Tuesday, April 29, 2003

 
Tactic: Conduct Questionable Behavior in the Name of the US and Label Those Who Criticize that Behavior as Un-American

Just in case you don't already despise Fox News and Bill O'Reilly, Check out this little gem. Be warned however that it is in your best interest to keep the following handy:

~ Anti-vomit medicine
~ Blood pressure medicine
~ Valium

And keep the following at a distance or otherwise secured from retrieval:

~ Bill O'Reilly's address
~ Any weapons allowed by the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution

(Optional)
~ Tape mouth to avoid expletive outbursts in front of loved ones.
~ Obtain and secure a helmet to avoid self-inflicted loss of hair.

Okay, here it is in all its glory as posted on Salon.com:

I caught a bit of the O'Reilly Factor during dinner last night, during which Bill berated Jeremy Glick, a signatory of the "Not in Our Name" ad whose father died in the 9/11 attacks. I couldn't find a transcript on the Fox site, but happily, one came in over the transom (probably pulled off Lexis, so no link available).

This is how Bill O'Reilly behaves when faced with genuine disagreement:

O'REILLY: You are mouthing a far left position that is a marginal position in this society, which you're entitled to.

GLICK: It's marginal -- right.

O'REILLY: You're entitled to it, all right, but you're -- you see, even --I'm sure your beliefs are sincere, but what upsets me is I don't think your father would be approving of this.

GLICK: Well, actually, my father thought that Bush's presidency was illegitimate.

O'REILLY: Maybe he did, but...

GLICK: I also didn't think that Bush...

O'REILLY: ... I don't think he'd be equating this country as a terrorist nation as you are.

GLICK: Well, I wasn't saying that it was necessarily like that.

O'REILLY: Yes, you are. You signed...

GLICK: What I'm saying is...

O'REILLY: ... this, and that absolutely said that.

GLICK: ... is that in -- six months before the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, starting in the Carter administration and continuing and escalating while Bush's father was head of the CIA, we recruited a hundred thousand radical mujahadeens to combat a democratic government in Afghanistan, the Turaki government.

O'REILLY: All right. I don't want to...

GLICK: Maybe...

O'REILLY: I don't want to debate world politics with you.

GLICK: Well, why not? This is about world politics.

O'REILLY: Because, No. 1, I don't really care what you think.

GLICK: Well, OK.

O'REILLY: You're -- I want to...

GLICK: But you do care because you...

O'REILLY: No, no. Look...

GLICK: The reason why you care is because you evoke 9/11...

O'REILLY: Here's why I care.

GLICK: ... to rationalize...

O'REILLY: Here's why I care...

GLICK: Let me finish. You evoke 9/11 to rationalize everything from domestic plunder to imperialistic aggression worldwide.

O'REILLY: OK. That's a bunch...

GLICK: You evoke sympathy with the 9/11 families.

O'REILLY: That's a bunch of crap. I've done more for the 9/11 families by their own admission -- I've done more for them than you will ever hope to do.

GLICK: OK.

O'REILLY: So you keep your mouth shut when you sit here exploiting those people.

GLICK: Well, you're not representing me. You're not representing me.

O'REILLY: And I'd never represent you. You know why?

GLICK: Why?

O'REILLY: Because you have a warped view of this world and a warped view of this country.

GLICK: Well, explain that. Let me give you an example of a parallel...

O'REILLY: No, I'm not going to debate this with you, all right.

GLICK: Well, let me give you an example of parallel experience. On September 14...

O'REILLY: No, no. Here's -- here's the...

GLICK: On September 14...

O'REILLY: Here's the record.

GLICK: OK.

O'REILLY: All right. You didn't support the action against Afghanistan to remove the Taliban. You were against it, OK.

GLICK: Why would I want to brutalize and further punish the people in Afghanistan...

O'REILLY: Who killed your father!

GLICK: The people in Afghanistan...

O'REILLY: Who killed your father.

GLICK: ... didn't kill my father.

O'REILLY: Sure they did. The al Qaeda people were trained there.

GLICK: The al Qaeda people? What about the Afghan people?

O'REILLY: See, I'm more angrier about it than you are!

GLICK: So what about George Bush?

O'REILLY: What about George Bush? He had nothing to do with it.

GLICK: The director -- senior as director of the CIA.

O'REILLY: He had nothing to do with it.

GLICK: So the people that trained a hundred thousand Mujahadeen who were...

O'REILLY: Man, I hope your mom isn't watching this.

GLICK: Well, I hope she is.

O'REILLY: I hope your mother is not watching this because you -- that's it. I'm not going to say anymore.

GLICK: OK.

O'REILLY: In respect for your father...

GLICK: On September 14, do you want to know what I'm doing?

O'REILLY: Shut up! Shut up!

GLICK: Oh, please don't tell me to shut up.

O'REILLY: As respect -- as respect -- in respect for your father, who was a Port Authority worker, a fine American, who got killed unnecessarily by barbarians...

GLICK: By radical extremists who were trained by this government...

O'REILLY: Out of respect for him...

