TheGroundworks's Xanga

Ron Paul: Israel Created Hamas!

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:59:57 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z6vMAoFwf4

Happy New Year!

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:50:45 GMT

A year of stupidity, from inane to insane

Toronto's worst and weirdest news stories of 2008 – and the colourful characters behind them

SIU rules it was self-defence: Police shoot and kill 15 cattle that wander too close to Highway 401.

Rectum? Almost killed him: Cops find a moaning, middle-aged man with his pants around his ankles, impaled on a metal stake, halfway up a tree in a schoolyard, bleeding from the anus.

Withdrawal complex: A man who works in the financial district turns himself in as the alleged Exchange Bandit – believed responsible for 26 bank heists since 2003.

IQ-negative: A judge insists an HIV-positive witness don a mask while testifying in his courtroom, then moves the case to a larger courtroom to create more distance between the witness and the bench.

Yolks on you: Toronto Sikhs are bilked of $3 million by a "Swami" scam artist who allegedly pulled winning lottery numbers out of cracked eggs.

Axes of evil: A Brampton court hears a youth belonging to a homegrown terror cell was so good at chopping wood that he was considered an ideal candidate to behead the Prime Minister.

Dog-gone shame: Rambo, a 10-month-old pit bull caught by animal control officers after escaping from his owner's yard, is condemned to death by euthanasia under province-wide ban on pups of that breed born after 2005.

Terrier-ism: A 21-year-old breeder of Yorkshire terriers is punched in the face by two people who answer his classified ad.

for more see: http://www.thestar.com/article/560001

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:51:53 GMT

"The corporate grip on opinion in the United States is one of the wonders of the Western world. No First World country has ever managed to eliminate so entirely from its media all objectivity — much less dissent.” — Gore Vidal, The Decline and Fall of the American Empire

Weapons of Mass Deception:

Mental Conformity- Part 7

John Richard Pilger is an award-winning Australian born journalist and documentary filmmaker[1] writes “As the new corporations began taking over the press, something called "professional journalism" was invented. To attract big advertisers, the new corporate press had to appear respectable, pillars of the establishment—objective, impartial, balanced. The first schools of journalism were set up, and a mythology of liberal neutrality was spun around the professional journalist. The right to freedom of expression was associated with the new media and with the great corporations, and the whole thing was, as Robert McChesney put it so well, "entirely bogus".

For what the public did not know was that in order to be professional, journalists had to ensure that news and opinion were dominated by official sources…check the sources of the main political stories—domestic and foreign—you'll find they're dominated by government and other established interests. That is the essence of professional journalism.”[2] As an example of how far established interests are controlled Medialens a media watchdog insightfully comments “Editors and journalists who offend these powerful news sources, perhaps by questioning the veracity or bias of the furnished material, can be threatened with the denial of access to their media life-blood - fresh news.”[3] Receiving official sources, as opposed to ones that journalists must dig for, curtail and diminish the role of the investigation and fact finding missions. Official sources are much easily managed through appropriation of sound-bites; however a hard nosed journalist who wishes to be truly fair and balanced must mine the world around him or her to test those official pronouncements. Propaganda and “party line” information (or perhaps misinformation) is likely to emerge – besides who will check the facts? Chomsky (1989) points out that the propaganda model is a structural theory that shows how large or significant interests in society influence decision making by simply being powerful in their own right. He does not claim that government or corporate media owners directly and systematically dictate news coverage perspectives to editors and producers.[4] Instead it appears to be induced through influence, pressure, corporate and political interests garnered through power and money and other subtle means.

Here is another view by David Wise, a political writer and investigator in the role of the CIA in a democratic society writes “As a concomitant of expanded American global power, the government has increasingly gained control over channels of information about military, diplomatic and intelligence events. Frequently the press and public, unable to check the events independently can only await the appearance of the President on the television screen to announce the official version of reality…”[5] The CIA has been known to pull news stories (usually about themselves), and was recognized to have tried to strip ABC of its broadcasting license. It should be acknowledged that CIA director William Casey who was one of the founders of Cap Cities Communication bought ABC during the time it was trying to manipulate a story posted by the American Broadcasting Company. It is worth commenting garnering some perspective on the bending of the media system by the few who have the power to pull the strings.

