"War on terror" = false metaphor

The war on terror is a false metaphor that has led to counterproductive
and self-defeating policies. Five years after 9/11, a misleading figure
of speech applied literally has unleashed a real war fought on several
fronts -- Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia -- a war that has
killed thousands of innocent civilians and enraged millions around the
world. Yet al Qaeda has not been subdued; a plot that could have
claimed more victims than 9/11 has just been foiled by the vigilance of
British intelligence.

Unfortunately, the "war on terror" metaphor was uncritically accepted
by the American public as the obvious response to 9/11. It is now
widely admitted that the invasion of Iraq was a blunder. But the war on
terror remains the frame into which American policy has to fit. Most
Democratic politicians subscribe to it for fear of being tagged as weak
on defense.

What makes the war on terror self-defeating?

· First, war by its very nature creates innocent victims. A war waged
against terrorists is even more likely to claim innocent victims
because terrorists tend to keep their whereabouts hidden. The deaths,
injuries and humiliation of civilians generate rage and resentment
among their families and communities that in turn serves to build
support for terrorists.

· Second, terrorism is an abstraction. It lumps together all
political movements that use terrorist tactics. Al Qaeda, Hamas,
Hezbollah, the Sunni insurrection and the Mahdi army in Iraq are very
different forces, but President Bush's global war on terror prevents us
from differentiating between them and dealing with them accordingly. It
inhibits much-needed negotiations with Iran and Syria because they are
states that support terrorist groups.

· Third, the war on terror emphasizes military action while most
territorial conflicts require political solutions. And, as the British
have shown, al Qaeda is best dealt with by good intelligence. The war
on terror increases the terrorist threat and makes the task of the
intelligence agencies more difficult. Osama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri are still at large; we need to focus on finding them, and
preventing attacks like the one foiled in England.

· Fourth, the war on terror drives a wedge between "us" and "them."
We are innocent victims. They are perpetrators. But we fail to notice
that we also become perpetrators in the process; the rest of the world,
however, does notice. That is how such a wide gap has arisen between
America and much of the world.

Taken together, these four factors ensure that the war on terror cannot
be won. An endless war waged against an unseen enemy is doing great
damage to our power and prestige abroad and to our open society at
home. It has led to a dangerous extension of executive powers; it has
tarnished our adherence to universal human rights; it has inhibited the
critical process that is at the heart of an open society; and it has
cost a lot of money. Most importantly, it has diverted attention from
other urgent tasks that require American leadership, such as finishing
the job we so correctly began in Afghanistan, addressing the looming
global energy crisis, and dealing with nuclear proliferation.

With American influence at low ebb, the world is in danger of sliding
into a vicious circle of escalating violence. We can escape it only if
we Americans repudiate the war on terror as a false metaphor. If we
persevere on the wrong course, the situation will continue to
deteriorate. It is not our will that is being tested, but our
understanding of reality. It is painful to admit that our current
predicaments are brought about by our own misconceptions. However, not
admitting it is bound to prove even more painful in the long run. The
strength of an open society lies in its ability to recognize and
correct its mistakes. This is the test that confronts us.

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, August 15, 2006
"A Self-Defeating War"
By George Soros

===================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

===================

for those who missed them:

Pictures of Destruction and Civilian Victims of the Anglo-American
Aggression in Iraq

These photos are only of a very tiny fraction of the thousands of Iraqi
Civilian Victims who have been terrorised, humiliated, injured, maimed
and killed through British and American bombing of civilian areas in
various cities of Iraq. Due to insecurity, independent reporters could
not and still can not reach many areas to photograph and report the
atrocities. Several independent reporters and journalists were
deliberately bombed to prevent them reporting the atrocities. We kindly
request Independent News Reporters to send us photos of the
Anglo-American atrocities in Iraq for inclusion on these pages.

Please note that some of these pictures are not suitable for small
children and those who have weak hearts.

http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

=================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

The so called "war" on terror - is a form of war on good people
everywhere. The worst criminals in the world are the billionaires who
control the american "news" media and a few *******s who work out of
the white house and pentagon.

Ultimately it's all about money and their insatiable greed. Peace is
not profitable and it's the #1 obstacle to war. War is extremely
profitable. If that were not the case there would be no war.

The soldiers mean well, but they are ignorant of the truth. Otherwise
they would not serve the ******* warmongers.

It's a tricky situation when you consider that anyone who stands in
forceful resistance to the American empire is labeled a "terrorist" by
the deception and greed based American Empire.

We must never forget the shock and awe - when the US dropped tens of
thousands of bombs on the good people Baghdad - a city of 6+ million
(more people than both Los Angeles & Houston together). Despite the
fact that the corrupt US news media proudly proclaimed that it was a
matter of the "empire striking back", it was terrorism. Thousands of
defenseless women and children were needlessly massacred and Americans
were encouraged to be proud of and to support Bush's so called 'war on
terror'.

