The propaganda war against the U.S. people has begun in earnest

[Seabiscuit]

I couldn't believe my eyes today watching part of Joe Scarborough on MSNBC.

With a panel of three nobody MSNBC "experts" and a screed at the bottom of the screen blazing "Nuclear Terror", Joe walked the audience through the first 16 seconds of a relatively small nuclear explosion (measured in kilotons, not megatons) dropped on the Empire State Building in NYC, showing how over 1.6 million people would be killed or maimed from 1 second to 4 seconds to 16 seconds after the initial blast.

The bomb, of course, was supposed to come from Iran.

Then the rhetorical question from Joe to the blond bimbo "expert": wouldn't the Iranian leadership realize that if they did that to New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, or Seattle, that we'd blow the entire nation of Iran to smithereens with our nuclear arsenal? Blond bimbo (an insult to all blonds and all bimbos everywhere): "No, they probably wouldn't, Joe - they're not just illogical, they're irrational".

And on and on and on - same WMD talk as with Iraq, much greater threat to us than Iraq, how Iran supports terrorists, and would hand off "dirty bombs" and other WMDs to Al Queda for use against major U.S. cities, etc., etc., all to footage in the background of Iranians shooting off fancy rocket launchers, etc., and the omnipresent "Nuclear Terror" headline at the bottom of the screen.

Straight out of Orwell's "1984".

Does Karl Rove dream this shit up every night of his life?

If this kind of inane crapola is being played on MSNBC, imagine what kinds of images and words are being scared up to mobilize the sheeple on Clearchannel AM hate radio.

Be afraid, people. Be very afraid. If this is happening on Joe Scarborough's show, war against Iran will be our midterm election "October Surprise".

[bluestateguy]

1. I'm not paying attention to the phantom "threats" from Iran

As far as I'm concerned, Iran is a song by the Flock of Seagulls from 1982.

[Seabiscuit]

2. I agree, but these neocons are determined to continue their agenda,

which necessarily includes war against Iran following the Iraq invasion.

Who's going to stop them?

[PublicWrath]

3. I saw it. Same tune, different target. I'd like to strangle that woman.

It's the same high-pitched crap as before. It's as if they didn't bother to write new scripts, so they just changed "Iraq" to "Iran".

[tulsakatz]

4. so why are you watching Scarborough?

his program is pretty much propoganda anyway.........if you're watching his show, you have to assume that most of what you hear is right wing BS anyway!

And besides, Iran is several yrs away from developing a nuclear weapon anyway........

True, Scarborough does have some lucid moments sometimes but I wouldn't count on hearing anything logical if he's discussing war. Mostly the last time he had a reasonable opinion was regarding hurricane Katrina.

[depakid]

7. Why watch MSRNC period

or any of the so called "mainstream" media.

If you do, you're just asking to be misinformed, propagandized and pissed off.

[Seabiscuit]

9. Just flipping channels - first time I watched Scarboro in years.

I couldn't stomach more than a few minutes of it - just enough to notice it's a repeat of the propaganda buildup to the war in Iraq - just substituting Iran for Iraq.

As you may note, I'm not even sure how to spell his name any more.

[tulsakatz]

28. I seldom watch Scarborough.........

...the only time I watch his show is when Bill Maher is on.

If he's not on, I know the coverage is so biased..........it would simply be a waste of time to watch.

[DemInDistress]

5. that bomb is supposed to come from Iran or from Los Alamos?

a few months ago the labs at Los Alamos came up short of 600 lbs. of weapons grade plutonium. h'm !! could be missing . http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/30/BAGGQFVT7J1.DTL

[fooj]

8. Good call.

Peace.

[The Wielding Truth]

6. War cannot be preemptive . Bush Co. have committed treason.

Blanket MSNBC with letters against such reckless reporting.

[Lars39]

10. Sounds like an 'inoculation', to get us used to the idea of nuclear

bombs, period. Very disturbing.

[Seabiscuit]

11. Yeah - no longer just "terror" but "nuclear terror". An escalation in

rhetoric to prepare the sheeple for an escalation in aggressiveness - dropping nukes on Iran supposedly targeting uranium enrichment facilities as a "pre-emptive strike".

[pa28]

12. Our midterm October surprise.

You nailed that one. They'll ramp up the rhetoric and have the media churning away about Iran being an immediate threat.

Karl needs to milk this for months . . . not days or weeks.

There is a political timetable here. I'll bet all of our ultimatums to the Iranians will expire around Nov. 15th.

[Erika]

13. That was the Monica Crowley segment

Here's this dumb blond right winger saying we better nuke Iran because they might nuke us before we nuke them.

Utter insanity. The right wingers better take a deep breath and think where the funds and troops are going to come from for W's imperialism.