The following thinkers and writers on the effects of media and politics are rather thought provoking. Michael Parenti an American political scientist, historian, and media critic[6] makes a very insightful comment "The enormous gap between what US leaders do in the world and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments of the dominant political mythology."[7] Mark Twain, the great American writer states in a fashion that sounds so very current and prophetic “Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception." Joseph Goebbels Nazi Propaganda Minister and master of spin notoriously states “Propaganda must therefore always be essentially simple and repetitious…” and "The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly...it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over."

During the U.S invasion of Iraq 70% of the population was convinced that there was a link between Saddam, terrorism and Al Qaeda. US and foreign intelligence knew that that statement was patently false yet it was propagated constantly by the Bush administration and apparently remained virtually unchallenged (i.e. It was uncontested until much later, when the desired effect had already taken its toll). Media was rarely critical until after the invasion commenced – when there was little the medium could do to transform the trajectory of history.

In a totalitarian state one controls using brute force whereas a democracy the masses find themselves in a place bombarded by numerous ideas and views. The pitfall is that we believe that the state is basically innocent and benign and therefore can be trusted. After all we are supposed to be the “good guys” and by default therefore do what is right. However, we often fail to assume that we could be bathed in ideological half truths….when useful – especially in crisis situations. In the Western World (especially the US) citizens must be constantly bombarded to achieve the desired effect (i.e. Note that Canadians should not pride themselves as above such propaganda since we are so close to our neighbours we too come under that umbrella). Noam Chomsky noted “"Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the [U.S.] media."[8] In order to control the masses illusions, deceptions and manipulation on a large scale must be perpetuated to keep us diverted, preoccupied and believing certain things about democracy and the state. The desired effect, in America in this case is a sense of moral high ground that provides an excuse to interfere in foreign affairs. I doubt anyone will quickly forget Colin Powell’s address to the world that WMD in Iraq was undeniable. CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox et al had broadcast repeatedly his “irrefutable proof” that would later be known to be a complete fabrication.

Noam Chomsky suggests in his book Necessary Illusions “The very structure of the media is designed to induce conformity to established doctrine…Regurgitation of welcome pieties faces no such problem….According to this “propaganda model” – …the media serve the interests of state and corporate power, which are closely interlinked, framing their reporting and analysis in a manner supportive of established privilege and limiting debate and discussion accordingly” [9] Propaganda can be defined as such; "Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist."[10] Prof. Robert McChesney notes “The media is the one source that actually controls how we learn about information...” Stay tuned for more…

The Groundworks

[1] John Pilger, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pilger

[2] John Pilger, The Invisible Government, www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18046.htm

[3] Medialens www.medialens.org/about/overview_of_the_propaganda_model.php

[4] Peter Phillips and Project Censored, Left Progressive Media Inside the Propaganda Model

s31076.gridserver.com/assets-managed/pdf/LeftProgressiveMediaInsideth_PropagandaModel.pdf

[5] David Wise, The Politics of Lying (Government Deception, Secrecy and Power)

[6] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Parenti

[7] Michael Parenti Political scientist and author of Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media

[8] Noam Chomsky M.I.T. professor of linguistics

[9] Noam Chomsky, Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies, p10

[10] Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O'Donnell, Propaganda And Persuasion, 4th edition, 2006.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:44:32 GMT

“Trust none of what you hear, And less of what you see.” Magic, Bruce Springsteen

Weapons of Mass Deception - Part 6

Media & Gov’t Elite Sleight of Hand

Human beings are natural pattern seekers. We see examples of repetition in nature, human geography studies, climate, science and so on and therefore draw conclusions. Science is born out of patterns; we observe a sequence of cause and effect and therefore draw conclusions from our inquiries. History too has its share of patterns; George Santayana once commented that “Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them." In North America, it would appear than that we either ignore history, have a very truncated memory or there is a pattern of smoke screens that prevent a clear view of the past. Patterns too can be obscured, or hidden by simply convincing your audience to look away or to focus on the wrong things. Illusionists and magic entertainers through slight of hand encourage viewers to pay attention to the wrong things to get the ‘right’ things to happen; all the while believing it is magic. What materializes from this immediate observation is that there just may be a PROGRAM at work; an entrenched mindset of suspicion & fear (ie usually of some enemy, menace or safety issue)…established through trust of established authorities (corporate and government sources).