By supporting the Bush regime, people are indeed supporting terrorism.
Most of them have been led to believe that the biggest terrorist regime
in the world is actually fighting terrorism, so I wouldn't call that
treason. They're simply guilty of being too gullible, of believing the
lies of the most spectacular propaganda system of all time, which is
based on unlimited greed.

RH

=============

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act."
George Orwell

George Orwell in "1984":
"It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory
[peace] is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to
be continuous [to last forever and to remain extremely profitable for
a few extremely rich men]. Hierarchical society [where the rich get
richer and the poor are ****ed on] is only possible on the basis of
poverty and ignorance... In principle, the war effort is always planned
to keep [significant parts of] society on the brink of starvation [with
many struggling & barely getting by].

The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects [who are
intentionally kept down (poor), so enough of them will be desperate
enough to put on a uniform & fight]... [the war's] object is not the
victory... but to keep the very structure of [our deception & greed
based, totalitarian ******* led] society [where the super rich grow
fatter and fatter, while the average people - especially non-whites,
get ****ed on] intact."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"One reason that propaganda often works better on the educated than on
the uneducated is that educated people read more, so they receive more
propaganda. Another is that they have jobs in management, media, and
academia and therefore work in some capacity as agents of the
propaganda system--and they believe what the system expects them to
believe. By and large, they're part of the privileged elite, and share
the interests and perceptions of those in power. " Noam Chomsky

A good short article:
Propaganda American Style by Noam Chomsky
http://www.zpub.com/un/chomsky.html
================

Media Education Foundation
Elite Propaganda
THE MYTH OF THE LIBERAL MEDIA
The Propaganda Model of News

watch/listen to free 60 min. video:

Video
http://www.informationclearinghouse....rticle6435.htm

Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky demolish one of the central tenets of
our political culture, the idea of the "liberal media." Instead,
utilizing a systematic model based on massive empirical research, they
reveal the manner in which the news media are so subordinated to
corporate and conservative interests that their function can only be
described as that of "elite propaganda."

"If you want to understand the way a system works, you look at its
institutional structure. How it is organized, how it is controlled,
how it is funded." -Noam Chomsky

"The Mainstream media really represent elite interests, and what the
propaganda model tries to do is stipulate a set of institutional
variables, reflecting this elite power, that very powerfully influence
the media." -Edward Herman

======================
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.
Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed
the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war,
and millions have been killed because of this obedience. . . Our
problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of
poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem
is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves,
and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our
problem." Howard Zinn, "Failure to Quit", p. 45

"We cannot afford to differ on the question of honesty if we expect our
republic permanently to endure. Honesty is not so much a credit as an
absolute prerequisite to efficient service to the public. Unless a man
is honest, we have no right to keep him in public life; it matters not
how brilliant his capacity." Theodore Roosevelt

" The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the
growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the
democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism - ownership of
government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private
power." President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and
causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the
war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high
places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour
to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until
all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is
destroyed." Abraham Lincoln

=

"Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible
government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to
the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy
alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first
task of the statesmanship of today." President Theodore Roosevelt

=

"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most
completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no
longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by
conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion
and duress of small groups of dominant men." Woodrow Wilson

-----------------

"The problems of mankind are real but solvable.
The solution lies within your grasp.
Take your brother's need as the measure for
your action and solve the problems of the world.
There is no other course. "
The World Teacher

wrote:
The war on terror is a false metaphor that has led to counterproductive
and self-defeating policies. Five years after 9/11, a misleading figure
of speech applied literally has unleashed a real war fought on several
fronts -- Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia -- a war that has
killed thousands of innocent civilians and enraged millions around the
world. Yet al Qaeda has not been subdued; a plot that could have
claimed more victims than 9/11 has just been foiled by the vigilance of
British intelligence.

Unfortunately, the "war on terror" metaphor was uncritically accepted
by the American public as the obvious response to 9/11. It is now
widely admitted that the invasion of Iraq was a blunder. But the war on
terror remains the frame into which American policy has to fit. Most
Democratic politicians subscribe to it for fear of being tagged as weak
on defense.

What makes the war on terror self-defeating?

· First, war by its very nature creates innocent victims. A war waged
against terrorists is even more likely to claim innocent victims
because terrorists tend to keep their whereabouts hidden. The deaths,
injuries and humiliation of civilians generate rage and resentment
among their families and communities that in turn serves to build
support for terrorists.

