In search of innovative new ways to waste an hour of time, I decided to watch the 700 Club - Pat Robertson's infamously hateful hour-long TV show. The episode I saw had his son standing in for him. What stunned me was that the first half hour looked exactly like any news program - a pretty fierce indictment of the media! The second half hour was standard evangelism (though slightly out-of-place looking in a news-set). By focusing on promises and miracles they managed to quote much scripture without actually giving God's opinion of anything.
They started with a Kosovo story. Like every other news story on this subject, it was quite balanced - but only because republicans are in disagreement! Unlike every other news story, there didn't seem to be much, if anything, mentioned about the refugees - too bleeding-heart I presume. The reporter in the story talked as if commenting on a football game.
Finally, things started getting interesting: a well-worded story on the flag amendment, or as they called it, defending the flag. Using a sort of "human shield" strategy, people nobody would dare argue with talked about how emotional the flag is to them: a world war 2 vet and a holocaust survivor. A few seconds was given to an ACLU lawyer (interviewed on the street while walking somewhere, I presume they were trying to "ambush" and get a stupid sound bite - they failed.) to make it look like they're giving liberals fair time - conservatives get 5 minutes, liberals get 5 seconds. Nice and equal. A gallop poll was said to have found 60% in favour of the amendment...I find this a little strange seeing that only a quarter or so of the US population voted republican...But then, who would argue with a holocaust survivor?
Now, time for the "ad breaks", those absurd little bits all infomercials add in order to make their paid program fit in with all of the other programs that are paid for by admen. One was for a "fact sheet" of "current issues", which I will inform readers of how environmentalists are doomsday freaks who will get blown up when revelation comes next week. Another "ad" was to raise money for a 700 club in Israel, with the idea that the best way to stabilize a chaos of religious militants is to tell them the world is about to end and that the final battle between good and evil is at hand.
There was also an interesting story on drugs and vaccinations given to military personnel, in which a high-ranking brass type uses an appeal to fear argument - if we don't give 'em deformed babies the North Koreans will kill 'em all! Like all of the stories EXCEPT the flag amendment one, they did a little scripted-looking debate afterwards.
Thus ended the secular half of the show. Next comes the part where they use Christ as a human shield to defend their conservatism. Just your standard evangelism, prayer, talk about ministries abroad and lots of righteous band-aiding to keep liberal Christians from daring to question their breatheren. And of course, to deflect anti-conservatism hatred into hatred of Christians.
Overall, I was impressed with the skill in which the 700 club does its soft sell. So soft that the only part where they did real propaganda was for (IMO) a non-issue. I might as well watch more of the 700 club, at least the first half hour, before they turn into Billy Graham wannabees, desperately trying to get converts, or at least their money. When Christ said to preach to every living thing I don't recall anything about a profit motive being involved.