Agendas…

When I speak of this “agenda” I think of something of a general over-arching plan to keep the general population busy, patriotic and “believing.” It is not a simple arrangement but one that is carefully orchestrated, tricky to manage but can produce very desired effects. Steven H. Hassan a former cult member has first hand experience with mind control now works to counsel[1] victims of mental manipulation. He has developed something called BITE (although apparently does not refer to it as such) that are components to mind control; Behavior control - Information control - Thought control - Emotional control.[2] Cultists in their social framework believe themselves to be free – yet they are unaware that they are under the spell of mental tyranny. Often we think of cults being religious but they need not be – but for frame of reference consider that they typically encompass some of these components; veneration, rites or ceremonies (i.e. special days, pledges, songs), sacred ideology (i.e. special books, articles, doctrines), symbols (i.e. iconography, signs, representations), way of life that is sacrosanct (i.e. uphold particular values and world view) and finally cults are often above criticism (i.e. Any analysis is censured and shunned). Normally most do not think of cultism or cultic tendencies to be enshrined in the nations we live in (i.e. unless it is a far off land, and considered dangerous – Soviet Union). It is virtually unthinkable to assume that closer to home that cultic tendencies can and do orbit a lot closer to the reality that we live in. Keep in mind that I am not asserting that the following are clear cut examples of a cult – but the nuances, tendencies, propensities and leanings are there. Consider that in the USA there is a very high veneration of the American Flag, and students pledge their allegiance. There is the iconic symbol of the Eagle and Statue of Liberty. Indeed there are the “sacred documents” such as the Constitution & Bill of Rights (documents that Americans should rightly respect and cherish more than they realize). Moreover, there is a distinct American way of life (that is expected to go unchallenged by other nations), and its “might make right” unquestionable (at least internally).[3] To do otherwise would be anti-American or anti-patriotic – this dissuades most from critical thought.

These tendencies spill over like many other countries (Israel, France, Germany, Imperial Japan) into something called Exceptionalism. It is the perception that a country, society, institution, movement, or time period is “exceptional.”[4] This “specialness” leads to a moralistic mind-set; an “idea of an American technology rooted in American knowhow protects good from evil, innocence from corruption, Eden from the seething lands east of Eden, appeals deeply to American’s exceptionalist core.” and “This America understands technology itself as an extension of its pragmatic nature and its marriage of progress: a nation of a can-do, fix-it yourself people motivated by a potent combination of pragmatism and religious passion. Such a people can stand uncomprehending in the face of putative evil, blind to the lessons of mere national interest, certain of its own goodness, and thus intolerant of complexity. The vivid hues of red, white, and blue make it hard to see gray.”[5]

Please hold these thoughts in mind as this essay progresses in several parts. In two previous articles [Discontentment & Dissatisfaction & Subverting your Children (and their parents) etc] I have made the assertion that media has a direct measure as our value dispenser, setting a mood and pace for our lives. We have been trained to be very successful consumers and spenders. Please consider the potential leanings a nation and corporate interest can possess on the mass mindset. Would it be at all outrageous to consider that our perceptions are being modified to suit government or corporate interests?

The Groundworks

[1] * M.Ed., Counselling Psychology, Cambridge College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985 * Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1992 * Certified as a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board for Certified Counselors, 2003

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Hassan & www.freedomofmind.com/

[2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Hassan

[3] I want to make it clear that I see cultic tendencies in some corners of US patriotism, but this does not mean that an American cannot be patriotic. Patriotism and honoring ones country is good and healthy as long as they are willing to think critically and think through the political ideology and propaganda that is inherent and ever present.

[4] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exceptionalism

[5] Benjamin R. Barber, Fear’s Empire:War, Terrorism and Democracy p 65-66

Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing the funeral of Obama's grandmother

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:16:36 GMT

Here is an interlude from the current series.....

I just received word from the "Westboro Baptist Church" who will be picketing the funeral of Obama's grandmother.

see link http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7800850

They are doing so in "religious" protest.

