I believe the general purpose of the culture wars

[mmonk]

is to hide implementation of the shock doctrine. A divided 99% will not stand up for itself or realize in general what is happening.

[xchrom]

1. The Culture War itself is a Money Maker. Nt

[alfredo]

33. The Christian right made untold millions by vilifying one minority or another.

They were aided and abetted by the capitalist.

[HiPointDem]

2. kr. to divert attention from bread & butter issues; to channel resentment into non-threatening

channels (non-threatening for the ruling class, who could give a shit if gays marry or women have abortions)

[nxylas]

20. Diverting attention from bread and butter issues with bread and chicken issues

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[raccoon]

3. "Divide and conquer"-- an old and unfortunately effective strategy. nt

[Reasonable_Argument]

11. Yep

Keep the lower classes fighting amongst themselves so the very rich can essentially do whatever they want. When something goes wrong the wealthy just convince the public it's somebody else's fault and human nature does the rest for you.

[lunatica]

4. I believe that too

[Fumesucker]

5. That may be and in fact probably is..

However it does not mean that the culture wars are unimportant..

Some of this stuff genuinely matters.

[mmonk]

6. Yes, they matter enough to get people involved.

But I find it interesting that one of the battles they have won is undisclosed or hidden donors. Donations to hate groups serve no real economic interests to corporations in general terms.

[alfredo]

35. The hundreds of millions the Christians have given the Republicans has not

resulted in the banning of abortion, the subjugation of women, the imprisonment of homosexuals, or the end of the social safety net. All it has done is divide our nation, and allowed the capitalist to rob us blind.

[Arugula Latte]

53. Access to abortion has been SEVERELY restricted

and the social safety net is in tatters, with more targets in the rightwing's gun sights.

[alfredo]

55. But abortion is now settled law, and if dilligent we can reverse

The trend.

The social safety net can be repaired and strengthened. I think the people are now aware that SS and other benefits we've paid for can be taken away from us. I think the Dems down ticket races are going to lean Dem, further strengthening prospects of social justice. Hope springs eternal.

The GOP knows their days are numbered (demographics change) so they are doing a bit of scorched earth as they retreat into a fringe party.

[cali]

63. sadly, untrue. Abortion rights have been whittled down over the years

to the point where in some states, there is virtually no "right" to it at all- unless you have financial resources that are out of reach for many women.

[alfredo]

66. We need to keep fighting.

[Volaris]

7. Posting to keep kicked for the PM crowd.

And N. Klein's Shock Doctrine should be required reading in every Civics and E-Con101 class in the country. If you haven't read it, do so. It will completely re-work your perspective on the Third World (Latin America specifically) and the Old Soviet Block. After reading it, I'm convinced that as soon as the Democratically-minded populace of Russia REMEMBERS that they are a superpower, they will be one AGAIN.

[mmonk]

8. Yep.

And Russia looked like a rummage sale after implementation.

[Volaris]

23. That's what I'm talking about.

As a Nation, the Russian (and it's "associated" satellite neighboring countries) peoples easily have the resource base to be the "America" of the Asian Continent. The only thing they have been lacking since the time of Peter the Great is a Government that gives a shit about them. Fix that, and they could be a force to be reckoned with, and a massively strong ally to the United States and a great benefit to the Global Order. What I never could figure out is why we never offered to help them in meaningful ways...if, for example, Russia is having a problem with mobsters running sex trafficking rings, why did we never offer them the skill-set and exp. of the New York City Office of the FBI's Organized Crime Task Force? While we were trying to buy their resource-base out from under them after the collapse, we SHOULD have been selling them John Deer tractors and American farming techniques, so no more bread lines in a part of the world that easily matches the agricultural potential of the Great Plains (the Ukrainian Steppes)...maybe we just aren't as good at world-wide problem-solving as we think we are....

[valerief]

32. Our enemy isn't Russia. It's our own Congress!!!! nt

[alfredo]

36. Then read "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" to see how it was implemented in Iraq.

"The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer gets into the shock doctrine on the personal level. Torture is about breaking people, and intimidating the population.

[hifiguy]

39. It's the most important book of the last twenty years.

Period.

