I don’t know about you, but I’ve been thinking a lot about fascism lately. It’s said that Mussolini believed that fascism could be called “corporatism.” When a government goes from being “by, for, and of the people” to being “by, for, and of the people…through our corporations,” public wealth is under siege. And I believe that’s happening in America right now.
Think about it: Public health care, public education, social security retirement accounts — they are all at risk. Public infrastructure? Privatize it. The Internet? Privatize it. Even our airwaves are being threatened by forces that want to keep us afraid and dumbed down.
As you know, I’ve always been a big fan of public broadcasting. But these days, with all of the anti-intellectualism, fear, and threats to our democracy — combined with the growing power of media in our society — I believe that public television is more important than ever.
Here’s a clip from a pledge special I recently produced that I thought you might find interesting. If you agree with me about the value of public television, I hope you can see it as a service rather than a charity, and do your part to support it. Please go to your local station’s website right now to make a donation or become a sustaining member. (And after you do, share this message with your friends.)
Public television is ours. Let’s keep it that way.