· Second, terrorism is an abstraction. It lumps together all
political movements that use terrorist tactics. Al Qaeda, Hamas,
Hezbollah, the Sunni insurrection and the Mahdi army in Iraq are very
different forces, but President Bush's global war on terror prevents us
from differentiating between them and dealing with them accordingly. It
inhibits much-needed negotiations with Iran and Syria because they are
states that support terrorist groups.

· Third, the war on terror emphasizes military action while most
territorial conflicts require political solutions. And, as the British
have shown, al Qaeda is best dealt with by good intelligence. The war
on terror increases the terrorist threat and makes the task of the
intelligence agencies more difficult. Osama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri are still at large; we need to focus on finding them, and
preventing attacks like the one foiled in England.

· Fourth, the war on terror drives a wedge between "us" and "them."
We are innocent victims. They are perpetrators. But we fail to notice
that we also become perpetrators in the process; the rest of the world,
however, does notice. That is how such a wide gap has arisen between
America and much of the world.

Taken together, these four factors ensure that the war on terror cannot
be won. An endless war waged against an unseen enemy is doing great
damage to our power and prestige abroad and to our open society at
home. It has led to a dangerous extension of executive powers; it has
tarnished our adherence to universal human rights; it has inhibited the
critical process that is at the heart of an open society; and it has
cost a lot of money. Most importantly, it has diverted attention from
other urgent tasks that require American leadership, such as finishing
the job we so correctly began in Afghanistan, addressing the looming
global energy crisis, and dealing with nuclear proliferation.

With American influence at low ebb, the world is in danger of sliding
into a vicious circle of escalating violence. We can escape it only if
we Americans repudiate the war on terror as a false metaphor. If we
persevere on the wrong course, the situation will continue to
deteriorate. It is not our will that is being tested, but our
understanding of reality. It is painful to admit that our current
predicaments are brought about by our own misconceptions. However, not
admitting it is bound to prove even more painful in the long run. The
strength of an open society lies in its ability to recognize and
correct its mistakes. This is the test that confronts us.

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, August 15, 2006
"A Self-Defeating War"
By George Soros

===================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

===================

for those who missed them:

Pictures of Destruction and Civilian Victims of the Anglo-American
Aggression in Iraq

These photos are only of a very tiny fraction of the thousands of Iraqi
Civilian Victims who have been terrorised, humiliated, injured, maimed
and killed through British and American bombing of civilian areas in
various cities of Iraq. Due to insecurity, independent reporters could
not and still can not reach many areas to photograph and report the
atrocities. Several independent reporters and journalists were
deliberately bombed to prevent them reporting the atrocities. We kindly
request Independent News Reporters to send us photos of the
Anglo-American atrocities in Iraq for inclusion on these pages.

Please note that some of these pictures are not suitable for small
children and those who have weak hearts.

http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

=================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

I'll never forget the bombing of Iraq. It was the most beautiful display of
fireworks that I've ever seen.
I can't wait for Iran & Syria to get theirs.

"RH" wrote in message
ps.com...
The so called "war" on terror - is a form of war on good people
everywhere. The worst criminals in the world are the billionaires who
control the american "news" media and a few *******s who work out of
the white house and pentagon.

Ultimately it's all about money and their insatiable greed. Peace is
not profitable and it's the #1 obstacle to war. War is extremely
profitable. If that were not the case there would be no war.

The soldiers mean well, but they are ignorant of the truth. Otherwise
they would not serve the ******* warmongers.

It's a tricky situation when you consider that anyone who stands in
forceful resistance to the American empire is labeled a "terrorist" by
the deception and greed based American Empire.

We must never forget the shock and awe - when the US dropped tens of
thousands of bombs on the good people Baghdad - a city of 6+ million
(more people than both Los Angeles & Houston together). Despite the
fact that the corrupt US news media proudly proclaimed that it was a
matter of the "empire striking back", it was terrorism. Thousands of
defenseless women and children were needlessly massacred and Americans
were encouraged to be proud of and to support Bush's so called 'war on
terror'.

By supporting the Bush regime, people are indeed supporting terrorism.
Most of them have been led to believe that the biggest terrorist regime
in the world is actually fighting terrorism, so I wouldn't call that
treason. They're simply guilty of being too gullible, of believing the
lies of the most spectacular propaganda system of all time, which is
based on unlimited greed.

RH

=============

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act."
George Orwell

George Orwell in "1984":
"It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory
[peace] is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to
be continuous [to last forever and to remain extremely profitable for
a few extremely rich men]. Hierarchical society [where the rich get
richer and the poor are ****ed on] is only possible on the basis of
poverty and ignorance... In principle, the war effort is always planned
to keep [significant parts of] society on the brink of starvation [with
many struggling & barely getting by].