[90-percent]

9. Psy-ops

America is being played by very wealthy and sinister forces.

I think that the technology of propaganda and manipulation via mass media is a machine in full force operation. With billions of dollars behind it from the same vermin that fund Republican superpacs and Karl Rove types.

And these tools are being manufactured in the same manner as mortgage backed securities and other recent big bank/wall street fraud. Hired NOBEL LAUREATES or other top of their discipline minions applying their craft.

The best mindfuckers billions and billions can buy. Six corporations own almost all of main stream media. We are all being played like puppets every single time we watch tv or listen to the radio or read the paper or go on the internet.

It is my guess that these men behind the curtain have by now re-legalized subliminal advertising, that was discovered and banned in the late 50's. Or they are using variants that technically are not illegal.

-90% Jimmy

[mmonk]

10. Very hard to escape from it.

It requires being awake 24/7 with realization.

[chervilant]

16. If you haven't already done so,

read Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television by Jerry Mander.

[bbgrunt]

30. that is a great book.

[alfredo]

37. It's on my wish list.

[chervilant]

40. Wish I could lend you my copy. n/t

[alfredo]

46. That's OK, I have a huge backlog of books, so the wish list is so I don't forget.

[lunasun]

52. same here and I keep adding stuff to it..............

[alfredo]

54. I got up to 55 on my list before I pulled some weeds.

[lunasun]

56. oh boy!! Shock Doctrine I always say' later' to-but have a long drive as passenger and am going to

get it to take along.....I do very little TV anyway but this -4 Arguements- sounds interesting too so.....on my list........

[alfredo]

57. Go to a local store and pick up Naomi's book. It's a fast read.

Both can be found used at amazon.

[lunasun]

58. Glad to hear it was a fast read for you

-more encouragement to get to my book store this wkend
thanks!!

[alfredo]

64. It will really open your eyes.

[chervilant]

60. Shock Doctrine

is an essential read. I think it should be required reading.

[alfredo]

65. I keep referring back to it from time to time.

[socialist_n_TN]

69. Agree with you all. It should be required reading......

Especially if you have a left leaning nature.

[socialist_n_TN]

70. I agree with Alfredo............

If there's only one book written in the last generation to read, Shock Doctrine is the one. And it IS an easy read. She puts the facts in a story form and ties it all together in a logical and readable fashion.

Read it first. Read it now. Read it often.

[alfredo]

71. "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" and "The Dark Side" give real life examples

of the Shock Doctrine as practiced by the Bush regime.

[chervilant]

14. Yep.

A big reason the television is rarely on in my house: relentless, sophomoric programming punctuated with offensive 'advertising.'

[zeemike]

22. Playing us like a two dollar banjo

I had to say that because I like the image of that....a banjo being a "common" instrument and cheep...the owner just plucks it's strings and makes it sound out.

and I agree with most of you you say...but I am not so sure about the subliminal thing because I think they have found something better and far harder to detect and that is long term conditioning....you introduce a concept...like how sometimes you have to break the law to enforce it...and over time that becomes an accepted fact....and this has been taking place slowly over the years and the perception of the American people has gone from thinking torture was an evil thing done by evil people to where we now believe that it is sometime justified....no need for the subliminal really.

[Volaris]

24. "The best mindfuckers billions and billions can buy."

I know it SHOULD NOT make me lol, but it did. Just the way it reads, I guess.=)

[Dustlawyer]

29. Right on! The thing I think everyone is missing is that they already have control of

The Presidency, Congress's, and the Courts in addition to the media. I watched Obama agree to BP's plan for the victims even though it was a scam. He gave them the Coast Guard who does what BP says. They own the Congress who plays like the Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals. They have stacked the Federal Courts and Courts of Appeals with Republican Judges who stop any big verdicts that get through. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is one of their primary arms, funneling money where needed so when someone gets out of line, they step in and get them out. The U.S. Chamber has started a few newspapers that are free and given out to prospective jurors. After the first year in print, they realized they needed to sell advertising, not to make money, but to look like a legitimate paper. The rest of the media, you cannot get a negative story written about BP on the Gulf Coast b/c of how much advertising they are spending there. The National media has yet to come down and do follow up stories, I wonder why! The Republican Governors on the Coast have all been bought. Not a peep out of them demanding BP take care of their constituents. The whole game is already rigged but no one will say it! It has already happened, wake up America!

