Our corporate media keeps Americans in the dark

There is fresh scientific evidence that the rate of global warming is accelerating faster than we imagined. A recent major study from New Scientists states that anthropogenic climate disruption (APD) is “worse than we thought” because it is happening “faster than we realized.” In other words, our failure as a global community to significantly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide is causing massive negative impacts on the air, water and earth of our planet.

Looking for good news? Don’t focus on the U.S. economy. Things are worse than most people realize. This article lays out the bad news in an easily digestible list. Just one of its tragic tidbits: According the New York Times, the “typical American household” is now worth 36 percent less than it was a decade ago.

This is real news that should greatly concern Americans, but what is the mainstream media focusing on? Ebola, a disease that has infected three U.S. citizens out of 317 million people. Is it a horrible, deadly disease? Yes. Should the average American be concerned about catching it? No. Does it make for blood curdling, alarmist headlines? Most definitely.

Once again the corporate media latches onto the latest shiny object while the real news is reported by a handful of liberal and progressive websites with limited readership. Americans are dangerously ill informed about what is really important, and that is by design. Reengineering to reduce toxic emissions will cost corporations a lot of money, even though doing nothing could cost us our planet. The callous indifference of the Koch’s and others to the damage they are causing is in my mind criminal and generations of future humans will pay the price. Same thing applies to the economy. Not doing anything about income equality and joblessness and the minimum wage means an escalating descent into the economic abyss of poverty and despair.

The question is: How long can the mainstream media keep the American people’s attention focused on the waterskiing squirrel and away from issues that really matter?