Tuesday, January 09, 2007

What propaganda does “24” have in store this season? 

Rightly or wrongly, the American temperament is most accurately captured through popular entertainment. Pop culture tells us what middle America thinks, and what corporate advertisers (and Washington) consider acceptable. In today's increasingly Orwellian America, particularly in terms of politics, pop culture -- “water cooler” talk -- serves as more of a reality than reality itself.

As previously noted, the Fox action series “24” has served as a cultural benchmark for years. The series, which hit the air waves shortly after 9/11, served for years as a blatant and enthusiastic purveyor of the Bush administration's most strident fear-mongering “war on terrorism” propaganda, complete with racist depictions of violent Islamic zealots, torture-as-acceptable, outside 9/11-type threats to the US homeland coming from all directions -- evil denizens of the Middle East, Russia, and China.

Yet, last season (see "24" reflects a betrayed America), the series did something of a 180, reflecting the new national distaste for the Bush administration. The show's main villain that had to be taken down was the president of the United States, a murdering, Constitution-destroying Bush/Nixon lunatic fronting for a neocon cabal, manufacturing terrorism and setting up 9/11 catastrophes in order to control world energy. (Not far from the truth, this time.) For these themes to be permitted on prime time television spoke volumes about the national consciousness.

What, indeed, does “24” have planned for 2007? Initial rumors suggest that America will remain under attack from every direction, with major cities blowing up at the hands of both outside “terrorists” as well as war-manufacturing Washington politicians, who are also hell bent on making the US into a police state. It appears that China-baiting will also remain a central theme (the Jack Bauer character was kidnapped and tortured by China at the end of last season). In other words, “24's” America is completely existentialist nightmare, worse than ever.

Monday, November 20, 2006

More Dem factionalism on the way 

Not even done putting out the smoke from the Murtha-Hoyer tempest, new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now faces another divisive fight over who heads the critical House Intelligence Committee---Rep. Jane Harman, the pick of the conservative "Blue Dogs", or Rep. Alcee Hastings, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus who is favored by Pelosi, but someone who, like Murtha, has been “burdened with ethics lapses".

Bet on Harman, an enthusiastic proponent of beefed-up domestic security (Patriot Act refinements), who has spearheaded monstrosities such as the “Intelligence Transformation Act”, to get the nod. The “war on terrorism” continues unabated.

Emerging Democratic Party factionalism between the conservative southern "Blue Dogs" (Republicans in disguise), the centrist pro-business "New Democrats" (right-leaning neoliberals), and the "Progressive Caucus" (headed by Barbara Lee, but polluted by the presence of the hawkish Tom Lantos, the head of the House International Relations Committee, who is not "progressive" at all) appears to be endless. As always, all eyes must remain locked on the agenda of the insidious Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), the Clintons, James Carville and Rahm Emmanuel.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

"24" reflects betrayed America 

The Bush administration has so badly fumbled their mandate that one of their greatest propaganda weapons has turned against them. The Fox television series "24" has shifted from being the most unapologetically gung-ho entertainment voices for Bush's anti-war/police state "war on terrorism" to nihilistic, angry, and decidedly anti-Bush fare.

The series now features an openly corrupt, murdering US president who is spineless, ignorant and evil, and guided by a cadre of criminal advisors, one of whom is a transparently obvious Dick Cheney clone, another a Karl Rove-type advisor, and scores of Scott McClellans, etc. Anti-terrorist agent Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, has been "betrayed" from within his own intelligence community. The US government, particularly the intelligence-military apparatus, is a snake pit, deeply corrupt and crawling with double and triple crossing untrustworthies blowing things up, and ordering murders of their own people, over cell phones.

And in this season's "shocking" story line, a former president (an African-American Democrat) has been murdered by the current (Republican) Bush-type president, whose evil operatives are engaged in an elaborate cover-up. Middle Eastern "terrorists" have already blown up part of Los Angeles, but they are no longer the focus. Now it's back to peace-hating Russian "terrorists" -- the kind of predictable "Die Hard", "La Femme Nikita" type villains that were popular during Clinton-era Hollywood.

There is no better way to read the American psyche than through its entertainment garbage. That being the case, America is outraged at the Bush administration.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Who benefits in sudden furor over Bush administration's domestic spying? 

As tempting as it may be for many to feel gratification over how George W. Bush is being hoisted upon his own petard for spying on US citizens, the real issues of importance remain studiously avoided.

The newfound "outrage" belies the fact that there was no such congressional outrage when it mattered -- four, five years ago, and every single day since 9/11.

The USA PATRIOT Act, a bipartisan atrocity, has been on the books for four years. The Bush administration's intelligence apparatus has undoubtedly been engaged in domestic spying continuously, with bipartisan approval. Horrendous crimes committed under the pretext of the "war on terrorism," another bipartisan atrocity (that continues to enjoy enthusiastic support), have taken place on a daily basis. The major crimes of the US government, including 9/11, remain unaddressed, or have become the subject of massive disinformation and cover-up.