[alfredo]

38. There's an ad for Viagra hidden in his post.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. Actually, the purpose of the "Culture Wars"...

...is to define Democrats as being being "evil".

They show a picture of a "Typical American Family" like this...

[img][/img]

...and claim Democrats are out to destroy it.

You ascribe all that is good and wholesome to yourself and claim the other party is against all you hold dear.

I've even run across some real nutcases that grew out of the Republican Culture Wars that believe the reason the Democrats are pro-abortion is because they are offering blood sacrifices to Satan.

This is why I hate Republicans. They have done all they can to divide this country using some of the most basic propaganda from the annals of history.

[img][/img]

[HiPointDem]

13. and vice-versa. but the poster is right: the purpose is to create two "sides" over issues that

the ruling class doesn't care about, and to divert them from what the ruling class is actually doing, policy wise, about issues they care about a great deal.

do you really think the swinging dicks care what your little 'family' looks like? they don't give a shit about you or what you do in bed, how many kids you have or whether they eat or not.

proles are disposable. there's plenty of labor on the planet, and they range the globe for it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. Well sure, between one party making charges and the other denying them

the old "hire half the poor to kill the other half" tactic keeps the activities of the rich in abstract form.

[A Simple Game]

25. When you say you hate Republicans I hope you don't mean the working class Republicans.

The working class Republican is really no different than we are. They have the same needs and wants. The division is mostly in the method to obtain our goals. That is how they divide us.

I think one difference is that the Republican mind tends to look for black and white solutions, while the Democratic mind likes to work in the gray areas.

If you hate the working class Republican, then they have trained you well. The ordinary Republican is not our enemy, we should try to make them our allies. We have more in common than not.

Remember we can not win if we are divided.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. Ever see "Needful Things"?

Last edited Fri Aug 3, 2012, 03:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Preying on our weaknesses and hatred and our greed and our prejudices and our fear.

Republicans use the techniques of their Biblical Devil to divide good people to turn on each other.

[hifiguy]

49. Kinder, Kuche, Kirche.

Twas ever thus.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

50. Ah yes. Hitler gave out "The Cross of Honor" for women bearing 4 children

[img][/img]

Imagine a country that gives you a loan of a thousand and you pay it back by having kids. Two-fifty credit for each kid. This pushes everyone to have four kids. Upon the fourth you get a nice looking medal.

[jimlup]

15. Absolutely - you totally nailed it!

The "elite" who control the strings of the Republican party absolutely know this. Some of the more naive ones probably actually pretend to believe the stuff as it has been internalized to be part of their "culture". But many - if not most know that it is simply to manipulate the masses.

It is amazing in many ways.

[mmonk]

17. And for them to stay in the game politically,

they have to play the game.

[mountain grammy]

18. brute force or propaganda

Either way we the people get screwed. As for me, my brain still functions and I intend to keep kicking and screaming till there's no life in these old bones. Now, if I can only convince my children and grandchildren!

[mmonk]

19. I do too.

My sons know the score and currently are fighting the good fight.

[Enrique]

26. absolutely

the plutocrats don't care about gay marriage, just like they didn't care about blacks. Jim Crow was just to divide the lower classes.

[deutsey]

27. They also know that their base needs an "other" onto which they can project

their fears, anger, hatred and "shadow" side within themselves. It energizes them...

[woo me with science]

28. If people could wake up to the fact that we're being purposely divided

we might actually have a chance to defeat these tyrants.

Huge K&R

[mmonk]

34. Agreed.

[valerief]

31. Yep, it's the standard Divide and Conquer. Nothing more. nt

[RadiationTherapy]

41. I have several, very real, cultural battles in progress with conservatives.

It may be fomented, encouraged, and exploited, but the culture wars are real. They are not fabricated.

[mmonk]

42. They are real but pushed by sinister forces

to exploit differences in order to take advantage in our economic and political system.

