|
SETTING THE TERROR TRAP
Manipulating the American Psyche
September 8th, 2003
Let’s hear it for the White House speech writers! With the cunning of Madison Avenue admen, they pulled off another good one last night. In what appeared to be a major address to the nation about Iraq, George Bush was given his opening salvo for the ’04 election run: Terror sells! Hit ‘em hard!
The scheduled address to the nation lasted a bit over 15 minutes. The American people were waiting to hear their president explain the chaos that had erupted in Iraq. They were concerned about the daily attacks and the rising numbers of dead and wounded among their sons and daughters in the military. They wanted a plan. They wanted an exit strategy. They wanted to know how many more billions of dollars would be spent on a failing policy that was spiraling downward. They wanted to know whether the United Nations would be offered a partnership in rebuilding and providing security in Iraq. What they got was spin.
In the fifteen minutes of shame enjoyed by George W. Bush last night, the terror trap for the American psyche was expertly oiled and sprung. In that short time, speech writers had given the president an opportunity to utter the word “terror,� in some form, TWENTY SEVEN times! Do the math: that’s 1.8 times every single minute. Then throw in “Al Qaeda,� – uttered three times, and another three references to the 9/11 attacks, - and the deed was done. Steadily, repetitiously and unashamedly, - the line between the war on Iraq and the war on terror was eradicated. Karl Rove’s non sequitur strategy went off without a hitch: the invasion of Iraq was justified, the pundits applauded, and the people trembled.
This morning, there are few questions, and no challenges from the media. Not one pundit of the airwaves has demanded that the Bush administration demonstrate clearly and unequivocally the connection between Saddam Hussein and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. No one has asked how, just how, the allotment of another 87 billion dollars to Iraq will make Americans safer in their homes. No one has asked how much of the money will be going to Halliburton and other American corporations in Iraq with ties to Washington. And no one has demanded to know why the UN, so utterly “irrelevant� only months ago, is now being charged with the “responsibility� of bailing us out.
The mantra for terror was given a trial run long before this speech. For months, almost every spokesperson for the White House, the State Department and the Department of Defense has used some variation of the word “terror� in tandem with any reference to Saddam Hussein or his ruling party. The extraordinary effectiveness of this manipulation of the American psyche is not only clear, it is terribly frightening. The percentage of Americans who now believe that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attacks has risen from under 50 a few months ago to more than 70! The brainwashing of America is on a roll.
The Bush administration has seen the handwriting on the wall. Recent polls reflect a growing concern about the integrity of the President and disappointment in his policies. The quagmire in Iraq threatens to spiral out of control. The jobless rate continues to grow, and the broken promises of the 2000 campaign are becoming more apparent than ever.
And so, fear becomes a necessary factor in retaining the White House next year. Without a nation awash in propaganda and misinformation about terrorism, and without a media to assist in its dissemination, there can be no victory. A terrified electorate can be relied on to re-elect those who promise that they alone know the enemy, and they alone can save us from disaster. An alarmed populace cannot sense the trap that has been set, and do not know that it is slowly and efficiently closing around their minds.
PLEASE HELP US SURVIVE! DONATE TODAY!
Get your 9/11 Deception Dollars here! |