Part of the objection here is a rather strange one - they are protesting the way Obama's grandmother raised him! This has got to be the most bizarre line of thinking I've seen in a long time. Here they are making judgment calls "getting right with God, life, death, Heaven, Hell, sin, righteousness, judgment to come, etc. " What about mercy & forgiveness? The claim here is that these 'protesters' ally themselves with Jesus BUT appear to lack both clear reasoning skills and possess a strange detachment and lack of empathy for Obama's family. I don't know much about Obama's grandmother but it is likely they shared some views while contrasting others. Do you share all the views that your parent's do???

For sure there are self-righteous pronouncements "then she has much to answer for as she stands before the Lord." Plainly we ALL will answer for many things before the Lord.

Moreover, "Obama says he will use the White House as a Bully Pulpit to advance the cause of murdering more babies and same-sex marriage." I understand Obama's position on abortion and do NOT at all agree with it. However, the Republicans have been pro-life and luring conservative Christians for years with a promise of pro-life change..... yet I have yet to see any fruit (mostly empty promises). Indeed, while there is much protest over the life of the unborn (which i think is a good thing - BUT it must be at the RIGHT place and the RIGHT time). Protesting at a stranger's funeral (Obama's grandmother) LACKS any compassion whatsoever. Ask yourself - would you like strangers with an agenda shouting and interrupting your grandmothers funeral?

For sake of consistency where were the protests when young men were aborted in their youth thru a war based on spurious information (Re; Iraq)? I suppose these brave soldiers have little worth except to extract a greater piece of the pie for the advancement of a nation-states interests. I would call that IDOL worship.

Vengeance Does belong to God it certainly does not belong to us. In all their righteous indignation they have forgotten what Jesus taught - DO good to our 'enemies.' Do you want to win someone over to a differing position? Try conforming to Jesus' character; compassion, patience, justice, love, mercy. Finally, religion often demands conformity and rigidity - no thanks - I don't want any part of that, Instead, the teachings of Christ demand an order based on an otherworldly system that contrasts to the methods WE try to enforce to get our own way.

Protesting the President Elect's grandmother is an ideal way of hardening hearts and furthering division when there are much more creative ways of tackling the many spiritual/moral issues we must contend with. Choose life...and practice mercy.

The Groundworks

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:24:12 GMT

Weapons of Mass Deception: Part 5
Selling Illusions

All cultures, past and present have authority figures. Authority establishes order, trust, governance and stability. Bosses, priests, members of government, community figures help to bring about a sense of direction and belonging in our world. People of influence that we most respect are a result of the character he or she has developed over time that has established in our minds a person that we as a group come to respect, admire and follow. Trust therefore is one characteristic that a leader must not only possess but convey. Sometimes that trust is embodied in an organization such as a religious organization, or a political movement or even a stable well managed government. Without being naïve we all realize that government (or any institution for that matter) from time to time can fudge the truth, stretching it here or there for their convenience. But what happens when that truth is bent to serve government in immoral ways? In other words this ‘truth’ is actually a myth perpetuated, accepted and believed. What then, or do we bother to think about it? Do we ask tough questions - or simply believe the cultural narrative and get back to our entertainment stupor?

Fear sells. The media loves fear we love to read about fear. We love horror movies and at that horrible movies about fear mongering (i.e. Left Behind). We are told not to go out late at night in fear of being accosted. Our national newspapers report the various crimes in this and that city, and we keep reading. We lock our homes and our cars, fear guns and not swimming pools. It would seem upon close examination that there are some strange, and bizarre twists in the world of apprehension; not all is right and neither is our thinking. So it is therefore worth looking FEAR straight in the statistics to see exactly what is out there.

For the purpose of this article I endeavoured to extract statistics and figures from books and fact sheets and would like to make it clear that by doing so this is not about entertaining you; they represent people’s lives. In doing so I hope that the final point being made in this essay will demonstrate the gravity of which it appears to be quite easy to mislead the masses.

The book Freakanomics notes some rather interesting fear-facts including the verity that we often fear the wrong things. “Consider the parents of an eight-year-old girl named, say Molly. Her two best friends, Amy and Imani, each live nearby. Molly’s parents keep a gun in their house, so they have forbidden Molly to play there. Molly spends a lot of time at Imani’s house, which has a swimming pool in the backyard. Molly’s parents feel good about having made such a smart choice to protect their daughter.

