“In the space age, the village idiot rules.”
– Iggy Pop
Okay, so we ceased to be a democracy in December of 1999 when the White House was usurped, but the larger esoteric question that burns is how could a human being of such mediocre caliber rise to power and in one pivotal moment in time, take the good will the world felt for America after 9-11, a moment of peace and empathy that could have galvanized the entire planet, and shove it right back up the world’s ass? And we stand helpless to the affront.
We’re barreling towards the cliff’s edge and there’s nothing to grab onto. What is shocking is the number of people in this country that seem to think everything’s okay. I guess when you’re looking down from the lofty heights at the top of the socio-economic food chain; it’s difficult to discern all those dots on the map as human beings. Besides, Saddam’s the only guy living in Iraq anyway. Support your troops is the war cry of every “good” American, but it’s really just a euphemism for support mass murder for vast oil deposits and imperialism, but hey, who’s going to stop us?
Why, this war is just a question of divine providence. Much like when we handed the indigenous Indians pox-laden blankets and they were all but wiped out. It’s god’s will that we should take this land, and by god, it’s our god-given right to avenge any horrible deed and if you don’t actually commit one, by god, we’ll invent one. We’re blessed, we’re Americans.
This country’s psyche received a traumatic blow with the terrorist attacks, and now, left unchecked, it’s really sick – paranoid and a danger to itself and others. And it’s being further manipulated by real life Simon Bar Sinisters who want to rule the world. Defense contractors, oil barons and pharmaceutical companies and their merchants are licking their chops at the prospects – in the name of god and country, of course.
The highest law enforcement official in the land, the enforcer of all that is good and sacred is a holy roller Pentecostal that anoints his feet and refuses to dance (maybe there’s a connection). He espouses that anyone opposing U.S. military actions is supporting terrorism and in league with “evil doers” and shall face certain ruin. Surely he must be dancing a little jig late at night when no one’s looking as he’s stuffing the Bill of Rights through the paper shredder.
Riding down America’s highways you see the phrase “God Bless America” and American flags adorning store windows, changeable letter boards, t-shirts and bumpers. Every gas guzzling SUV vying to cut you off at the Super Wal-Mart entrance proudly displays a plastic old glory flapping in the wind. They have to pick up their Prozac and swiffer sweepers and get home in time to find out who gets voted off Survivor.
The kids, the ones set to inherit our good fortune, are strapped in the back, along for the ride. Their primary sources of body and soul nourishment and mental stimulation now come from fast food, Ritalin and Play Station 2. The pharmaceutical companies, goliaths of capitalism, are inventing diseases and cures for the little tikes as fast as they can name them, not to mention the economic shots they get every time the color-coded alert scale moves from yellow to orange.
And there’s the guy sporting the mullet in the pickup with the NRA and confederate flag sticker on the back window. He’s always looking to kick somebody’s ass, why not Saddam’s or Bin Laden’s. Everywhere you turn, it’s surreal. It’s like the last scene in Invasion of the Body Snatchers – Donald Sutherland is going to point at me any second now and make that horrible sound! Must stay calm
Why does this mass ignorance plague us so? Because America still believe there exists in corporate media journalistic integrity. But how can that be when the NBC Nightly News is broadcast every night from the General Electric building, one of the country’s largest defense contractors. The FCC, who regulates and issues broadcast licenses to all media outlets, is headed by Michael Powell, son of General Colin Powell, who has a definite interest in how the “War on Terror” is being reported. Sheep tending’s easy when the fences are all built in the minds of the herd.
The “Big Lie” technique was popularized by Josef Goebbels, the Nazi minister of propaganda, who believed that people would believe anything, no matter how blatantly false, as long as it was repeated consistently and confidently. The rules of propaganda are simple and timeless and they are taking them straight out of the book: Use repetitive phrases that short circuit thinking and have emotional appeal to the audience and arouse feelings in favor or against a group or person. Oversimplify complex theories and causes of events and cite lofty reasons to justify your own actions. Many statements are made where the conclusion does not necessitate the premise.
The White House and their stenographers repeatedly refer to anyone opposing an invasion as being part of the “Axis of Evil”. The administration insists there are ties between Bin Laden and Saddam, however, no proof of that exists. In fact, Bin Laden is on record calling Saddam an infidel. Bush’s statement “A war on Iraq will bring peace to the region” is completely non sequitur. Surely a spin even Goebbels would be proud. The entire so-called “war on terror” is a Big Lie. What is involved is detective work in order to find Al Qaeda. The “war” is an excuse to give Dumbya dictatorial powers. If the UN Security Council does not sustain an invasion of Iraq, the heads of states that send their troops into Iraq illegally should have UN warrants issued for them as war criminals. If Bush invades Iraq illegally, unless he declares himself president-for-life or declares permanent martial law, when he is soundly defeated in 2004, he should be handed over to the UN for prosecution.
It’s going to be a rough ride folks. Hopefully we will emerge from this intact, but the new world order is here for now. Here are a few ways we might be able to ride the storm out.
1. Turn off your television IMMEDIATELY! Reserve viewing privileges for old sci-fi movies and gangster serials. You might pick up some helpful tips.
2. Be counted. VOTE, demonstrate, write letters and engage people in conversation.
3. Get your news from reliable Internet sites and independent media. Avoid “news” reports where “Showdown with Iraq” graphics fly in like it’s the Super Bowl. This can impede the digestive process.
4. Shop and consume thoughtfully and conscientiously. Think about whom you give your money to. Are they bane of the planet? Is their product really necessary and is it really helping you?
5. Hold a vision of peace as a real possibility. To argue or fight or kill each other over the abstract truths of propagandists is insanity. Once the reigns of reason and hope have been surrendered, we are all in grave danger. And if a mutant dog with a human head runs up to you on the street, act like it’s no big deal and keep walking. Must stay calm…
WENDY BRINKER is a writer and film-maker from South Carolina. Visit her excellent website at www.meridiangraphics.net. She can be reached at: wbrinker@turnipseed.net