The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects [who are
intentionally kept down (poor), so enough of them will be desperate
enough to put on a uniform & fight]... [the war's] object is not the
victory... but to keep the very structure of [our deception & greed
based, totalitarian ******* led] society [where the super rich grow
fatter and fatter, while the average people - especially non-whites,
get ****ed on] intact."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"One reason that propaganda often works better on the educated than on
the uneducated is that educated people read more, so they receive more
propaganda. Another is that they have jobs in management, media, and
academia and therefore work in some capacity as agents of the
propaganda system--and they believe what the system expects them to
believe. By and large, they're part of the privileged elite, and share
the interests and perceptions of those in power. " Noam Chomsky

A good short article:
Propaganda American Style by Noam Chomsky
http://www.zpub.com/un/chomsky.html
================

Media Education Foundation
Elite Propaganda
THE MYTH OF THE LIBERAL MEDIA
The Propaganda Model of News

watch/listen to free 60 min. video:

Video
http://www.informationclearinghouse....rticle6435.htm

Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky demolish one of the central tenets of
our political culture, the idea of the "liberal media." Instead,
utilizing a systematic model based on massive empirical research, they
reveal the manner in which the news media are so subordinated to
corporate and conservative interests that their function can only be
described as that of "elite propaganda."

"If you want to understand the way a system works, you look at its
institutional structure. How it is organized, how it is controlled,
how it is funded." -Noam Chomsky

"The Mainstream media really represent elite interests, and what the
propaganda model tries to do is stipulate a set of institutional
variables, reflecting this elite power, that very powerfully influence
the media." -Edward Herman

======================
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.
Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed
the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war,
and millions have been killed because of this obedience. . . Our
problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of
poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem
is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves,
and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our
problem." Howard Zinn, "Failure to Quit", p. 45

"We cannot afford to differ on the question of honesty if we expect our
republic permanently to endure. Honesty is not so much a credit as an
absolute prerequisite to efficient service to the public. Unless a man
is honest, we have no right to keep him in public life; it matters not
how brilliant his capacity." Theodore Roosevelt

" The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the
growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the
democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism - ownership of
government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private
power." President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and
causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the
war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high
places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour
to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until
all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is
destroyed." Abraham Lincoln

=

"Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible
government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to
the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy
alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first
task of the statesmanship of today." President Theodore Roosevelt

=

"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most
completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no
longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by
conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion
and duress of small groups of dominant men." Woodrow Wilson

-----------------

"The problems of mankind are real but solvable.
The solution lies within your grasp.
Take your brother's need as the measure for
your action and solve the problems of the world.
There is no other course. "
The World Teacher

wrote:
The war on terror is a false metaphor that has led to counterproductive
and self-defeating policies. Five years after 9/11, a misleading figure
of speech applied literally has unleashed a real war fought on several
fronts -- Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia -- a war that has
killed thousands of innocent civilians and enraged millions around the
world. Yet al Qaeda has not been subdued; a plot that could have
claimed more victims than 9/11 has just been foiled by the vigilance of
British intelligence.

Unfortunately, the "war on terror" metaphor was uncritically accepted
by the American public as the obvious response to 9/11. It is now
widely admitted that the invasion of Iraq was a blunder. But the war on
terror remains the frame into which American policy has to fit. Most
Democratic politicians subscribe to it for fear of being tagged as weak
on defense.

What makes the war on terror self-defeating?

· First, war by its very nature creates innocent victims. A war waged
against terrorists is even more likely to claim innocent victims
because terrorists tend to keep their whereabouts hidden. The deaths,
injuries and humiliation of civilians generate rage and resentment
among their families and communities that in turn serves to build
support for terrorists.

· Second, terrorism is an abstraction. It lumps together all
political movements that use terrorist tactics. Al Qaeda, Hamas,
Hezbollah, the Sunni insurrection and the Mahdi army in Iraq are very
different forces, but President Bush's global war on terror prevents us
from differentiating between them and dealing with them accordingly. It
inhibits much-needed negotiations with Iran and Syria because they are
states that support terrorist groups.

· Third, the war on terror emphasizes military action while most
territorial conflicts require political solutions. And, as the British
have shown, al Qaeda is best dealt with by good intelligence. The war
on terror increases the terrorist threat and makes the task of the
intelligence agencies more difficult. Osama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri are still at large; we need to focus on finding them, and
preventing attacks like the one foiled in England.

· Fourth, the war on terror drives a wedge between "us" and "them."
We are innocent victims. They are perpetrators. But we fail to notice
that we also become perpetrators in the process; the rest of the world,
however, does notice. That is how such a wide gap has arisen between
America and much of the world.