But according to the data, their choice isn’t smart at all. In a given year, there is one drowning of a child for every 11, 000 residential pools in the United States. (In a country with 6 million pools, this means that roughly 550 children under the age of ten drown each year.) Meanwhile, there is 1 child killed by a gun for every 1 million plus guns, (In a country with an estimated 200 million guns, this means roughly 175 children under ten die each year from guns.) The likelihood of death by pool (1 in 11,000) verses death by gun (1 in 1 million plus) isn’t even close.[i]

Please take some time to ponder the following (grisly) numbers. Reflect on the following macabre fact that the U.S. murder numbers are approximately 16 000 per year (averaging 44 per day) while a thousand more die of AIDS.[ii] The U.S. roadway system claimed about 41,611 (2001) fatal car accidents (averaging 114 per day). [iii] More than 20 000 die from flu complications per year. [iv] There have been claims that up to 700 000 die over doctor endorsed medicines per year (1918 deaths per day). [v] In 2003, 556,902 people died of cancer, and in 2002 557,271 (approximately 1526 people die each day). [vi] Sudden Infant Death Syndrome accords to about 3000 [vii] infants per year, while a comparable number of drowning occur.[viii] In even more grisly fashion 3,500 or 500 more that those killed in the WTC attack are aborted every day since 2001 (Imagine 9/11 every day!).[ix] One of the most dangerous places to be in America – is in a mother’s womb. The chance of dying from an airline disaster is about 120 deaths a year, compared to about 90 lightning strikes across the US.[x] Do you recall the anthrax scare post 9/11? 5 are killed by this deadly yet rarely occurring disease per year (i.e. 5 out of 300 million US citizens).[xi]

Rethinking reality…

The above numbers bring to us to a final and most important point – do keep them firmly planted in mind. There have been two terrorist attacks upon America in 1995 and 2001. It appears that the majority of Americans believe that the threat looming is a large one despite the fact that Israel, India and the Russians have long faced these intimidation and attacks and get along quite well despite this. Gwynne Dyer notes “So how have Americans been persuaded that their duty and their destiny in the 21^st Century is to lead the world in a titanic, globe-spanning “long-war” against terrorism?” He further comments that it is both inexperience…and relentless state propaganda. In hindsight the propaganda machine seemed to be in full locomotion, but we were as it seems without an enemy. Post/911 we were inundated with war-terms such as “war on terror", "terrorism/terrorist", “crusade”, "extremism/extremists" and "you are either with us or against us." The USA rebranded its nationhood to ‘Homeland,’ reminiscent of World War II Germany’s ‘Fatherland.’

We were inundated by pictures of the burning skyscrapers and parallels and references to World War II; as if they were the same thing. Where the neo-con Project for a New American Century was waiting for a "Pearl Harbour event," Christopher Hayes in his article The Good War on Terror, notes what Bush (co-incidentally?) wrote in his diary on September 11, “The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today.”[xii] Hayes also remarks that perhaps we were ripe for the mindset since we had been readied with a host of movies and documentaries throughout the 1990s; Saving Private Ryan, D-Day June 6, 1994: The Climactic Battle of World War II, Flags of Our Fathers, Hart’s War, Pearl Harbor, Band of Brothers including also many popular books on the subject [Keep this in mind for a later post]. Post 9/11 rhetoric continued when in March of 2003, President George Bush announced "The cause of peace requires all free nations to recognize new and undeniable realities. In the 20th century, some chose to appease murderous dictators, whose threats were allowed to grow into genocide and global war. In this century, when evil men plot chemical, biological and nuclear terror, a policy of appeasement could bring destruction of a kind never before seen on this earth."[xiii] Strangely, the dictator that he speaks of (Saddam) did not have the capability to strike America and had a military budget the size of Canada’s. As the flag waiving fervor continued there were some difficult facts that were being ignored. The US supported the dictatorships of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (anti-woman and anti-Christian) and dozens others. If the U.S. was so militant against bloodthirsty dictators why wasn’t there a large military presence in Sudan (casualties of up to 400 000) and Rwanda (about 900 000 deaths)? Where was the vigilance in these war torn hells in the recent past?

