OPINION: GRANDFATHER’S “VOICE OF AMERICA”

          What is the “Voice of America?” It is a communication network funded by the United States of America (USA Tax Payer), through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts more than 1,000 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 115 million people. (In 46 languages) I noticed that we payers here in America cannot conveniently dial in to get these TV and Radio broadcasts.

          The VAO started in 1942 during WW2 to counter Tokyo Rose, Joseph Goebbels’ and other Axis enemy propaganda machines. You could let your imagination enjoy a secret code delivered this way. Later during the Cold War, VAO sent news (often radio-jammed) to communist dominated peoples around the globe. However, the content has changed to eliminate political persuasion from our free society and to just broadcast music and neutral news. Whatever that may be is a mystery. Incidentally, whose voice is that today? To me, it only proves that Guglielmo Marconi invented the wireless. 

          Let’s see now, 1000 hours/week divided by 46 languages comes to about three hours/day. Let us assume some languages get more time or less time depending on the countries population. Mix in some atmospheric and line-of-sight radio energy limitations over geological terrain, overlaid with a few scratchy jamming noises for a thirty-minute time slice-- and you get the picture.

          The ‘Voice of America’ enterprise has turned into a ‘Grandfathered Feel- Good” expenditure that no longer is required because it no longer has the original intended goals. The original intent gave intelligent proof there was a country where true liberty existed. The message therein gave proof of freedom from ‘tyranny' by our contrasting example; all nations could achieve freedom as well. However, by parroting redundant neutral news bits and playing music (for record sales?) is foolish today and indeed breeds contempt for America when the seeker of relief—gets pap--without conviction of purpose.

          Proponents of this expenditure enjoy a strong connection to the glory-days of propaganda debate and psychological dueling. This illusion is no longer valid. Given the hundreds of radio and television stations today, broadcasting seven days, twenty-four hours per day over the globe, with many news programs; you can begin to understand the ineffective time slice of mundane information that competes with the easy access to global transmissions. Forget-about the Personal Computer and the expanding WWW Internet. Proponents of the current VOA broadcast material argue, using old illusions as their cause, when in reality the tiny content is ineffective-fact today.

          Many subjects of profound importance, needing solution, are cowardly set aside because it is irritating to a minority of feel-good illiterates. Someone may be offended. Many of this ilk are elected U.S. State and Federal legislators. The backbone of the founders, who lent their voices to create this unique nation, did so under the shadow of the Kings noose. We need these voices in America once again. We need them here in America; and that voice to be the real Voice of America heard anywhere courageous people thirst.

          Let’s be sober on this subject of international “Voice of America” broadcasting, and either courageously use it for educating the world regarding the historical founding of the USA and its rule of law through the articles of the U.S. Constitution; that order liberty with responsibility---or junk the program.