The only reason why congressional Democrats and other critics of Bush have suddenly emerged from the woodwork, after four years of silence and supplication, is that the Bush faction has screwed the pooch, and badly blown its turn as the New World Order's manager. So the 2006 (s)election year approaches. With it comes another foolish turn at rearranging of deck chairs on a sinking ship, and another year of false hopes and naivete. This foolishness may end in yet another round of defeat and angst, as the Republican forces that control the voting machines will steal more elections, just as they have manipulated every election since 2000, from the US to Iraq. (Or, perhaps the rival faction will be given the machines.) In the end, noise aside, there is no reason for optimism.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and all the rest are being Watergated. They deserve far, far worse. So do the Democrats, most of whom are fully complicit in the destruction of this country.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Miami airport shooting: Post-9/11 fear and police state in full flower 

On Wednesday federal air marshals shot and killed " threatening airline passenger" Rigoberto Alpizar. According to most accounts, and the desperate pleas of the man's wife, family and friends, Alpizar was likely mentally ill. The killing, which the Bush White House and hawkish Republicans immediately applauded, is " under investigation."

Commenting on the incident, federal air marshal spokesman Dave Adams declared: " We don't have a shoot to kill policy, we have a shoot to take care of the threat policy, and that's what they did." In the post-9/11 " war on terrorism" culture of hair-trigger fear and violence, there is no distinction. A threat is whoever and whatever panicky, testosterone-raged, trigger-happy, racist hotheads with the military hardware would rather blast away than deal with rationally. To hell with laws. Everyone is a " terrorist," or a "Universal Adversary."

There is a clear connect between the Miami shooting and the frighteningly similar execution of London 7/7 suspects, and to the militarization and police violence of post-disaster New Orleans, the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Iraq, and the rampant police brutality across the United States. The post-9/11/post-Peak Oil/ " war on terrorism" mindset, lavishly stoked by the Bush administration and its propaganda operatives, is the final poison that has irrevocably soaked to the roots of the fabric of life, all over the world.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Tamiflu linked to 64 cases of psychological disorders and 2 suicides; China reports 3 persons infected with bird flu 

Tamiflu, the “world's first line of defense” against the avian flu (purported to be spreading -- or being spread -- throughout the world) has now been linked to 64 cases of psychological disorders and two teen suicides, according to media reports from Japan. According to western media, such as Reuters, the FDA is “investigating.”

Meanwhile, China is hit with three cases of humans infected with bird flu. A SARS-type crisis throughout the region appears imminent.

Three issues must be considered:

  1. Avian flu -- as well as SARS, West Nile, and other pandemics -- is the pretext for the militarization of the United States (and the rest of the world), a large-scale project by the Pentagon and Big Pharma.

  2. Population control, depopulation, and fear are key Peak Oil-related control measures. It is called “demand reduction.”

  3. China, with the world's most populous nation and its surging economy is both a major holder of US debt, and a huge consumer of energy. As Peak Oil-related crises worsen, particularly for the western nations and economies, the control of China -- a Cold War -- is a Washington imperative.
Either through bioterror, “pandemics,” or the cures for the diseases, we are witnessing “demand reduction.”

Monday, October 31, 2005

For Bush faction, “Scalito” completes criminal circle 

In nominating Samuel A. Alito.of the Third Circuit Court to the Supreme Court, the George W. Bush administration has outdone itself in its fervent attempt at “replicating Rehnquist.” It has, in fact, replicated Scalia. Alito is called “Scalito” for his similarity to the malignant Antonin Scalia in ideology and temperament, and deep ties to the Bush administration. This alone spells doom for democracy and the rule of law in the United States.

As was the case with Iran-Contra insider John Roberts, and George W. Bush confidante and 9/11 insider Harriet Miers, Alito brings his own skeleton closet—the most important details of which undoubtedly will not be mentioned or addressed by congressional Democrats (who, terminally, dwell on wedgy secondary issues such as abortion, gender/civil rights, and religion, while ignoring larger issues, such as treason).

From 1985 to 1987, Alito was the deputy assistant to Attorney General Ed Meese. This places Alito deep within the Reagan-Bush machine, a participant in the crimes involving the Meese Department of Justice, including all aspects of Iran-Contra and the theft of PROMIS software (also see). For obvious reasons, “Scalito” was placed on the Third Circuit Court by George H.W. Bush, where he has faithfully wreaked havoc for years.

It goes without saying that any Supreme Court pick from a Bush administration will destroy what is left of abortion rights. In 1991, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Alito voted to uphold a Pennsylvania law requiring women seeking abortions to first obtain permission from their husbands. So much for Roe v. Wade.

The Bush machine's list of extreme right-wing/Federalist Society cover agent judges is long and well known. Having been denied the trick of placing family friend Harriet Miers on to the highest court, Bush has simply gone back to the original list, giving the right-wing base exactly what it needs to distract focus from the Plame-Libby-Rove-Cheney fiasco and continuing failure in Iraq.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?