Islamic terrorism we are told is out of our control, they apparently lurk in the dark in waiting to kill and maim; they could be anywhere and everywhere. Be vigilant, and be on alert we are reminded. We have a mythology problem of such great proportions reinforced by TV images largely from the Middle East and regions of Africa. To be sure the majority of terrorism is germinated from Islam; yet why weren’t Caucasians vilified due to the Oklahoma bombings? Still headlines blare “The U.S. government released statistics yesterday documenting a dramatic increase in terrorist attacks last year and a death toll of close to 2,000 people around the globe, a disclosure made a week after the State Department”[xiv] or “Many Americans fear another terrorist attack.” I trust that headlines like this scare people witless, but that is approximately 6 deaths per day across the Entire planet. That is not exactly a wave of terror. In addition the terrorist code that persists to let citizens in on possible impending terrorist related doom probably makes the average person a little more agitated and uncomfortable about security as a whole. Beginning with 9/11, TV images were replete with carnage and “Republican and Democrat—in Congress and the media have been peppering us with warnings that the “bad guys” are out to kill us, to destroy our way of life, and to defeat America.”[xv] North Korea, Venezuela, and Iran and a host of Axis of Evils came into focus to scare the hell out of us and provoke the public to hang wringing dependence upon the state to save us from impending doom. There is nothing like the fear of dying a grisly death to entertain your thoughts while at home or work as an excuse to give away more freedom for perceived safety. Tens of thousands have been placed on a watch lists, endure wiretapping, spying, kidnappings, imprisonment without access to a lawyer, and torture. We have to do this to fight against the bad guys.

Wave of terror?

Is there a titanic wave of unprecedented dying across the world caused by terrorism? Is the average American going to face that threat? This is an important question since it is vital to know whether the fear is warranted and therefore correlates with reality. The typical American is never going to face a terrorist threat. In fact the reality is that dying from a terrorist attack in North America is remotely remote.

Consider the following statistics from 1968 to 2007; there have been 51 128 terrorist fatalities World Wide.

51 128 deaths over 40 years world wide

1310 deaths per year or, 4 per day (world wide)

99% of terrorist attacks occur outside of North America

The usual everyday American has a greater chance of dying from the flu, erroneous medications, murder or a car accident than by terrorism (by a MUCH greater chance!) There are MORE fatal car accidents and cancer deaths in America (alone) on any given day then the average terrorist induced body count across the world. There are 875 times as many abortions as is terrorist related deaths per day (on average).

The current U.S. administration has sunk approximately a trillion US dollars into Iraq and Afghanistan. Many experts (including presidential advisors) think that this has fanned the wave of terrorism rather than it petering out. The so called “War on Terror” should be more accurately named the “War for US Hegemony.” Between the invasion in 2003 and current occupation in 2007 there have been approximately 700,000 dead by ‘insurgents,’ US & Allied soldiers, and civil factions (more than 10 times those killed by the totality of terrorism in the last 4 decades). Gwynne Dyer comments ”Ridiculous though it sounds to outsiders, Americans are regularly told that their survival as a free society depends on beating the “terrorists.” They should treat those who say such things as fools or deliberate liars, but they don’t. ”

The administration has called fellow Americans to be vigilant and persistent in this long war on terrorism. Perhaps the persistence of Americans should be squarely aimed at questioning the so called ‘war on terror’ since it has little evidence that the body counts warrant such drastic measures. Perhaps with the 40 000+ deaths per year on the U.S roadways there should be a concise, purposeful attack on highway system to preserve freedom and democracy???* In agreement with my thesis (with all kidding aside) Dave Lindorff in his blog noted “The New York Times, in its science section today, reports that a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry has found that while the risk to Americans of dying at the hands of a terrorist was roughly equal to the chance of “drowning in a toilet,” the risk of cardiovascular disease among people who are frightened about the threat of terrorism is 300-500% higher than for people who are not worried.”[xvi] Perchance we need to start asking some hard questions. We need to stop relegating left vs right debates which are diversions (ie. simply a way to side step issues to hide in your choice ideology to avoid actual issues). Instead we need to ask questions like “is such and such a moral act?”, “Is it okay to invade a foreign country – if so do foreign countries have the same rights to do the same to us?” We need to be thinking about democratic accountability – not the rhetoric we hear from politicians but rather nations that respect the rule of law (i.e. United Nations rulings). History repeats itself just as in the 1980’s Reagan tried to convince the public that Nicaragua was a threat to the American way of life.[xvii] Complete nonsense, yet again we are repeating a cycle of fear.