Taken together, these four factors ensure that the war on terror cannot
be won. An endless war waged against an unseen enemy is doing great
damage to our power and prestige abroad and to our open society at
home. It has led to a dangerous extension of executive powers; it has
tarnished our adherence to universal human rights; it has inhibited the
critical process that is at the heart of an open society; and it has
cost a lot of money. Most importantly, it has diverted attention from
other urgent tasks that require American leadership, such as finishing
the job we so correctly began in Afghanistan, addressing the looming
global energy crisis, and dealing with nuclear proliferation.

With American influence at low ebb, the world is in danger of sliding
into a vicious circle of escalating violence. We can escape it only if
we Americans repudiate the war on terror as a false metaphor. If we
persevere on the wrong course, the situation will continue to
deteriorate. It is not our will that is being tested, but our
understanding of reality. It is painful to admit that our current
predicaments are brought about by our own misconceptions. However, not
admitting it is bound to prove even more painful in the long run. The
strength of an open society lies in its ability to recognize and
correct its mistakes. This is the test that confronts us.

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, August 15, 2006
"A Self-Defeating War"
By George Soros

===================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

===================

for those who missed them:

Pictures of Destruction and Civilian Victims of the Anglo-American
Aggression in Iraq

These photos are only of a very tiny fraction of the thousands of Iraqi
Civilian Victims who have been terrorised, humiliated, injured, maimed
and killed through British and American bombing of civilian areas in
various cities of Iraq. Due to insecurity, independent reporters could
not and still can not reach many areas to photograph and report the
atrocities. Several independent reporters and journalists were
deliberately bombed to prevent them reporting the atrocities. We kindly
request Independent News Reporters to send us photos of the
Anglo-American atrocities in Iraq for inclusion on these pages.

Please note that some of these pictures are not suitable for small
children and those who have weak hearts.

http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

=================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

RH wrote:
The worst criminals in the world are the billionaires who
control the american "news" media...

Ah, well, there goes your credibility right in the lead paragraph. The
very notion that the American news media can be controlled is
preposterous beyond belief.

--
St. John

Ken Lovering wrote:
I'll never forget the bombing of Iraq. It was the most beautiful display of
fireworks that I've ever seen.
I can't wait for Iran & Syria to get theirs.


That poor guy has become infected by leadership of the vilest caliber.
Someday I hope his heart will do more than pump blood, and that he will
be able to recognize the difference between men and animals.

A growing number of people grasp the fact that as a result of this
ongoing major national crisis (where world's top bully got the crap
knocked out of it on 9-11, and hasn't yet recovered) the whole world is
in a major crisis mode. None of the major players in either of the
major American parties gets it. More than 90% of them have the blood of
tens of thousands on their hands, and they're too narrow minded to
have any remorse or awareness of the consequences of their actions.

It doesn't look like the world will meekly tolerate a single world
power whose leadership is so regressive, anti-social, and ignorant that
they feel that they must try to solve it's problems with bombs.

Much brighter leadership for the US must be found to solve the crisis.
If our civilization is to improve or even survive the next century -
major changes in the USA political system are going to have to take
place. Business as usual just isn't going to cut it.

The Tentacles of the Empire Goliath stretch all over the world. The
monster is rotten to the core, and is destined to fall soon. Then all
the monster king's horses and all of it's men won't be able to get the
horrible beast in power again! And the world will become a much better
place for everyone who loves peace, truth and justice.

Cheers!

=========
A great way to fight the real terrorists:
http://www.ImpeachBush.org
========

Please pass this around to others.. because the truth must be spread
far & wide. It will set us free - from the strangle hold of insanely
greedy capitalists, the politicians that they control, and all the
needless human suffering and misery that they cause in their psychotic
quest to expand the American empire.




"RH" wrote in message
ps.com...
The so called "war" on terror - is a form of war on good people
everywhere. The worst criminals in the world are the billionaires who
control the american "news" media and a few *******s who work out of
the white house and pentagon.

Ultimately it's all about money and their insatiable greed. Peace is
not profitable and it's the #1 obstacle to war. War is extremely
profitable. If that were not the case there would be no war.

The soldiers mean well, but they are ignorant of the truth. Otherwise
they would not serve the ******* warmongers.

It's a tricky situation when you consider that anyone who stands in
forceful resistance to the American empire is labeled a "terrorist" by
the deception and greed based American Empire.

We must never forget the shock and awe - when the US dropped tens of
thousands of bombs on the good people Baghdad - a city of 6+ million
(more people than both Los Angeles & Houston together). Despite the
fact that the corrupt US news media proudly proclaimed that it was a
matter of the "empire striking back", it was terrorism. Thousands of
defenseless women and children were needlessly massacred and Americans
were encouraged to be proud of and to support Bush's so called 'war on
terror'.