GLICK: ... not the people of America.

O'REILLY: ... I'm not going to...

GLICK: ... The people of the ruling class, the small minority.

O'REILLY: Cut his mic. I'm not going to dress you down anymore, out of respect for your father.
We will be back in a moment with more of THE FACTOR.

GLICK: That means we're done?

O'REILLY: We're done.

The last few seconds of that exchange were really something to watch. I don't think I've ever seen a shouting head actually tell his guest to "Shut up! Shut up!" or to tell his producer to "cut his mic."

So O'Reilly is a disgusting pig. As if we didn't already know that. What I found most interesting about this "exchange" is how effectively it symbolizes the GOP's strategy of "destroy and immunize."

I've seen it a million times. The GOP does something absolutely detestable (much of it was done under Reagan and Bush Sr.) and when a patriotic American calls these traitors on their un-American activities, those being called (i.e. the GOP) blame those who point out the truth as "anti-American". I know, it sounds like a pitiful, desperate attempt to dig themselves out of a hole. Unfortunately, people seem more likely to take the side of the McCarthyite GOP in such instances. There is little doubt that such tactics cow people into speaking for (or at least refrain from speaking against) the GOP's distorted position.

First they destroy:

What has the GOP done in the past that they now defend with threats of branding the accuser as unpatriotic?

How about Iran-Contra, where Reagan and Bush sold arms illegally to enemies of the state while simultaneously funding South American terrorists? This seems hardly to have made a dent in the minds of Americans. People perceive Reagan as a sweet, folksy, Charismatic leader. Do people even remember Iran-Contra?

Next, the same Administration sold "weapons of mass destruction" to Saddam Hussein and continued to support him even with the knowledge that he used them against Iran and the Kurds.

Let's not forget that the Reagan Bush Administration actually trained a hundred thousand Mujahadeen (as mentioned above) who would eventually train al Qaeda and the 911 hijackers.

Indeed, it was this Administration's "use 'em and lose 'em" strategy that helped hasten the rise of Anti-American central-Asian radicalism.

Now lets step forward a bit and take a look at Bush Jr. He pioneers the unprecedented "preemptive strike" policy, second only to the invention of the atomic bomb in its catastrophic potential. He has mercilessly shredded the US constitution and turned back the clock on American civil liberties... and all this in the name of a country that gave a half million more votes to his opponent in the election. So what were the consequences?

Then they immunize:

What consequences? All they have to do is attack those who attempt to reveal and remind us about the historical truth as anti-American, and "Boom!" very few dare carry the message forward.

The point is that all these GOP actions were bumbling acts of incompetence showing neither concern for consequences nor a sense of vision. Because of that, all these things have come back to bite us in the ass. No worries though, since the maneuvers fulfilled short-term agenda's at the time.

Nevertheless, when you bring these things up as legitimate criticisms of failed foreign policies, the GOP spin machine goes into hyperdrive and effectively demonizes those who would bring truth and help us to learn these valuable lessons…as un-American.

It has been a highly successful tactic and it's not about to stop anytime in the near future, but that is the way of would-be fascists.

This is the reason there is not now, nor will there ever be a Blue-Ribbon commission investigating the most catastrophic attack in US history. What Bush knows or what he knew can only be something that would be un-American to divulge. So why bother.

Getting back to Bill O'Reilly. He is evil incarnate. Thus, I guarantee his ratings on Fox will rise as a result of the above dialogue. So the cycle continues.

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posted by Thomas Ball 8:44 AM

 
Bush, Iraq, North Korea and Geopolitics News Summaries

Shi'ites back US call to create acting authority (UK Telegraph) Iraqi leaders agreed with the US administrator of Iraq yesterday to convene a conference within a month to form an interim administration to succeed Saddam Hussein's dictatorship.The decision was made in a show of hands at the end of a meeting in Baghdad of 250 prominent Iraqis, including members of the majority Shia community who ended their boycott of talks on the future of the country."All efforts should be made to hold a national conference within four weeks . . . to select a transitional Iraqi government," they said in a statement read out at the end of a nearly 10-hour meeting in Baghdad with Jay Garner, the retired US general.

American Forces Reach Cease-Fire With Terror Group (NY Times) American forces in Iraq have signed a cease-fire with an Iranian opposition group the United States has designated a terrorist organization, and expect it to surrender soon with some of its arms, American military officials said today. Under the deal, signed on April 15 but confirmed by the United States Central Command only today, United States forces agreed not to damage any of the group's vehicles, equipment or any of its property in its camps in Iraq, and not to commit any hostile act toward the Iranian opposition forces covered by the agreement. In return, the group, the People's Mujahedeen, which will be allowed to keep its weapons for now, agreed not to fire on or commit other hostile acts against American forces, not to destroy private or government property, and to place its artillery and antiaircraft guns in nonthreatening positions.