Indeed, we are living in dangerous times; but we are more liable to be a casualty as a result of truth decay than a terrorist act. The political mind meld machine has done a fine job of twisting reality. The most dangerous thing we can do is to keep our heads in the sand and refrain from asking good, tough questions; there is no harm in that! In conclusion you could meet your fate tomorrow, but I can bet an awful lot of money it won’t be by the hands of a terrorist….bet let’s hope it won’t be face down in the bottom of a toilet either.

The Groundworks

* RW (name withheld)

[i] Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner, Freakanomics: The Rogue Economist Discovers The Hidden Side of Everything P.137

[ii] www.avert.org/usastaty.htm

[iii] United Justuce, www.unitedjustice.com/death-statistics.html

[iv] United Justuce, www.unitedjustice.com/death-statistics.html

[v] www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/mar2004_awsi_death_02.htm

[vi] www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37480.php

[vii] www.drpaul.com/newborn/sids.html

[viii] www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drown.htm

[ix] Alan Guttmacher Institute Statistics

[x] United Justuce, www.unitedjustice.com/death-statistics.html

[xi] United Justuce, www.unitedjustice.com/death-statistics.html

[xii] Christopher Hayes. The Good War on Terror: How the Greatest Generation helped pave the road to Baghdad , In These Times, www.inthesetimes.com/article/2788/September 8, 2006

[xiii] President Says Saddam Hussein Must Leave Iraq Within 48 Hours

Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation March 17, 2003 www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030317-7.html

[xiv] Susan B. Glasser, Global Terrorism Statistics Released

Clearinghouse Data Show Sharp Rise, Thursday, April 28, 2005; Page A07washingtonpost.com

[xv] Dave Lindorff They're Scaring Us to Death January 15, 2008 www.democrats.com/node/15395

[xvi] Dave Lindorff They're Scaring Us to Death January 15, 2008 www.democrats.com/node/15395

[xvii] 35 MIGS vs 1500 or so US fighter jets is not a fair fight, nor even a realistic attempt at an impending invasion.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:06:55 GMT

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you..." Jesus

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."” The Book of Hebrews

Weapons of Mass Deception: Mind Control & Propaganda Part 4
Discontentment & Dissatisfaction - Seek First All the Stuff

Media is a value dispenser. If there was one commonality, or glue that describes the nature of North America’s ‘economic drive’ it would be discontentment. We are no longer citizens but rather consumers who are invited to consume. Unhappiness (perceived inadequateness?) fuels our economy and informs us of felt needs. Discontentment is the engine of commercialism. Pride is linked to restlessness and discontent, for it must be fed (at least so we are told). The reason lies in the self-absorption and pretended self-sufficiency of pride.[i] Therefore one who is discontent may also be spiritually incomplete. Moreover, discontentment too is a sign that we lack something and require THAT something to be satisfied. To be discontent is to be annoyed or to be unhappy; always wanting more. Human beings seek to remedy this predicament seeking to fill it with a want or perceived need. Consumerism needs discontent and uses this model to exploit us in all its capacities. Dissatisfaction is a useful tool of both media (who want to advertise to give purpose to enterprise - profit) and a need of corporations in order to achieve their ends (profit). The media is the conduit by which the manufacturers can deliver by way of image or icon the product; both of which are engineers of creating the illusion need where once there was none.

