Wednesday, January 09, 2008
F for Fake
This neglected blog isn't much of a soapbox, but I wanted to post my thoughts somewhere...
The recent alleged incident of Iranian speedboats threatening American military ships is one of the cheapest and most obvious fakes in the long and shameful history of false-flag operations being used to hoodwink the uncritical American masses into going along with wars.
I'm actually mildly stunned by the willingness of some of the news outlets I've watched today trying to spin this elementary-school cheez into an actual international incident. Kinda heinous, especially when you consider that this is in preparation for mass violence and a lot of people getting killed for no good reason.
Meanwhile, there are also the clear outlines of manipulation of the voting apparatus in the presidential election primaries (AGAIN) and the way that the mass media is spinning those "results." More of the usual there too. )-:
UPDATE, 5 May 2008: Word eventually got out that the abovementioned "incident" was quite likely a hoax. Did the mainstream media outlets offer any apology for reporting this cartoon BS at face value, and engaging in exhaustive sports-announcer-at-a-boxing-match-style commentary on this latest supposed Iranian provocation? Did they initiate a wave of self-examination to determine whether they had become uncritical stooges for the establishment, and if so how that happened? Did anyone launch a pointed investigation of who might have been behind such an insanely dangerous prank, which in the current climate could have led to actual warfare? If any of those things happened, they escaped my notice. As far as I know, after the initial reports that the incident may not have been what it was initially described to be, the whole affair seems to have promptly vanished from the mainstream media and the collective national unconsciousness. We now return to our regularly scheduled Britney consume popularity Brad money fashion Angelina things drama Jennifer neighbors war Ben botox sex.
The recent alleged incident of Iranian speedboats threatening American military ships is one of the cheapest and most obvious fakes in the long and shameful history of false-flag operations being used to hoodwink the uncritical American masses into going along with wars.
I'm actually mildly stunned by the willingness of some of the news outlets I've watched today trying to spin this elementary-school cheez into an actual international incident. Kinda heinous, especially when you consider that this is in preparation for mass violence and a lot of people getting killed for no good reason.
Meanwhile, there are also the clear outlines of manipulation of the voting apparatus in the presidential election primaries (AGAIN) and the way that the mass media is spinning those "results." More of the usual there too. )-:
"Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."
-Thomas Jefferson
UPDATE, 5 May 2008: Word eventually got out that the abovementioned "incident" was quite likely a hoax. Did the mainstream media outlets offer any apology for reporting this cartoon BS at face value, and engaging in exhaustive sports-announcer-at-a-boxing-match-style commentary on this latest supposed Iranian provocation? Did they initiate a wave of self-examination to determine whether they had become uncritical stooges for the establishment, and if so how that happened? Did anyone launch a pointed investigation of who might have been behind such an insanely dangerous prank, which in the current climate could have led to actual warfare? If any of those things happened, they escaped my notice. As far as I know, after the initial reports that the incident may not have been what it was initially described to be, the whole affair seems to have promptly vanished from the mainstream media and the collective national unconsciousness. We now return to our regularly scheduled Britney consume popularity Brad money fashion Angelina things drama Jennifer neighbors war Ben botox sex.
