-Caveat Lector- From http://www.centrexnews.com/columnists/skousen/2001/0921.htm }}}>Begin THE BUSH SPEECH TO AMERICA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS by Joel Skousen www.joelskousen.com WORLD AFFAIRS BRIEF September 21, 2001 Copyright Joel M. Skousen Quotations with attribution permitted. Tom Brokow, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather lavished rare praise President Bush following his Churchill imitating address to the nation. Everyone, it seems, is caught up in the lemming-like fervor to go to war against terrorism. Even Bush critic Pat Buchanan said after the speech that Bush has finally risen to the full stature of a President. I respectfully disagree. Everything about this speech was a fraud. Even at the expense of appearing unpatriotic, someone has to declare the truth: that the "emperor has no clothes." Bush is no Churchill. Churchill was a master of oratory. He wrote his own speeches. Churchill's resolve was real. The Bush "resolute look" was tutored and practiced for hours in front of speech specialists, helping him overcome many of the normal facial quirks that betray this President's amateurish personality and phraseology. Bush's speech was written for him by the slickest team of wordsmiths money can buy--none of whom have any princi ples. They write speeches based only on what will sell. Even if the words are true, the motives are not. They use a stock format developed to a fine art by the Clinton team during prior State of the Union speeches, includ ing: Carefully crafted generalities that promise something for everyone, and offend no one--all the while consciously omitting the specifics that would allow the listener to discern the contradictions with reality or principle s that underlie each statement. My intent will be to clarify those contradictions. Liberal use of emotional and patriotic catchwords and phrases, like God, prayer, liberty, and freedom, without any real correlation to a true devotion to these concepts that would make such references honest and without h ypocrisy. Praise for two or three token heroes brought into the galleries for special recognition. These people are being used for propaganda purposes and to provide images of support that leave no room for dissent or criticism. Th e Bush team predictably brought in the wife of a courageous passenger, the PM of Britain, a fireman, plus the Mayor and Governor of NY. Special emotional phrases meant to engender the spectacle of robot-like standing ovations at two minute intervals. So overdone is this mechanistic ploy that faces were dour at having to play along, and most hands were cla pping in only token enthusiasm. And yet not a soul could afford, politically, to be seen NOT standing and not clapping. Even Hillary would reluctantly clap, while carrying on a diversionary conversation with Chuck Shumer (D-NY). THE SUBTLE ERRORS, CONTRADICTIONS AND HYPOCRISY 1) In response to his query, "Who attacked our country?" Bush said, "The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as Al Qaeda. They are the same murderers in dicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for the bombing of the USS Cole." This is possibly true, but the US really doesn't know this for sure. What this response does is purposely lead the listener to a specific blamable subject and allow the US to avoid hitting other terrorists that they have ongoing "arrangements" with. Indeed, it is impossible at this point to pin the blame on any single organizatio n because of the cross-connections between all Middle Eastern terrorist organizations. Most of the known hijackers can be linked with any one of half a dozen different organizations--so take your pick. Bush is selectively picking only one because it matches the need to go after Afghanistan and the Taliban, which have the fewest friends, internationally, and which provide the best opportunity for a big first military thrust that will make all this war hysteria justifiable. 2) To pacify the public about the long-term dangers of radical Islam, Bush said, "The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim cleric s, a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam. The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinctions among military and civilians, includ ing women and children." It is correct not to paint all Muslims as evil, but radical Islamic fundamentalism is far from a fringe movement. Indeed, it is very inaccurate to depict this radical movement as small and without support. It has broad based historical and doctrinal support going back centuries to when Arabs set out to conquer and forcefully convert whole continents. It has a huge following in all Islamic nations and threatens the balance of power within every country in the Middle East. I believe that the fervor and ideological hatred being generated by fundamentalist Islam is capable of crushing the moderates among them. One of the things that m akes this possible is the irrational mob mentality that so easily captivates young Muslims. Whether this dangerous personality weakness is cultural or innate, it is real and millions of young Muslims are being radicalized in their hatred against the US as you read this. In downplaying this danger of Islamic Jihad (holy war), Pres. Bush is denying Americans a realistic understanding of the threat to world stability that Islamic Jihad repre sents. 