.
                             Ch1x losing precious air time a week after she
                             opened her dumb mouth.  She's a singer.  She
                             should sing.  If she wants to, she can put it in
                             a song and if people like it, they'll buy it.
                             That's the way it works in this country.
                 \_ Isn't it kind of cruel to say that a musician should just
                    sing but not express her political views?  Isn't that
                    like Soviet style music?  Why is she obligated to
                    keep her mouth shut to save people's jobs?
                    \_ People are allowed and encouraged in this country to
                       express themselves in many ways.  One way is to use your
                       music career to give your political beliefs a boost.
                       Another way is to close your wallet to send a message to
                       someone who is using their music career express her
                       political beliefs that you disagree with her doing so.
                       Few things are more American than what she did or than
                       what the radio stations did.  I salute both Ms. Ch1x and
                       the radio managers who pulled her.
        \_ She has the right to say what she wants.  Similarly, the public
           has the right to protest her statements and call her an idiot.
           She then is allowed to decide, based on business interests, that
           it is more profitable to retract her statement.  The free market
           works.
        \_ Freedom of speech, and, for that matter, all other protections
           granted in the bill of rights are protections against the Federal
           government.  Private individual or corporation shuts you, fuck you,
           deal.  Ted Turner owns CNN.  He does not need to give you airtime.
           Get over it.  At this point, you might now be inclined to ask why
           people have been worrying about corporate consolidation in the
           media. [formatd was here -- under 80 columns next time]