-Caveat Lector- PLAYING THE "TERRORISM" CARD
By Norman Solomon / Creators Syndicate These days, it's a crucial ace up Uncle Sam's sleeve. "Terrorism" is George W. Bush's magic card. For 17 months now, the word has worked like a political charm for the Bush administration. Ever since the terrible crime against humanity known as 9/11, the White House has exploited the specter of terrorism to move the GOP's doctrinaire agenda. Boosting the military budget, cutting social programs and shredding civil liberties are well underway. Like the overwhelming majority of politicians on Capitol Hill, most journalists in Washington are too timid to do anything other than quibble about fine-tuning and get out of the way of rampaging elephants. The word "terror" has become a linguistic staple in news media. For keeping the fearful pot stirred, it's better than the longer word "terrorism," which refers to an occasional event. The shortened word has an ongoing ring to it. At the end of February's first week, when Attorney General John Ashcroft announced an official hike in the warning code, the cable networks lost no time plastering "Terror Alert: High" signs on TV screens. Days later, the administration literally couldn't wait to tell the world about a new audiotape from Osama bin Laden. The eagerness of Colin Powell knew no bounds. He was spinning about the tape at a congressional appearance even before a single moment of the audio had premiered on the Arabic-language Al Jazeera network. The next day, a White House spokesman did what he could to bolster the thin wisps of supposed links between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. "If that is not an unholy partnership, I have not heard of one," said Ari Fleischer, who trumpeted "the linking up of Iraq with Al Qaeda." It was, he said, "the nightmare that people have warned about." Actually, it was a dream that the Bush team has been yearning for -- some semblance of a public embrace involving Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. [NOTE: The media has blacked out Osama's actual words. The bin Laden tape called on Iraqis to "rise up and oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who is a secular leader." This is the recorded message heard by millions and millions of people around the world BUT EDITED OUT BY THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IN THE US AS PROPAGANDA TO SUPPORT THE BUSH WAR AGENDA . -CR] You wouldn't know it from the dominant media coverage, but the embrace was not only distinctly one-sided -- it was also riddled with caveats and barbs. In his statement, Bin Laden made clear that he has never stopped viewing Hussein as an infidel. And the Iraqi dictator has continued to keep his distance from longtime foe Bin Laden. In the propaganda end game prior to an all-out attack on Iraq, the Bush crew is playing a favorite card; as a word, terrorism can easily frighten the public and keep competing politicians at bay. And now, Washington's policymakers are on the verge of implementing a military attack that will, in effect, terrorize large numbers of Iraqi people. Pentagon war plans, dubbed "Shock and Awe," call for sending many hundreds of missiles into Baghdad during the first day. Numerous articles in the daily British press have been decrying these plans. In contrast, with few exceptions, mainstream U.S. journalists have been shamefully restrained. The people in control of U.S. foreign policy are now determined to treat 9/11 as a license -- their license -- to kill. Although even the most fanciful statements from the Bush administration have not claimed that the Iraqi regime had anything to do with the events of Sept. 11, the murderous actions on that day are being cited to justify a military attack on Iraq sure to take thousands of civilian lives. When the sludge of propaganda is afflicting the body politic of our country, news outlets have a crucial role to perform. Media can function as a circulatory system for the nation; the free flow of information and debate is the lifeblood of a democracy. But right now, the USA's media arteries are clogged. If seeing a "Terror Alert: High" sign on your TV screen makes you feel edgy, imagine what it's like to be living in Baghdad or Basra. For people in the United States, the odds that terrorism will strike close to home are very small compared to the chances that any particular Iraqi family will be decimated before summer. We desperately need a full national debate on whether we as a society ought to condemn terrorism -- across the board -- no matter who is doing the terrorizing. Clearly, politicians will be the last to initiate such a nationwide discussion. And, sad to say, few journalists show much inclination to ruffle the feathers of the hawkish gang that rules the roost in Washington. So, let's stop waiting for others to rise to the occasion. If we want to get an authentic debate going, we'll need to do it ourselves. ### Video of the recent C-SPAN "Washington Journal" one-hour interview with Norman Solomon will remain online until about Feb. 22 at: http://video.c-span.org:8080/ramgen/jdrive/wj020703_solomon.rm "Target Iraq: What the News Media Didn't Tell You," by Norman Solomon and Reese Erlich, has just been published as a paperback original by Context Books. The introduction is by Howard Zinn and the afterword is by Sean Penn. For the prologue to the book and other information, go to: http://www.contextbooks.com/newF.html "A kinder, gentler fascism" (MUST READ!) http://www.theemailactivist.org/newKGB.htm Each and every one of us should be aware of what is occurring in the United States, under the name of terrorism and security. (...) "Like the Bush administration, the Nazis were funded and ultimately ushered into power by wealthy industrialists." Another "long, hideous nightmare" is now begun before our very eyes... "Listen Little Man" (MUST READ) http://www.hermes-press.com/reich.htm This is an excellent book review on the psychology of the "little man" in all of us who readily bonds with benevolent tyrants even as the German people bonded with Hitler. The Saint of Calcutta, Mother Theresa, once said that there was a little Hitler in all of us. Understanding "how so" is critical to preventing fascism in our day... "The Necessity for Enlightened Thinking" by Norman D. Livergood http://www.hermes-press.com/etch1.htm (MUST READ) We've been conditioned to see Germany under Hitler as an unquestionably horrible example of dictatorial tyranny and inhuman barbarity--and to see our present American culture as completely opposite to that of Nazi Germany. And we like to think that if a tyranny such as that in Germany under the Nazi regime were present and growing in America we'd unquestionably be able to see it. So it's a shock when we realize: most people living in Nazi Germany didn't see the tyranny! They thought it was the best time of their lives! The parallels today are sobering... "The Psychology of Mass Subservience to Tyranny" (MUST READ) www.heartcom.org/psychtyranny.htm Heaven knows that civilizations as well as individuals are condemned to repeat their history if they don't learn from it. The big drama of World War II can be seen reemerging in clear trends and patterns for those who have eyes to see the handwriting on the wall of the Internet media collage. Discover the political intrigue and treachery in our day in context of unthinkable historical parallels that we must think about or be accountable for getting along by going along with the same deceit and treachery that tells the sheeple what they want to hear in the way their victim dictum wants to hear it... "We are discreet sheep; we wait to see how the drove is going, and then we go with the drove." -Mark Twain <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