3) "The United States respects the people of Afghanistan — after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid — but we condemn the Taliban regime. It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatenin g people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists. By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder." Clearly the Bush administration is going after the Taliban--not just Osam a bin Laden. The capture of bin Laden would be too easy and let the air out of this campaign before it has achieved its hidden agenda. Going after the Taliban allows the US in intervene in affairs of an entire nation and replace this hostile regime with one more compliant to the NWO. Bush claims to support the people of Afghanistan, but he leaves out many details that belie that support. Bush had to admit that the US is currently the "lar gest source of humanitarian aid" to Afghanistan since this fact has been widely reported on the internet in the past week. But it wasn't humanitarian aid. What Bush neglected to tell his audience is that the $43 million B ush authorized for Afghanistan in May of this year went directly to the Taliban supposedly for cocaine trade counter-measures--even though the Bush administration knows that the Taliban manages all cocaine trade in the co untry. So, how can Bush claim to "condemn the Taliban regime" when it just gave the regime $43 million? Fact is, the money never went to the Afghan people and Bush knows it. Bush said that "by aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban is committing murder," but in reality the Bush administration is aiding and abetting the very enemy they claim to condemn. The only true statement Bush makes here is that the Taliban is repressing its own peop le. But they knew that before. Why give them aid then and pretend it went to the people? 4) "The United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban: Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of Al Qaeda who hide in your land. Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens, you have unjustly imprisoned, and protect foreign journalists, diplomats, and aid workers in your country. Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate authorities. Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating. These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate." There are two levels of hypocrisy in this set of demands. First, the US never allows any of its allies (e.g., Israel, Ireland) to engage in these kinds of "take it or leave it" demands without condemning them for refusing to "engage" the terrorists in the "peace process." Second, Bush isn't telling his audience that these demands are specifically designed to be impossible to comply with--thus guaranteeing that the US will be justified in attacking Afghanistan. No country can know when they have delivered "all the leaders of Al Qaeda" because no such list exists. First, there's the question of what constitutes a "leader," and second, most leaders of Al Qae da are from other Arab nations and are not physically present in Afghanistan. The same goes for the demand to "hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate authorities." How does anyone define support people? How do you know if you've complied without a US presented list? Of course, we know what the US means by "appropriate authorities" --a rigged UN tribunal lacking many essential rights to due p rocess. For its part, the US has virtually no intelligence assets on the ground in Afghanistan. US military forces don't even have translators who speak the southern Afghan dialect. How would they know any of the specifics necess ary to judge compliance with their demands? To say that these demands are "not open to negotiation or discussion" means that no clarification can be had on these ambiguous issues--a catch-22 situation that clearly indicat es the Bush administration doesn't want a peaceful resolution. Shame on the Congress for applauding this radical agenda. China just signed a pact of mutual support with the Taliban a few days before this speech. Perhaps t hat is one reason the Taliban's reaction today to Bush was defiant. Overall, I am skeptical of the Bush assertion that the US "respects the people of Afghanistan." I worry about the innocent people who are shortly to beco me collateral damage in the wake of the US juggernaut. 5) "Our war on terror begins with Al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated." This is pure bravado. It can't be done. The Palest inians rabble-rouse and radicalize more terrorists in a month than the US will eliminate in a year--and the US protects them from Israeli retaliation through various forms of pressure. Remember, this proclamation of inten t to prosecute terrorism comes from a nation that has funded and made secret deals with terrorist organizations for at least 30 years. Why should we believe Bush now when the US has never even owned up to its illegal and secret support of terrorists in past years? Some US double dealing has even been done in the light of day. Remember when the US rescued Yassir Arafat from defeat in Lebanon and used taxpayer moneys to send