AeschylusIn the months prior to America’s illegal invasion into Iraq on March 20, 2003, Americans were told by 43 that the war was necessary to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Hussein was a threat to the U.S, and 43 implied that Mr. Hussein was responsible for the September 11, 2001, attack on America. Shortly before the Iraq invasion I chaired a church committee, i.e., the Board of Community Concern. The committee sponsored a questioning, talking, and listening session that a philosophy professor from Loyola University moderated before the invasion. The church basement was full of people who 43 had totally duped with his misinformation and propaganda.
When no weapons of mass destruction were found, 43 changed the rationale to that of the need to spread democracy. Historically, America’s deadliest export is democracy. Then in July 2005 the rationale became that the Iraq war was being fought to prevent terrorism. (How’s that going???) Later, Michael Smith, a British journalist, got a hold of the secret Downing Street memo, written in July 2002, which said, “[43] wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.”
Someone said long ago that the first casualty of war is the truth. At the time of his retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1931, Smedley Butler was the most decorated Marine ever. He then reflected in his book called War is a Racket, which is a condemnation of war being driven by the motive of capitalism and profit. In a magazine article from 1935, Smedley said:
Smedley ButlerI spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.
And what is the reclusive 43 up to these days? Two months ago he released a book of his paintings called Portraits of Courage. The book features American veterans scarred/burned/disfigured/wounded during the Iraq war. So Satan’s Emissary on Earth continues to take delight in his war’s destruction and death. Disgusting.
This was a long intro to the current state of misinformation and propaganda having been introduced by the current Commander-in-Chief. A few weeks ago Trump expressed outrage over the “beautiful babies” who had died in a chemical attack (sarin) attributed to Syria’s President Assad. Dutiful analyses already question the account being spoon-fed down our throats. We saw Syrians, without gloves, splashing water on the victims. We saw adults wearing simple dust masks in their efforts or no masks at all. If the children had actually died of sarin exposure, their rescuers would be dead too as sarin is one of the most deadly chemicals known to man. Water does not shield you. Dust masks do not save you.
Also, MIT professor Theodore A. Postol has already identified the hoax. Professor Postol is an expert in ballistic missle technologies, and has analyzed the crater left by the chemical attack wherein it allegedly came from the sky. He has concluded that “there is absolutely no evidence that the crater was created by a munition designed to disperse sarin after it is dropped from an aircraft.” He has called the misinformation “highly amateurish mistakes.”
Do not believe the lies the war machine is telling you. Vehemently tell your politicians that war is not the answer! Get off your seat, get on your feet, and head into the street.
This was a long intro to the current state of misinformation and propaganda having been introduced by the current Commander-in-Chief. A few weeks ago Trump expressed outrage over the “beautiful babies” who had died in a chemical attack (sarin) attributed to Syria’s President Assad. Dutiful analyses already question the account being spoon-fed down our throats. We saw Syrians, without gloves, splashing water on the victims. We saw adults wearing simple dust masks in their efforts or no masks at all. If the children had actually died of sarin exposure, their rescuers would be dead too as sarin is one of the most deadly chemicals known to man. Water does not shield you. Dust masks do not save you.