By supporting the Bush regime, people are indeed supporting terrorism.
Most of them have been led to believe that the biggest terrorist regime
in the world is actually fighting terrorism, so I wouldn't call that
treason. They're simply guilty of being too gullible, of believing the
lies of the most spectacular propaganda system of all time, which is
based on unlimited greed.

RH

=============

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act."
George Orwell

George Orwell in "1984":
"It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory
[peace] is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to
be continuous [to last forever and to remain extremely profitable for
a few extremely rich men]. Hierarchical society [where the rich get
richer and the poor are ****ed on] is only possible on the basis of
poverty and ignorance... In principle, the war effort is always planned
to keep [significant parts of] society on the brink of starvation [with
many struggling & barely getting by].

The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects [who are
intentionally kept down (poor), so enough of them will be desperate
enough to put on a uniform & fight]... [the war's] object is not the
victory... but to keep the very structure of [our deception & greed
based, totalitarian ******* led] society [where the super rich grow
fatter and fatter, while the average people - especially non-whites,
get ****ed on] intact."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"One reason that propaganda often works better on the educated than on
the uneducated is that educated people read more, so they receive more
propaganda. Another is that they have jobs in management, media, and
academia and therefore work in some capacity as agents of the
propaganda system--and they believe what the system expects them to
believe. By and large, they're part of the privileged elite, and share
the interests and perceptions of those in power. " Noam Chomsky

A good short article:
Propaganda American Style by Noam Chomsky
http://www.zpub.com/un/chomsky.html
================

Media Education Foundation
Elite Propaganda
THE MYTH OF THE LIBERAL MEDIA
The Propaganda Model of News

watch/listen to free 60 min. video:

Video
http://www.informationclearinghouse....rticle6435.htm

Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky demolish one of the central tenets of
our political culture, the idea of the "liberal media." Instead,
utilizing a systematic model based on massive empirical research, they
reveal the manner in which the news media are so subordinated to
corporate and conservative interests that their function can only be
described as that of "elite propaganda."

"If you want to understand the way a system works, you look at its
institutional structure. How it is organized, how it is controlled,
how it is funded." -Noam Chomsky

"The Mainstream media really represent elite interests, and what the
propaganda model tries to do is stipulate a set of institutional
variables, reflecting this elite power, that very powerfully influence
the media." -Edward Herman

======================
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.
Our problem is that numbers of people all over the world have obeyed
the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war,
and millions have been killed because of this obedience. . . Our
problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of
poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem
is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves,
and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That's our
problem." Howard Zinn, "Failure to Quit", p. 45

"We cannot afford to differ on the question of honesty if we expect our
republic permanently to endure. Honesty is not so much a credit as an
absolute prerequisite to efficient service to the public. Unless a man
is honest, we have no right to keep him in public life; it matters not
how brilliant his capacity." Theodore Roosevelt

" The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the
growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the
democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism - ownership of
government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private
power." President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and
causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the
war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high
places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavour
to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until
all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is
destroyed." Abraham Lincoln

=

"Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible
government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to
the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy
alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first
task of the statesmanship of today." President Theodore Roosevelt

=

"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most
completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no
longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by
conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion
and duress of small groups of dominant men." Woodrow Wilson

-----------------

"The problems of mankind are real but solvable.
The solution lies within your grasp.
Take your brother's need as the measure for
your action and solve the problems of the world.
There is no other course. "
The World Teacher

wrote:
The war on terror is a false metaphor that has led to counterproductive
and self-defeating policies. Five years after 9/11, a misleading figure
of speech applied literally has unleashed a real war fought on several
fronts -- Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia -- a war that has
killed thousands of innocent civilians and enraged millions around the
world. Yet al Qaeda has not been subdued; a plot that could have
claimed more victims than 9/11 has just been foiled by the vigilance of
British intelligence.

Unfortunately, the "war on terror" metaphor was uncritically accepted
by the American public as the obvious response to 9/11. It is now
widely admitted that the invasion of Iraq was a blunder. But the war on
terror remains the frame into which American policy has to fit. Most
Democratic politicians subscribe to it for fear of being tagged as weak
on defense.

What makes the war on terror self-defeating?

· First, war by its very nature creates innocent victims. A war waged
against terrorists is even more likely to claim innocent victims
because terrorists tend to keep their whereabouts hidden. The deaths,
injuries and humiliation of civilians generate rage and resentment
among their families and communities that in turn serves to build
support for terrorists.