in the Marines and fly hundreds of PLO terrorists to safety? Did that reform Arafat? Hardly. He's still at it, with the help of millions in US aid each year. 6) "Why do they hate us?" Bush asks rhetorically. "They hate what we see right here in this chamber, a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote." This is NOT why the radical Muslims hate us. If this were the real reason, terrorists would be attacking other democratic nations like Switzerland or Japan. The real reason th ey hate the US because it has become the bully of the world, intervening under globalist pretenses into every nation on earth. The proclaimed motive is always to "protect human rights," but the real purpose is to establis h global hegemony over every nation on earth and reduce national sovereignty to a euphemistic label. Muslims and Arabs hate the West because the West has betrayed them for centuries and betrayed every agreements they have made. Finally, they hate the West because they are allied with Russia, who has faithfully supplied them with weapons and explosives (for its own hegemonic ambitions), and who is inexorably leading Islam into a future war with the West of horrific proportions. The globalist insiders who call the shots for Bush also want war to bring about their vaunted NWO purposes, and I believe that the true hidden agenda behind this proclaimed war on t errorism is to further antagonize and polarize the world prior to the coming war on the West. However it is probable that the young Bush doesn't know the ulterior motives behind his bold war of agitation. His father proba bly knows, but I think Dubya is just reading a script. 7) "They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast region s of Asia and Africa." What Bush says here is true, and with this statement the speech writers have given us a hint of what this new war is all about. I believe that in the name of SAVING other countries from terrorism, t he US will now have a new and unique excuse to intervene with and bully the world. This is borne out by the Bush statements of how broad ranging and varied the attacks will be, as well as the indefinite timeline he lays o ut: "Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on tel evision, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or rest. And we will pursue nations tha t provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or supp ort terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." These are very threatening statements and are hypocritical as well. The US through FINCEN has long tracked the trail of money feeding terrorism. Th e US has even provided much of this money through the cover of aid to the very countries which harbor terrorism--who are all known to US intelligence. The primary nations supporting terrorism are RUSSIA, followed by CHINA . Any bets about whether Bush is going to attack these two monsters? The new Bush war will be highly selective. That is why this statement is both true and a lie. 8) "Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, have responsibilities affecting homeland security. These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level. So tonight I announ ce the creation of a Cabinet-level position reporting directly to me — the Office of Homeland Security. These measures are essential. But the only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, elim inate it and destroy it where it grows.... We will come together to give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror here at home. We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities t o know the plans of terrorists before they act, and find them before they strike." These words reflect hints that the government spokesmen have been dropping for the past week--the need for more power and further reductio n of private liberties. I've seen an advance copy of Attorney General Ashcroft's new legislative proposal for increased law enforcement powers. They are ominous, but really only seek to legitimatize what government alread y does illegally. Even though this legislation is being justified as a means to fighting terrorism, it's amazing how much of Ashcroft's proposals have nothing to do with terrorism. How does expanding the types of private property that can be confiscated by the feds for drug busts affect the war on terrorism? But sadly, Congressional opposition has dried up. Out of fear of appearing an obstructionist to this holy war, there is a de facto s ilencing of voices of reason. Whether America will seriously beef up its homeland defense remains to be seen. We have far more facilities to protect than we have police and military combined, so I think we will still rema in relatively vulnerable to most small scale terrorist strikes. 