Notice the Bushbots shut up about Chavez and Venezuela? Iran and Venezuela have the oil to shut us down completely if they so choose.

We've sold our debt to the Chinese, and to put it kindly, W has shafted the American people. And he did it big time.

[Seabiscuit]

14. That's right - the bimbo was named Monica Crowley -

Watching that swill for just 5 minutes gave me the same sickening feeling at the pit of my stomach I had while attending a peace vigil above Del Mar Beach, CA 6 months before Shrub invaded Iraq. Visions of people suffering and dying by the tens of thousands for a lie.

The whole B.S. hypothetical scenario was premised on a lie - that Iran was either in possession of nuclear weapons now or would imminently be in such possession - same B.S. hypo that was used in the propaganda buildup against Saddam.

[Erika]

17. Well I know Condi and Rummy told Monica

that mushroom clouds could be seen any day. These right wingers are garbage. And W is their leader.

Our biggest frailty's in our safety is borders and the ports. Bush is laughable on both of those issues.

W just can't figure out how to take on Chavez and the Iranian leader, plus their Russian and Chinese supporters.

Especially when China holds much of our debt. It is so sad that we have W as a leader when he's sold out our country in every way possible to shape the new world corporatism. It is actually nauseating.

[Seabiscuit]

19. China doesn't even have to call in the debt to bankrupt the U.S. All

they need to is quit lending the U.S. any more money. By now it's the ultimate weapon against us.

[Erika]

21. You are so right

As a debt holder financing us, we could not continue without China.

How many of the Bushbots understand this fact?

[SlipperySlope]

38. We DO NOT need China

Now that the Fed isn't publishing M3, they can simply monetize the debt. We don't need anybody to lend us money, when we can just print it and lend it to ourselves. So screw China.

[Marr]

15. Here's the pitch I'm looking forward to:

It'll go something like this...

'We've already proven our willingness to go after potential threats, with our invasion of Iraq. That's precendent. Well, Iraq posed much less of a threat to us than Iran does, so clearly we're justified- no- OBLIGATED- to attack Iran as well.'

[Seabiscuit]

16. That pretty much sums up the gist of that program's scenario.

[Marr]

20. Ugh. How do they just ignore the fact that the Iraq "threat"

never existed at all, and was nothing but intentional lies? They're basically saying, "the first imaginary threat wasn't quite as big as this new imaginary threat".

Maybe we can just imaginary invade and save some cash.

[Erika]

22. Most people know now that the Iraqi war was a sham

They just haven't figured out what to do with a president that would imperil our troops without cause. Nor have the troops and their families learned how to face that fact.

[Erika]

18. Onward Bushbot Christian Soldiers

as Bush desecrates the Golden Rule.

[farmboxer]

23. Joe Scarborough never mentions Lori Klausutis

,gee, I wonder why?

I notice the Bush propaganda tonight also.

[ChristianLibrul]

24. It's all hogwash

Talk of war with Iran is meant to make us accept price gouging at the gas pump. "You don't want to bomb Iran? Okay, don't bitch about gas prices." Except they're gouging us because they can, not because there's a shortage or even a threat of a shortage.

[Theduckno2]

25. Sadly, I'm inclined to agree.

Reading my ticker tonight the headline "Israel warns of New "Axis of Terror"" jumped right out at me. It was a very pessimistic to say the least. Link to DU discussion to follow.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x122654



Your post reminded me of the following....

"Naturally the common people don't want war, but they can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. Tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and endangering the country. It works the same in every country."

Hermann Goering at the Nuremburg Trials

[Senator]

26. There's a word for this: Terrorism

No different than the "mushroom clouds...in 45 minutes" bomb threat they Terrorized the American People with, to launch their profiteering, masturbatory, war-crime spree.

It's far worse than anything 20 guys with boxcutters could do.

--
www.january6th.org

[davidthegnome]

27. Irritating, but

This changes nothing. Those of us with two brain cells to rub together realize this for the con, the scam, the treason, the absolute insanity it truly is. And the freepers, as usual, are rubbing their hands together and grinning.

[Seabiscuit]

29. What's scary is that fear seems to work with Americans by and large.

Already, the cable channels are touting some weird poll that says 48% of Americans already favor invading Iran.

WTF???

Looks like there aren't enough of us out there with even two brain cells to rub together.

[TheFarseer]

42. how the hell did they word that to get 48%?

Maybe "If Iran nukes us, should we invade?" 48% cannot be stupid enough to not see this for what it is. Obviously about 35% are still stupid enough to not grasp that Iraq was a sham, but good Lord. I think almost NO ONE understands just what would be involved with any action against Iran. I'm sure I don't understand half of the ramifications and I'm scared to death.

[Seabiscuit]

43. Good question. The program never said anything about the question.

Simply gave the result - as 48% in favor of invading Iran.

Simply mind boggling.

