There remains a kind of spectator relationship to military actions being implemented in our names. We're apt to crave the insulation that news outlets offer. We tell ourselves that our personal lives are difficult enough without getting too upset about world events. And the conventional war wisdom of American political life has made it predictable that most journalists and politicians cannot resist accommodating themselves to expediency by the time the first missiles are fired. Conformist behavior – in sharp contrast to authentic conscience – is notably plastic.
"Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices," Voltaire wrote. The quotation is sometimes rendered with different wording: "As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities."
Either way, a quarter of a millennium later, Voltaire's statement is all too relevant to this moment. As an astute cliche says, truth is the first casualty of war. But another early casualty is conscience.
When the huge news outlets swing behind warfare, the dissent propelled by conscience is not deemed to be very newsworthy. The mass media are filled with bright lights and sizzle, with high production values and lower human values, boosting the war effort. And for many Americans, the gap between what they believe and what's on their TV sets is the distance between their truer selves and their fearful passivity.
Conscience is not on the military's radar screen, and it's not on our television screen. But government officials and media messages do not define the limits and possibilities of conscience. We do.
This article is an excerpt from Norman Solomon's new book War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death, which comes off the press in mid-June.
For information, go to: WarMadeEasy.com
Troops blocked from access to myspace, youtube etc...
- stilltrucking
- Posts: 20646
- Joined: October 24th, 2004, 12:29 pm
- Location: Oz or somepLace like Kansas
more excerpts from the same book.
where is Voltaire when we need him?
Can it be true, that Saddam Hussein had NOTHING to do with 9/11/01?
Ha ha, it must be a joke!
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=87525
where is the court jester?
Oh I gotta go cause my buddies are all there
shit for shinola
Can it be true, that Saddam Hussein had NOTHING to do with 9/11/01?
Ha ha, it must be a joke!
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?ml_video=87525
where is the court jester?
Oh I gotta go cause my buddies are all there
shit for shinola
[color=darkcyan]i'm on a survival mission
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl? ... 31/1412206
Thursday, May 31st, 2007
Chavez Shuts Down Venezuelan TV Station as Supporters, Opponents Rally: A Debate on the Closing of RCTV
Lets hope nobody closes down Studio 8ight
Thursday, May 31st, 2007
Chavez Shuts Down Venezuelan TV Station as Supporters, Opponents Rally: A Debate on the Closing of RCTV
Lets hope nobody closes down Studio 8ight
[color=darkcyan]i'm on a survival mission
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
"So Mr. Rodriguez is right. We have a very tough problem, very strong problem here with the courts, who have not even recognized that there had been a coup d’etat here in Venezuela."
"odd things can happen"
"blacklists"
"freedom speech"
It´s hard sometimes to think in order to priorities that ex-clude other aspects of the reality.
When two years ago I went to a presentation of an adult audio-visual alfabetization programme in Rosario made by people from Venezuela (based in the cuban experience) I was the only person in the room that said I considered it anachronic, and I said why. I tried to be kind and calm but it seems it was totally political-incorrect what I said...only bigg deep silence. I expected something different, really.
"odd things can happen"
"blacklists"
"freedom speech"
It´s hard sometimes to think in order to priorities that ex-clude other aspects of the reality.
When two years ago I went to a presentation of an adult audio-visual alfabetization programme in Rosario made by people from Venezuela (based in the cuban experience) I was the only person in the room that said I considered it anachronic, and I said why. I tried to be kind and calm but it seems it was totally political-incorrect what I said...only bigg deep silence. I expected something different, really.
I agree that the Radio Caracas TV was culpable, but shutting them down was bad PR for Venezuelan socialist democracy.
Personally I am very happy that Venezuelan socialist democracy exists, but now the USA conservatives are harping, singing, that Chavez is a dictator.
Argentina is partners with Bolivia and Cuba and Venezuela in tele sattellites, good!
Anyhow, the elections in Venezuela are fair. I will be glad when we have voted out the Republicans, but would not try to shut them up.
beegg deep silencio.
studio 8ight is muy cooperativa
Personally I am very happy that Venezuelan socialist democracy exists, but now the USA conservatives are harping, singing, that Chavez is a dictator.
Argentina is partners with Bolivia and Cuba and Venezuela in tele sattellites, good!
Anyhow, the elections in Venezuela are fair. I will be glad when we have voted out the Republicans, but would not try to shut them up.
beegg deep silencio.
studio 8ight is muy cooperativa
Last edited by jimboloco on June 5th, 2007, 2:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
[color=darkcyan]i'm on a survival mission
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ApVMr4X ... ed&search=
Marine Vet Adam Kokesh Defends Right of Dissent
Marine Vet Adam Kokesh Defends Right of Dissent
Adam Kokesh Hearing Update
Iraq Veterans Against the War scored a victory for free speech today in Kansas City, MO. A panel of three Marine Corps officers recommended today that Adam Kokesh receive a general discharge under honorable conditions. Adam and his attorney will, however, appeal this finding on the grounds that Adam is entitled to his full honorable discharge. In a seemingly hypocritical contradiction, the Marine Corps panel, as well as the prosecution's key witness, Major Whyte, agreed that the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) does not apply to members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Regardless of this, several other honorably discharged IVAW members are facing a similar hearing based on their stance against the war. IVAW members will continue to tell the truth about our experiences in Iraq and in the military and fight to bring our brothers and sisters home from Iraq now.
http://www.ivaw.org/
[color=darkcyan]i'm on a survival mission
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]
- stilltrucking
- Posts: 20646
- Joined: October 24th, 2004, 12:29 pm
- Location: Oz or somepLace like Kansas
just checking in to see what your condition is in
been five days since you replied
sorry
nothing much to say
nothing much happening
I don't see no way our people are coming home any time soon. Junior has to protect the office of the ex president, he has that presidential library to think about in the final golden years of his presiduncecy.
Yeah I have not thought about Iraq once today. No news this sunday, just a paper from last friday. About the new war Czar Gen. Lute, this guy Jack reed was an army officer too, he calls Lute his friend
I saw this link about Stephen Who? Hadley probably unknown to most americans. He is infamous with me. One of the grand architechts of the Fiasco.
jt
been five days since you replied
sorry
nothing much to say
nothing much happening
I don't see no way our people are coming home any time soon. Junior has to protect the office of the ex president, he has that presidential library to think about in the final golden years of his presiduncecy.
Yeah I have not thought about Iraq once today. No news this sunday, just a paper from last friday. About the new war Czar Gen. Lute, this guy Jack reed was an army officer too, he calls Lute his friend
I saw this link about Stephen Who? Hadley probably unknown to most americans. He is infamous with me. One of the grand architechts of the Fiasco.
jt
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests