Sunday, May 20, 2012

Case Closed-Saddam and OBL

To the left we have a cover image from the Weekly Standard, a magazine founded and edited by Bill Kristol, a man that still makes the rounds on Fox explaining the world to the listening audience. This was a November, 2003 issue. The cover story is entitled "Case Closed". It details how there can now be no doubt of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden's operational links. You can read the story (written by Steven Hays) here. The story of course is completely wrong, as was well known soon after this story was published.

It kind of reminds me of a campaign ad from the Bush campaign run just prior to the '04 elections. Fear is such an incredible motivator. You can get people to do all kinds of crazy things that they would never consider doing except to save them from a perceived threat. Republicans desperately want you scared, and they'll convince even themselves of ridiculous, unsubstantiated things to drive you into fear. And into their arms.



Do people notice that really the threat was overblown? Can we now admit that the Islamic terrorist threat is kind of silly? Americans are more likely to die from a coconut falling on their head than terrorism.This old tired fear method has of course been going on for a while. Here's Reagan's famous "There's a bear in the woods" ad. A lot of people thought that was kind of overblown. For instance here's Noam Chomsky talking about the Soviet Union in 1985. Sure, they're evil, and a real threat to the people that are under their domination. But they are not able to project themselves very far. There's no reason to be scared. Who was right? Are we going to continue to listen to the Bill Kristol's of the world?

3 comments:

Examinator said...

Jon,
What's that you say? a cold snap in hell? ;)
Sadly mate, it's a USA cultural thing. Like still fighting the Civil War, rewriting history and Vulture Capitalism and oh yes Gun, guns and more idiots holding them.
I got fed up with the baloney that the USA is the center of the universe.... hence I live elsewhere.

Chad said...

You see that Jon - Ex just got a couple bonus points on my ledger - he still blogs about how terrible America is, but made the decision to leave which I respect.

I am looking forward to picking up my PS90 to add to my collection next Monday. I would have prefered to buy the PP90, but as of right now they can only be used by criminals, the military and members in law enforcement.

Examinator said...

Chad,
Please stop putting words in my mouth!
I didn't say how terrible America (sic)[USA]was or is.
USA isn't terrible, that is YOUR over simplification.
All I've ACTUALLY said is that the USA has faults (as does every other country in the world) and isn't the center of the universe. That does NOT imply that USA is terrible or anything like that.
Think of it in term of that you have a neighbor you can't stand so you move ....does that mean the street, burb, state is terrible?...Not in my book.
Nor did I say guns were bad per se. Only that there are too many and in the hands of idiots.

You are taking my words out of context....They were written in terms Jon's article....i.e. that the noisy emotional minority simply don't analyse the efficacy (validity) of what the media is saying rather just feel (wallow in a cesspit of fears,resentment, irrationality and selfishness.
A BIG difference between that and what you said.
I do NOT think USA is terrible only in MY PRIORITIES elsewhere the extreme noisy irrationality is more in perspective.