[JohnyCanuck]

30. Brainwashing America

Brainwashing America by Dr. Norman Livergood

SNIP

In an earlier article, I reviewed the varied aspects of personality profiling and simulation. While serving as Head of the Artificial Intelligence Department at the U.S. Army War College, 1993-1995, I conducted studies on profiling, psychological programming, and brainwashing. I explored and developed personality simulation systems, an advanced technology used in military war games, FBI profiling, political campaigning, and advertising. Part of my discovery was that:

* unenlightened human minds are combinations of infantile beliefs and emotional patterns

* these patterns can be simulated in profiling systems

* these profiling systems can be used to program and control people

Personality simulation systems are being used to create political campaigns that apply voter profiles to control their voting behavior. TV commercials and programs use personality simulation to profile viewers to control their purchasing and viewing behaviors. And sophisticated propaganda and brainwashing techniques are being used by the Bush junta to keep American citizens under control.

http://www.hermes-press.com/brainwash1.htm

[Douglas Carpenter]

31. thank you for posting this...I couldn't agree more

Last week when Sy Hersh's story first broke I first thought that there was no way that the Bush Administration could sell another massive military attack to the American people. Now only a week to 10 days later we already are already having some Democrats here on DU advocating a military strike on Iran; throwing facts, evidence and rationality completely out the window.

Never underestimate the power of the war propaganda maching.

"I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone" - Phil Ochs
___________

Fishing for a Pretext in Iran

by Juan Cole; March 18, 2006

link: http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=9929

snip:"Supreme Jurisprudent Ali Khamenei has given a fatwa or formal religious ruling against nuclear weapons, and President Ahmadinejad at his inauguration denounced such arms and committed Iran to remaining a nonnuclear weapons state."

snip:"Tehran denies having military labs aiming for a bomb, and in November of 2003 the IAEA formally announced that it could find no proof of such a weapons program."

snip:"it is often alleged that since Iran harbors the desire to “destroy” Israel, it must not be allowed to have the bomb. Ahmadinejad has gone blue in the face denouncing the immorality of any mass extermination of innocent civilians, but has been unable to get a hearing in the English-language press. Moreover, the presidency is a very weak post in Iran, and the president is not commander of the armed forces and has no control over nuclear policy"

snip: "in November of 2003 the IAEA formally announced that it could find no proof of such a weapons program. The U.S. reaction was a blustery incredulity, which is not actually an argument or proof in its own right, however good U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton is at bunching his eyebrows and glaring."

[The Witch]

32. Sounds informative - but the point is

that there are countries that can already do this to us if we lay a finger on Iran.

Please, God, don't let us do it.

I see hiroshima in my nightmares...

[Roland99]

33. "The war with Eurasia is going well"

[Seabiscuit]

40. Well spoken, Big Brother.

[garybeck]

34. begun?

the propoganda war has been going on for years. this is just another blip on the radar.

[Seabiscuit]

41. The consequences of invading Iran, I fear, would be far worse than a blip

on the radar screen.

[Canuckistanian]

35. They're really so much like children

I don't think they have a clue what they're talking about, so ignorant and oblivious.

Don't you just want to yell at them and send them to their rooms?

The REALLY scary part is that this is being discussed in the same terms (probably with lots of helpful pictures) in the Oval Office itself.

I keep hoping against hope that someone will snap to their senses.

:scared:

[ArmchairMeme]

36. Making gas unavailable

If the U.S. bombs Iran, one source of petroleum, which country will be our next best supplier? Can we all afford $25/gallon - that is if it is available?

The illogic is astounding.

From what I have read it will be TEN YEARS before Iran can have the capability of a bomb.

So, the plan is AGAIN to attack the ambitions of another leader! THe next words will be that the leader of Iran is "DEFIANT" just like Hussein was when he must have these same ambitions.

[izzybeans]

37. ...am I glad I canceled cable?

yes I am.

That's fucked up. Walking a "townhall" through a psyops drill in such a transparent way. The fucking Party is trying to scare the Proles into complete submission with that shit.

[PinkyisBlue]

39. Same thing on Hannity and Colmes tonight...

An "expert" talking about the effects of nuclear explosions in our country and how many millions of people would be killed by different sized weapons. Of course, Hannity had to interject with some tripe about left wing liberals equating Iran with Iraq to turn public opinion against a US-led attack against Iran. What an arse.
(By the way, the only time I watch Fox is when I'm exercising at the gym. I can't believe how someone can't see through the BS).

[Justice Is Comin]

44. What does he have,

an audience of 400,000? That's 69 million, six hundred thousand less than the people who didn't even vote in the last election.

A spoonful of water out of the Atlantic. An all Republican spoonful at that.

Bush has got less chance of getting congressional approval to bomb Iran than Everybody Loves Raymond re-runs being taken off television.