· Second, terrorism is an abstraction. It lumps together all
political movements that use terrorist tactics. Al Qaeda, Hamas,
Hezbollah, the Sunni insurrection and the Mahdi army in Iraq are very
different forces, but President Bush's global war on terror prevents us
from differentiating between them and dealing with them accordingly. It
inhibits much-needed negotiations with Iran and Syria because they are
states that support terrorist groups.

· Third, the war on terror emphasizes military action while most
territorial conflicts require political solutions. And, as the British
have shown, al Qaeda is best dealt with by good intelligence. The war
on terror increases the terrorist threat and makes the task of the
intelligence agencies more difficult. Osama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri are still at large; we need to focus on finding them, and
preventing attacks like the one foiled in England.

· Fourth, the war on terror drives a wedge between "us" and "them."
We are innocent victims. They are perpetrators. But we fail to notice
that we also become perpetrators in the process; the rest of the world,
however, does notice. That is how such a wide gap has arisen between
America and much of the world.

Taken together, these four factors ensure that the war on terror cannot
be won. An endless war waged against an unseen enemy is doing great
damage to our power and prestige abroad and to our open society at
home. It has led to a dangerous extension of executive powers; it has
tarnished our adherence to universal human rights; it has inhibited the
critical process that is at the heart of an open society; and it has
cost a lot of money. Most importantly, it has diverted attention from
other urgent tasks that require American leadership, such as finishing
the job we so correctly began in Afghanistan, addressing the looming
global energy crisis, and dealing with nuclear proliferation.

With American influence at low ebb, the world is in danger of sliding
into a vicious circle of escalating violence. We can escape it only if
we Americans repudiate the war on terror as a false metaphor. If we
persevere on the wrong course, the situation will continue to
deteriorate. It is not our will that is being tested, but our
understanding of reality. It is painful to admit that our current
predicaments are brought about by our own misconceptions. However, not
admitting it is bound to prove even more painful in the long run. The
strength of an open society lies in its ability to recognize and
correct its mistakes. This is the test that confronts us.

Excerpted from the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, August 15, 2006
"A Self-Defeating War"
By George Soros

===================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

===================

for those who missed them:

Pictures of Destruction and Civilian Victims of the Anglo-American
Aggression in Iraq

These photos are only of a very tiny fraction of the thousands of Iraqi
Civilian Victims who have been terrorised, humiliated, injured, maimed
and killed through British and American bombing of civilian areas in
various cities of Iraq. Due to insecurity, independent reporters could
not and still can not reach many areas to photograph and report the
atrocities. Several independent reporters and journalists were
deliberately bombed to prevent them reporting the atrocities. We kindly
request Independent News Reporters to send us photos of the
Anglo-American atrocities in Iraq for inclusion on these pages.

Please note that some of these pictures are not suitable for small
children and those who have weak hearts.

http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

=================

One way to help fight the real terrorists!
http://www.ImpeachBush.org

"St. John Smythe" wrote in message
...
RH wrote:
The worst criminals in the world are the billionaires who
control the american "news" media...

Ah, well, there goes your credibility right in the lead paragraph. The
very notion that the American news media can be controlled is preposterous
beyond belief.

--
St. John


Well, at least you demonstrate a sense of humour - or is it gullibility?

--
When you discover that "they" really are out to get you, you may realise
that you're not quite as paranoid as you thought you were.

"Ken Lovering" wrote in message
...
I'll never forget the bombing of Iraq. It was the most beautiful display
of
fireworks that I've ever seen.
I can't wait for Iran & Syria to get theirs.


You do realize that they do get to shoot back?

"Perro Blanco" wrote in message
.. .


Well, at least you demonstrate a sense of humour - or is it gullibility?

--
When you discover that "they" really are out to get you, you may realise
that you're not quite as paranoid as you thought you were.



Another clever retort. Now why don't you make some sort of an argument
contradicting what he said?

Jarg

On 16 Aug 2006 08:21:40 -0700, wrote:

The war on terror is a false metaphor that has led to counterproductive
and self-defeating policies.

The term 'war on terror' is not a metaphor. It is exactly what it says
it is. It is not euphemistic phrasing to denote something else. But,
that's the first of a plethora of mistakes in the post.

Five years after 9/11, a misleading figure
of speech applied literally has unleashed a real war fought on several
fronts -- Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia -- a war that has
killed thousands of innocent civilians and enraged millions around the
world. Yet al Qaeda has not been subdued; a plot that could have
claimed more victims than 9/11 has just been foiled by the vigilance of
British intelligence.

And, the foiling of the recent plot in the UK would hardly be
interpreted as a failure. And, al Qaeda is virtually bereft of
recognizable leadership.

Unfortunately, the "war on terror" metaphor was uncritically accepted
by the American public as the obvious response to 9/11. It is now
widely admitted that the invasion of Iraq was a blunder. But the war on
terror remains the frame into which American policy has to fit. Most
Democratic politicians subscribe to it for fear of being tagged as weak
on defense.