[RadiationTherapy]

43. Yes. Useful Idiots.

[jwirr]

44. Divide and conquer has long been the method of defeating minorities, especially between Native

Americans and blacks. Now they just identify more of us as minorities. We cannot allow this to separate us.

[Martin Eden]

45. Yes, without a doubt.

A political party which openly states its primary goal is to serve corporate interests and to increase the wealth & power of the financial elites would have no chance in a popular election.

Instead, they attract voters by focusing attention on cultural issues, religion, fear of others, and a shallow patriotism applied to military actions that serves the interests of the true elites of wealth and power.

All of which keeps the citizenry deeply polarized. A House (or a people) divided against itself cannot stand (or stand together for their own common interests).

[Douglas Carpenter]

48. yes that is true - but there is an unfortunate reality that rapid change will almost always produce

a dramatic backlash - even the most positive of change. The abolition of slavery certainly had to be one of the most truly progressive changes in the history of the world - but the backlash lasted more than a hundred years and to some extent is still around to this day.

In 1960 very few people got divorced no matter how horrible and how abusive the marital relationship. Help wanted advertisements were always segregated by the sexes. And it was liberal to believe homosexuality was an illness to be treated as opposed to a crime that must be punished. Thank God things have changed since then. But it is no doubt a lot of change many people to swallow and it happened relatively fast. To have imagined in 1960 when it was doubt that the country was ready to elect a Catholic President that within the lifetime of many people the country would elect a black President who supported the right of gay people to legally marry each other - this would have seemed impossible for almost anyone in 1960 to have imagined.

For sure the culture war is an instrument used to by political and economic reactionaries to bamboozle many ordinary people. But they are able to do this because they are riding on a basic scientific principle that every action will produce an equal and opposite reaction.

[warrprayer]

51. Bingo n/t

[CoffeeCat]

59. I struggle with this

I agree with you. They are purposely dividing us into two vitriolic camps that hate each other. They sharpened their knives with the "We're the party of family values" bullshit during the Bush/Quayle campaign. As if Democrats didn't give a damn about their families or have any values.

Political differences have turned into rabid, hate fests. Have you listened to Right-wing radio? It exists to make the right despise liberals and make the right believe that we are inhuman, evil monsters. Never mind that we're all neighbors, co-workers, community members and that we play in the same parks, attend the same sporting events or that our kids go to school together.

They have us hating each other. A rabid Glenn Beck fan lives up the street and our relationship has deteriorated just because he knows that we are liberals. He has bad mouthed us to his kids, who don't want anything to do with our kids. They used to be goods friends and play together. I dropped off some homemade Christmas cookies and candies to his family and he starts in on me--talking about Obama's socialism and how Obama wants his guns. I kept saying that we all care about our families and are good people. He just kept going.

This is by design and it is worsening. I hate their anti-gay bigotry, their insane "socialist" remarks, and other stances. So I struggle because I can barely stand their disgusting and ignorant views on healthcare and climate change. I'd like to throttle them. So I'm playing into the divisions and falling into the trap. The bottom line is that right-wing tv/radio is stuffing their heads full of lies and ridiculous propaganda. It's as if 30 percent of the country is speaking a different language.

It's very, very disconcerting and I wish I knew how to solve the problem. Because, if this country doesn't unite, it goes down in flames because these evil corporatists/neocons have succeeded in getting us to fight with each other while they destroy our democracy.

I'm at a loss. I tried baking cookies and that didn't work.

[90-percent]

72. Thank you

Your post brilliantly describes what is going on in America.

It is simply classic and something I will refer to for some time. It will be a good thing to share with the conservatives in my life, as both groups are fighting each other, instead of the real enemy to American Democracy.

-90% Jimmy

[woo me with science]

61. kick

[randome]

62. 'Purpose' presupposes coordination.

There is no coordination going on. It's just random, self-serving conservative 'values' let loose onto the world.

Like corporations, conservatives are mindless greed machines.

[HiPointDem]

67. straight-up bullshit. there's plenty of coordination, and the evidencefor it is plentiful.

[RainDog]

68. k&r n/t