File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_2003/lyotard.0302, message 22


Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 13:10:25 +1000
From: hbone <hbone-AT-optonline.net>
Subject: the latest in propaganda...



Don/All,

Comments at **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> Eric writes:
> >Glen,
> >
> >I found out this story wasn't completely censored in the US
> media, but it has been reported.  I also agree with you that plagiarism
> is not the central issue. Some of this information dates from the early
> nineties, as you say, and it shows a shocking lack of real intelligence
> and laziness. It appears that not only is there no smoking gun,
> this pathetic result is the best that all the king's horses and
> all the king's men could come up with.
**Colin Powell said, on Meet the Press, that the plagiarized material was
part
of the history of the situation.

> >As I mentioned before, the aluminum rods had been completely
> discredited
> >and the CIA had disavowed any links between Hussein and the
> Al Quaida.
> >None of this stopped Bush from rambling on about these things
> as the
> >chief reasons to go to war in his state of the union.
> >
> >We are now preparing to go to war over a thin tissue of
> fabrications and
> >the horrible thing is that we can see through these lies and
> this whole
> >campaign of misinformation, but we can not seem to prevent
> this war from
> >happening. The veil is lifted for an instant as we peer into
> the abyss.
**Historically, sacrificial death in holy wars, began to go out of style
when the Church lost political power and regional medieval principalities
were fused
into nations.  Dying for one's country was "doing the right thing".  Priests
and ministers
rarely objected - supported governments, comforted the dying.

> >Why has democracy become such a synonym of manipulation? It
> is simply another lesson in the excesses of institutionalized power.
**Three things to keep in mind:
1) When there is internal disorder, military force is generally needed to
have "free" elections.
2) Democracy assumes freedom of choice.  Financial power determines choice
by providing campaign funds, campaign ads, control of the media.
Post-election, financial powers use lobbyists and funds to legally determine
legislation, plus illegal measures that occasionally result in indictment
and conviction of democratically elected
officials
3) This brand of democracy, in the U.S. and the U.K., has so greatly
disillusioned about half the population that is eligible to vote that they
fail to register or
go to the polls.

> >eric
>
> But as a chiefly political tool rather than an
> economic one, the concept of democracy is synonymous with
> rhetorical manipulation.  Given the pervasive lack of all but
> consumerist literacy, a populace preoccupied and generally
> frenetic with concerns about personal appearance and ruled
> either by fear or hubris (two sides of the same coin), what
> democracy can you have other than mob rule?
**People are also concerned about jobs, high taxes on low-wage jobs,
education of their children, health care and Social Security.  Mob rule is
either Republican elephant or Demo-donkey. Third parties can't get
siginifican corporate funding.

> Things might begin to change if any of our political figures  begins to
envision the future.  The problem is, we have no  collective vision that is
not tainted by fear.
**Greed conquers fear.  Witness murders, theft, coporate malfeasance,
corruption of  watchdog accountants, the SEC,  Wall Street brockerage firms,
WorldCom, Enron etc., etc.

regards,
Hugh



   

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