George Takei 
🏳️🌈🖖🏽We must fight to save PBS and NPR.
Joshua Tretakoff@georgetakei: Must we, though? I agree, they have done amazing work in the past, but we're in a new media landscape that may be able to privately support what they do these days.
MasterMischief@jtretakoff @georgetakei This can not be a serious question.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei It actually is. I listened to NPR for over 20 years. I supported my own local NPR station, diligently. NPR and PBS brought us quality, unique programming for decades that commercial media didn't. In the last decade, that's no longer the case. While reporting quality is unmatched, the other programming does not materially differ from commercial fare. So is it necessary to have government support, or can we pay for it with subscriptions like any other resource?
@jtretakoff @georgetakei It actually is not. One need only look at healthcare in this country to see what a disaster privatization is for necessary services.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei Agreed, Healthcare privatization is still a (very bad) work in progress, but I'd argue that these days CNN & MSNBC cover a lot of the ground PBS & NPR used to own exclusively. It disingenuous to just say "all privatization is bad" because of some examples. I'm no fan of Elon, but SpaceX has revolutionized satellite options through privatization. Times change, options evolve.
@jtretakoff @georgetakei All privatization of necessary services is bad. Full stop. I am confident in that statement. Once the primary purpose is to get as much money out of the customer as possible and the 'customer' NEEDS that service it is never a good situation. Healthcare is NOT the only example.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei I absolutely respect and appreciate your opinion. You have a much more passionate hope in our institutions than I do, and that hope drives change. Institutions that don't change calcify and crumble, so I applaud your energy.
@jtretakoff @georgetakei No organization is perfect. Government is supposed to be for the people while corporations are for their investors. No matter what the dressing may be, that is the foundation.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei Totally agree, should be. The challenge is that many of those same people don't agree with the content that is shared on public broadcasting and are hoodwinked into thinking that cutting off the meager support the government gives will satisfy their frustrations. It won't.