Letters to the Editor
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Raw!, Raw!, Raw!
Ronald Reagan left office almost 20 years ago and yet, the Republicans act as if nothing's changed during that time. The U.S. and "democracy" vs. the Soviet Union and "communism" was, at least, reasonably Black and White. What we have in the world today, as much as John McCain and Rudy might wish it were not so, is a MUCH more complex set of circumstances that cannot be easily stuffed into a Black and White box!
"We win?" What does "win" mean? ... that all Muslims are dead, imprisoned, or in some way emasculated to the point that they are not a "threat?" Have we not yet learned that you can win the battle with overwhelming military force and still lose the war to a determined insurgency? When we "win" will we have a grand parade through the "Emperor G.W. Bush Arc d'Triomphe?" And what exactly will they "lose?" "They" will still be in their country after we leave (whenever that is). If "they" have anything that resembles a "democracy," "they" will be able to vote in whomever they desire, including religious zealots who hate America. And if they do, have we truly "won?" The mess in the Middle East is, truly, a monster of our own making. The "Battle of Iraq" was a military success in 2003. We did, in fact, "win." Now, however, we find ourselves in the middle of a conundrum where "We win ... you lose" is not an option. The reality of our current situation is "We lose ... you lose ... we ALL lose!" To continue along this path is defeatist. To continue along this path is suicidal. To continue along this path is insanity!
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bamage:
I excerpted this para. from a few days ago,
Who were the panelists and what did they say? I think that transcripts are generated for that NPR show.
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Keep cheering!
If we can just keep generating that precious willpower, then all of America's enemies will be smote mightily by our power rings!
What? This isn't the Green Lantern Corps? The way these yahoos keep harping about "will" as a vital component of warfighting, you'd think it was...
But I have to wonder how much will they need on hand, because, like most cheerleaders, you'll never see this bunch on the field of play.
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Media Manipulation Works!
The reason the republicans are so successful at managing the public debate on important issues, and consequently molding public opinion in their favor, is their effective use of some very rudimentary techniques for manipulating debate:
1. Oversimplification. The recent congressional attempt to fund the Iraq war, establish benchmarks for Iraqi governmental management of the war, and scale back U.S. troop involvement was OVERSIMPLIFIED by the right-wing as "Withdrawing the troops" or "Retreat". The many other parts of the bill were never given a full discussion because the media fell for the oversimplified definition of what the democrats were trying to accomplish.
2. Asked and Answered. This technique worked wonders for Rumsfeld (for years, anyway) and now Tenet is using it. It is used to deflect tough questions or troublesome issues during an interview. The interviewee says, "Am I perfect/ No." (He has just asked and answered all the tough questions about the stupid blunders he made during his time in office.) I can still hear Rumsfeld dismiss questions on the war with "Will it be easy? No."
3. Post hoc ergo propter hoc. This occurs when you say something like "After Bush put us on offense, there has not been any terrorist act on our soil". (Therefor, because Bush put us on offense, there have not been any terrorist acts...).
These are all fallacies that defy logical discourse and they rule the airwaves because the media talking heads are not educated in logic. The result is a public discourse on vital issues that is marked by cliche's and soundbites (and thousands upon thousands who die and suffer for reasons they have never heard discussed).
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In the interest of "balance"...
...I should note that as of this posting, the domain name "WeLostYoureStupid.com" is available for registry, as undoubtedly are endless more clever variants.
Domain names are cheap. Satire is priceless. Carry on.
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Sorry W.T., I half lied, again.
After watering up the hill in the green house...I blame it on the green basil I nibbled.
O.M.G who knows what the girls were thinking. O.M.G. knows?
W.T., they may have been in a dark photo laboratory with you?
O.M.G., one prom night during a slow dance I started sweating and felt something begin to get hard. I feared I was gonna turn into a stone.
O.M.G., once in a awhile here if someone would slow dance with you, don't dare ask if the bra is hard because of you?
O.M.G., hip hip, don't label them "chicks" because they are soft when they 'ain't have stuffed 'um cups, no not one will tell.
G.M.O., O forgive and pardon us, if we can attend the prom one more time, pretty please, take some of us with a 'stitch' from a fist fight at this blog.
W.T. Remember prom night and those sweaty slow dances?
Chas ch El Cid too etc., 'um all woeful, but fun and adorable when they ain't acting mean or fierce. Hip hurray, a 'silly' fun day, hoopla loo with any partner who'd dance with the like of you?
Let's go out with a buttered blueberry biscuit, male or female, be kind to each other, and take a soar into a blue sky with all the buxom harmless bubblebees and pretty butterfly's.
W.T. You always get in trouble too? Cha cha, cha hula hoop with a thee? O, cut us off before the open hearted human, kind as can be, starts to dance with a carved shaped heart, in the bark of a tree.
A 'kid' of 'ole lying shady other's named Bill, just ain't a sweet timber tree. La la lulu. Thanks William for the memories.
O.M.G., don't get us east coast non surf boys going on about the Beach Boys. What happened 'under the board walk, under the boardwalk' stays under the boardwalk, right W.T. ? Fleas bit the hell out of you. No start rambling about singer Frankie Avalon and the Baltimore Orioles. No sing a love letter in the sand on a Salon or chew from a can of 'scroll' at the prom dance.
O.M.G., don't tell about the parking problem on a rainy night after a football game at Don Amiche's drive-in when a cop came from out of no where? Knock knock knock. Lock up you?
O.M.G., All turns to a quick mush {a} Cha chi a Gracia.
Cheers.