9) There is a globalist sweep to this agenda. Bush calls for world unity behind the war: "We ask every nation to join us. We will ask, and we will need, the help of police forces, intelligence services, and banking system s around the world. The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded with sympathy and with support. Nations from Latin America, to Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to the Islamic world. Perhaps the NATO Charter reflects best the attitude of the world: an attack on one is an attack on all." Nice words, but the truth is the US has had deep connections with all the world's police and int el forces for years--and such connections have never helped eradicate terrorism before. Most of these forces are too busy reaping the profits from government sponsored drug pipelines. Most terrorist groups form portions o f these drug networks, sharing in the profits to finance their works of death. If things change now, it is only because the Powers That Be are switching agendas from supporting or tolerating terrorism to selective eradica tion. 10) Lastly, there is the promise of a bailout for everyone: "We will come together to improve air safety, to dramatically expand the number of air marshals on domestic flights, and take new measures to prevent hijacking. We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlines flying with direct assistance during this emergency...We will come together to take active steps that strengthen America's economy and put our people back t o work." Bush and the FAA are refusing to allow the most simple and cost effective of the air safety alternatives (arming the aircrews). Instead he asks for us to be patient with the millions of dollars and man hours lost due to the new spat of restrictions. Instead of allowing the airlines to get back to normal fast, we will keep them hog-tied with inefficiency, spend billions in direct assistance, and force up ticket prices as well. And what about all the other people harmed by this event? What will the socialist Republicans say to the victims' families, the insurance companies, the travel agents, and every other sector of society who wants a bailout too? Going down this path is a recipe for financial disaster and a guaranteed tax bite that no one will relish. The most dangerous words I'm hearing lately from Capitol Hill are "money is no object." When money is no object, then someone is about to play loose with financial responsibility, and our liberties. Here's the bottom line--two tests for determining Bush's true resolve on this matter: 1) If this is a real war on terrorism, Bush will actually do what he claims: He will hit all terrorists everywhere, including host nations like Russia, Iran, Syria, Libya, North Korea, Cuba, and China. This will never happen. 2) If this war is real, terrorism will fight back with increased fanaticism and will strike the US constantly and steadily, with everything from petty bombings to biological and chemical attacks. If we DON'T SEE a massive increase in terrorism, I will be very suspicious that someone is still controlling terrorism and making it appear as if this phony war is successful. If you want to see what a legitimate fight against terrorism looks like, watch Israel. Its government plays the game with one hand tied behind its back, and the results are daily attacks against Israeli civilians. If we don't see the same thing here, with our much weaker military and police presence on the streets, something will be very wrong with this picture. MARK SKOUSEN NAMED NEW HEAD OF FEE I'm pleased to announce the selection of my brother Mark Skousen as the new president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). Mark, as many of you know, is the editor of the popular economic newsletter, Forecasts and Strategies, and holds a doctoral degree in economics. FEE is the oldest and most respected free-market think- tank in America, and has stayed absolutely true to its stated course of defending liberty. Its monthly publication, Ideas on Liberty, is a treasure trove of short, readable essays, each month presenting cogent arguments in defense of sound economics and ideas on how to counter leftist notions that abound. This is the primary source I use to teach my children how to argue the controversial issues of the day. I want to encourage all of my subscribers to support FEE by either becoming a "Friend of FEE" with a $100 contribution (tax deductible) and/or by simply subscribing to Ideas on Liberty, for a $30 contribution. Be sure to request a copy of the current September issue of Ideas on Liberty. It contains a gem of an article by British professor Norman Barry entitled, "Phony Marketeers." It is frankly the finest short exposition I have ever read on the political and economic deception in Britain and Europe, and has great application here in America for our understanding of how the Democrats and Republicans operate to undermine real liberty, while pretending to support it. This is a must read and a must keep for your library. You can call FEE with your contributions at (914) 591-7230 or send by mail to FEE, 30 So. Broadway, Irvington, NY 10533 » Archive of previous articles written by Joel M. Skousen The full weekly edition of the World Affairs Brief is available for $24 per year. Mr. Skousen's analysis is posted each Friday evening. See www.joelskousen.com for details. Copyright 2001 by Joel Skousen Home | Forum-Chat | Links | E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Fax: 603.917.5954 Copyright © CentrExNews.com 1999-2001. All rights reserved. End<{{{ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forwarded as information only; no endorsement to be presumed + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. 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