Former Iraqi Oil Minister Surrenders (Associated Press) Iraq's former oil minister - a general who also knew the most intimate secrets of Saddam Hussein's missile systems - has surrendered, the U.S. Central Command said Tuesday. Amer Mohammed Rashid turned himself in Monday and is in coalition custody, the command said. Rashid, a former Iraqi army general known as the "Missile Man," was Saddam's point-man on weapons delivery systems and eventually rose to the prestigious post of oil minister. He was also a member of the regime's Military Industrialization Organization, the group responsible for producing all of Iraq's most lethal weapons. He is married to Dr. Rihab Taha, a microbiologist known as "Dr. Germ" who was in charge of the secret Iraqi facility that weaponized anthrax, botulinum toxin and aflotoxin. She is also sought by the United States, but there was no word on her whereabouts.

Truck Is Tested for Biological Agents (LA Times) American forces in northern Iraq have seized a truck that U.S. intelligence officials said they believe could be a mobile biological weapons laboratory. No significant quantities of suspicious substances were found on the vehicle, officials said Monday. But U.S. teams are said to be testing residue from equipment in the truck. Preliminary results were not known.

Further tests ordered on suspicious Iraqi chemicals (CNN) Material in northern Iraq suspected of being chemical weapons was undergoing further analysis Monday after previous tests showed conflicting results. Samples of the material have been taken away for testing in the United States and in Iraq, said 1st Lt. Valerie Phipps of the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment. Two earlier sets of tests conducted at the scene were positive for the presence of chemical weapons; a third was negative.

NORTH KOREA'S NUKE OFFER (Sky News) North Korea offered to scrap its nuclear programme during talks with the United States in Beijing last week, a Chinese official has told Western diplomats.Pyongyang also offered to let nuclear inspectors into the country, they quoted the official as saying.The briefing by China's top North Korea expert was a rare move by China, which hosted the April 23-25 talks in the hope of ending a nuclear stand-off between Washington and Pyongyang.US Secretary of State Colin Powell said North Korea proposed a plan that would "ultimately deal with" their nuclear capability and missile activities but wanted something major in return.

N.Korea Says Talks Useless Without U.S. Concessions (Reuters) North Korea said on Tuesday more U.S.-North Korea talks would be pointless if Washington insisted Pyongyang disarm and rejected the North's offer to scrap its atomic arms in return for concessions. U.S. officials in Washington and Western diplomats in Beijing said on Monday North Korea had offered at talks in China last week to give up its nuclear weapons and missile exports but wanted a shopping list of concessions in return. "We're not going to pay for elimination of nuclear weapons programs that never should have been there in the first place," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher in Washington.

Blair fears new Cold War over EU rift with US (UK Telegraph) Tony Blair issued a warning yesterday that the world would be plunged back into an era of insecurity and tension reminiscent of the Cold War unless Europe and America quickly repaired the transatlantic relationship.On the eve of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin Mr Blair said there was a real danger that the advanced world would split into rival power blocs."My fear is that if we do not deal with the world on the basis of a partnership between Europe and America, then we will in a sense put back into the world the divisions that we wanted to get rid of when the Cold War finished.

Putin, Blair to Mend Fences in Talks Near Moscow (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday for talks to put right differences over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and reassert the role of the United Nations. Putin is working to restore good relations with the United States and its ally Britain after trying to prevent the outbreak of war and then denouncing their drive to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "The leaders...will discuss joint action within the U.N. Security Council on post-war reconstruction of Iraq and the role to be played by the U.N. in that process," Putin's top foreign policy adviser, Sergei Prikhodko, told Interfax news agency.

U.S. Military Plans New Bases in Eastern Europe (Washington Post) The top U.S. military officer in Europe outlined plans yesterday for establishing an array of skeletal bases and occasional-use training areas in Eastern Europe that would allow the United States to reduce its military presence in Western Europe and still be able to mount operations quickly in the region. Marine Gen. James L. Jones said some large installations such as Ramstein Air Base in Germany probably would remain, since they are still useful and moving them would provide little additional benefit. But he said preliminary plans call for setting up new "forward operating bases" or "forward operating locations" in the east that would complement the big permanent installations.

Trade Accords Become a U.S. Foreign Policy Tool (Washington Post) Here's a benefit a country gets for supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq: Its trade agreement with Washington moves ahead lickety-split. And here's a drawback a country suffers for opposing the war: Its trade deal gets stalled. That is what is happening with Singapore and Chile. Both countries shook hands with Bush administration negotiators around the same time late last year to establish free-trade accords with the United States. But while Singapore backed Operation Iraqi Freedom, Chile demurred.

Mideast 'Road Map' Detailed (LA Times) The "road map" for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement backed by the Bush administration calls for a provisional Palestinian state this year before a final settlement in 2005. The plan demands an end to Palestinian violence and the freezing of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as the opening steps in a three-phase timetable, U.S. officials confirmed Monday. (Of course if simply demanding these things actually made them happen, we would have had peace years ago. It is obvious from this strategy that the Administration has no genuine desire for peace in the area and are simply presenting their road map as yet one more smoke screen to show their concern for the people of the region.)

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posted by Thomas Ball 8:09 AM