Life Isn't Fair

The Fairness Doctrine is raising its ugly head again.  The so-called Fairness Doctrine was put in place by the FCC in 1949 to require broadcasters to “afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of public importance.”

Here’s my question:  What if the conflicting view is moronic? 

As we peer down the barrel of the 2008 elections the Democratic Party knows their enemy by name:  Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt – Freedom Dogs!  The problem, as they perceive problems, is we in New Media keep speaking that damnable truth.  We shine the light of day on vapid liberal suppositions, paranoia and class envy.  Rather than elevate their own lot in life, the Left sees an easier means to their end:  drag the productive class down to their level through a systematic redistribution of wealth.

Conservatives have a new oxygen – the internet, blogs, cable TV and talk radio.  And, since our message tends to win when given the disinfectant of sunlight, the Left seeks to kill the messenger.  Enter that tired old fossilized remnant of the FCC – The Fairness Doctrine; a doctrine which has been killed by the courts but, like a vampire, cannot seem to stay in the grave. 

The Fairness Doctrine has been resurrected in Congress by Rep Maurice Hinchey, D-NY, in a bill called The Media Ownership Reform Act (HR 4069).  The target of this transparent legislation isn’t publicly discussed, but it is talk radio.  The attempt will be to break up the so-called “monopolies” enjoyed by talk radio and force broadcasters to have an Al Franken to balance Rush Limbaugh; Whoopi Goldberg to balance Sean Hannity, ad nauseum.  

In short, radio station owners would be forced with making half of their broadcast day unprofitable.    

The Fairness Doctrine is an oxymoron.  There is nothing fair about it.  Limiting political speech is precisely what our Constitution purposely tried to avoid.  The Left may not like talk radio, the internet or cable TV news, but to enact the Fairness Doctrine would be a first step toward a media despotism which would eventually argue that all points of view, regardless of their intellectual vacancy, ought to receive equal time.   

What is lost in any piece of legislation with the temerity to call itself “fair” is that the best ideas ought to win and the worst ideas ought to die.  The marketplace ought to define the winners and losers. 

Unless, of course, you’re a loser.  Which is precisely why the Fairness Doctrine is being exhumed, dusted off and propped up as a surrogate for real life.

FLASHBACK: Yep, We've been here before, not that long ago either—when Mr. Kucinich floated the idea back in January.