Still not a metaphor, but it would be hard to recap the debates in
Congress, the media and the UN as "uncritical acceptance." And, while
few would consider the removal of Sadaam and the Baathists as a
blunder, there is some debate on the follow-on to the war. Democracy
isn't viewed as a positive by all, including some Democrats.

What makes the war on terror self-defeating?

And, "When did you stop beating your wife...?"

· First, war by its very nature creates innocent victims. A war waged
against terrorists is even more likely to claim innocent victims
because terrorists tend to keep their whereabouts hidden. The deaths,
injuries and humiliation of civilians generate rage and resentment
among their families and communities that in turn serves to build
support for terrorists.

Yep, you always get a lot of support for those who recklessly endanger
you will hiding in your midst and committing unspeakable acts against
forces which both you and the terrorist know will retaliate.

· Second, terrorism is an abstraction. It lumps together all
political movements that use terrorist tactics. Al Qaeda, Hamas,
Hezbollah, the Sunni insurrection and the Mahdi army in Iraq are very
different forces, but President Bush's global war on terror prevents us
from differentiating between them and dealing with them accordingly. It
inhibits much-needed negotiations with Iran and Syria because they are
states that support terrorist groups.

Well, you list a series of groups that are all Middle East muslim
jihadists. Doesn't require too much differentiation there. And, there
seems to be ample evidence that the administrations of both Iran and
Syria aren't very eager to conduct "much needed negotiations."

· Third, the war on terror emphasizes military action while most
territorial conflicts require political solutions. And, as the British
have shown, al Qaeda is best dealt with by good intelligence. The war
on terror increases the terrorist threat and makes the task of the
intelligence agencies more difficult. Osama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri are still at large; we need to focus on finding them, and
preventing attacks like the one foiled in England.

The war on terror is not a territorial conflict, but an ideological
one. No one challenges the value of good intelligence--except those
who grumble and gripe about the Patriot Act, cell phone record mining,
and financial tracing as somehow infringing on the "rights" of the
terrorists.

While Osama hasn't been found, one could argue that he has been
effectively neutralized. And Sadaam, Ouday and Qusay, and al-Zarqawi
area pretty much history Along with the majority of the original card
deck and a few others that popped up along the way. There have been a
lot more hits than errors in this game.

· Fourth, the war on terror drives a wedge between "us" and "them."
We are innocent victims. They are perpetrators. But we fail to notice
that we also become perpetrators in the process; the rest of the world,
however, does notice. That is how such a wide gap has arisen between
America and much of the world.

'Tis better to be respected than to be loved. The motto "no better
friend, no worse enemy" is a good one. The US hasn't established
colonies or co-opted territory since the Spanish-American war. Those
we fought and defeated are rebuilt and leading the globe in
technology, commerce and living standards. We can't guarantee
elevation to an American standard of living, but we pretty much do
guarantee a drastic improvement to life under Sharia.

Taken together, these four factors ensure that the war on terror cannot
be won. An endless war waged against an unseen enemy is doing great
damage to our power and prestige abroad and to our open society at
home.

So, not waging the war and turning the other cheek after 9/11 or 7/7
would achieve exactly what? They attacked us before the war on
terror--will showing weakness and resignation cause them now to love
us?

It has led to a dangerous extension of executive powers; it has
tarnished our adherence to universal human rights; it has inhibited the
critical process that is at the heart of an open society; and it has
cost a lot of money. Most importantly, it has diverted attention from
other urgent tasks that require American leadership, such as finishing
the job we so correctly began in Afghanistan, addressing the looming
global energy crisis, and dealing with nuclear proliferation.

What a load of tripe!

With American influence at low ebb, the world is in danger of sliding
into a vicious circle of escalating violence. We can escape it only if
we Americans repudiate the war on terror as a false metaphor. If we
persevere on the wrong course, the situation will continue to
deteriorate. It is not our will that is being tested, but our
understanding of reality. It is painful to admit that our current
predicaments are brought about by our own misconceptions. However, not
admitting it is bound to prove even more painful in the long run. The
strength of an open society lies in its ability to recognize and
correct its mistakes. This is the test that confronts us.

Not responding to an attack and the continued demonstration of
attempts to again attack is not the way to survive.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

"Leadfoot" wrote in message
news:_IWEg.16958$RD.13440@fed1read08...

"Ken Lovering" wrote in message
...
I'll never forget the bombing of Iraq. It was the most beautiful display
of
fireworks that I've ever seen.
I can't wait for Iran & Syria to get theirs.


You do realize that they do get to shoot back?

Do you think they could hit anything?