@Gompo, I think you're right, it is mostly money oriented - how would you expect it to be otherwise, given the global economic structure within which it exists?

I say this was news bending, not news control, and it's very widespread - and on a large scale ads up to pretty much the same thing. But in the US and other places, there is at least the possibility of access to other points of view, and I don't think socialism can work well without the input, on a reasonably level playing field, of a broad range of inputs.

@Tiger: Well, we don't have to buy into 'the invisible hand'. Actually, Adam Smith only used this term about 3 times overall, and each time he was talking about the competition between nations, not between private capitalists. Smith's great work, which Marx certainly appreciated and built on, still had a touch of mercantilism in it.

@Geezer, yeah, you're right, that was pretty vague, your statement is better, though maybe it's a bit vague too. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that nobody's being asked to contribute labor power for nothing - there are people out there who seem to think that socialism means people are just supposed to work on command.

@disco: OK, but it's also perhaps interesting to think what the value of the results of your volunteering may be (hey, I'm not saying money solves all problems, I just want to point out that among the poor, money is one thing that is always lacking). I hope volunteering is not just a matter of jumping through a required academic hoop, which only benefits the hoop-jumper. Perhaps. The real world is actually out there.)
At any rate, I sincerely hope that what you find to do will be useful to all concerned, as it really is possible for this to happen.