November 3, 2007 | By:

#16 Around the Campfire; The Angry West

The Angry West: ‘Get Off Our Backs, Uncle Sam.’
Newsweek cover, 1979

Beginning with this Newsweek cover story in 1979 (complete with a clench-jawed Marlboro Man on horseback),1 ill-informed East Coast journalists began to peddle the carefully fermented whine of the Western economic elite that “The West” was dead set against conservation and public lands.

Of all the lies, myths, and blather that come from the anticonservationists, this “War on the West” bullshit most ticks me off, probably because of my personal history. I’m sick and tired of scheming industry, pandering politicians, whiny rednecks, and benighted East Coast journalists playing the victimized West card. I was born in New Mexico; my family homesteaded here 100 years ago. I am a Westerner, by damn, and I know how phony the “War on the West” claims are.

Read the rest of Dave Foreman’s latest “Around the Campfire.”   Click for PDF…

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Jeff Hoffman - February 4, 2008

It’s difficult to tell what percentage of people are on which side of environmental and ecological issues in the west, but I think even trying to do so is falling into a trap.

First, the only ones with any moral authority on this matter are Native Americans from whom the land was stolen. The traditional ones are just about always in favor of protecting natural areas. ‘Nuff said there.

Second, it must be realized that corporate (mainstream) media are a major part of corporate America. As such, their goal is to make as much money as possible by propagandizing for corporate America. In order to do this, they sell advertising to their corporate buddies, who they won’t insult or upset with stories contrary to their corporate interests. The cattle, logging, oil, and mining industries are some of these corporate interests.

So of course they promote the story that westerners want to destroy the west in order to make money, what else would you expect them to do? The corporate media are not sources of credible information on any subject, and anyone who thinks they are is a lost cause.

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