Media sells the illusion of something better, and supplies our imagination with what could be. Our temporary fix is to purchase, to help momentarily soothe our perception that a particular product will surely satisfy. First, we are a society that lusts for money. Money does make the world go round and unfortunately like a dog chasing its tail we follow the wealth illusion. Western culture believes it is our treatment for happiness, security and a better life. Movie stars and rock idols find themselves in situations of overdose, alcohol rehabs, and broken marriages – it would appear that money promises a whole lot more than happiness. Lotteries throughout the continent promise elusive untold prosperity. Casinos beckon us to deposit our cash into machines that assure a payout. TV game shows feature the likes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and so on. TV programs feature the fabulously rich and coach us that real life is to be lived this way. Wealth we are told are the answer to all problems. Box office returns are posted in newspapers rather than listed by quality or content; and the salaries of movie stars and sports heroes are on display when signing the latest multimillion dollar contract. Second, we’ve grown accustomed to the accumulation of things. Thanks to TV our electronic tutors[ii] have informed us of all the trinkets that we need and how we should live. We are inundated by advertising, billions upon billions in fortifying & replicating our wants but convincing us they are needs. It is not unheard of to trade in cars or trade up our homes at a constant pace. The bigger the home, the more need it is to fill it with stuff. We frequently upgrade our electronics because we are told last years model is now incomplete (i.e. there is a silent motivator that last years model is substandard and the need to ’keep up’). Moreover, it is made difficult not to upgrade because older technology has a generally short lifespan (i.e. it is engineered that way for profit). If we do not have the latest, we fear being left behind. Perhaps it is a subconscious low lying gut feeling that if we do not have the latest we will be left socially impoverished (or inadequate), as if to say that we ARE what we buy. Last years toothpaste is inadequate because it does not have the whitening, fluoride power that has just been unleashed on the market; therefore a new need is created. But we must ask ourselves – what are we keeping up to? And why is last year’s model no longer good enough if indeed it was good enough the year before? We have been taught the skill of accumulation, as without trinkets we are told we are nothing. We are sold a perception that without product we are less than whole without ‘stuff.’ Pile on the boats and motors, computers, cars, TVs, the upgrades, clothing, tools, collectables, homes, furniture, snow machines, motorbikes, furniture, dishes, electronic gadgets china, and ad nausea – you are only what you purchase; Homo-consumerus. If you do not have the latest and greatest….you may be a LOSER, a sub-standard consumer. Your neighbours may have expectations of who you are depending on what you own and drive! As a matter of fact you’d better upgrade soon lest you fall behind in your addition of next years trash. But what we have become are materialists; people whose void must be filled with stuff. A secular society needs religion (just as a religious society needs religion) and shopping and acquisitiveness appears to be the holy sacrament of secularism. Money is nice to have, but it is only a tool and used improperly it can be liable to control you.

In reference to amassing refuse…stirring wants and needs during the Christmas Season has become a towering art especially when it is connected to children’s toys. I do not think it is accidental that companies build tremendous amounts of excitement[iii] for next years ‘big toy.’ Savvy marketers have decided that there must be the ‘it toys’; the ones that are above and beyond all other toys and therefore be obtained. Hot lists, top fives, top tens etc will posted for all eyes to spot. Press statements are released, hype is built, news stories are picked up on major networks, entertainment stories pump out enthusiasm for the latest and greatest. Moms and dads will surely witness newspaper and TV broadcasts of lineups of people waiting to behold the latest trinket. Where commercials set the standard of what is out there, the lines suggest that it must be worthy of purchase. The herd mentality only lends to this enthusiasm. Only a bad parent would not buy these ‘must haves.’ Children will be coerced and lured by TV commercials and strategically placed goods on the shelves of the department store. The child is the victim of the artificial hysteria to benefit someone else’s pocket book. The exhilaration for the toys is usually superior to that of the actual toy which dissipates in a short spell. The little game of corporate submission will play itself out year after year, as we find ourselves willing victims of glittering trinkets and baubles.

The fleeting inadequacy does not stop here. Women have been conditioned through decades of commercialism, movies and TV shows to think that they must adhere to a pattern of beauty established by marketers. Weight, look, style are mandated by magazines and star power. Instead of choosing for oneself, instead are told what the new look and style will be (i.e. and therefore embraced). Social ills as a result of particular beauty standards have accumulated in eating disorders and self-image. Discontentment does not stop in the beauty aisle but its tentacles are firmly embedded in the working world as well. The corporate world assumes another role of discontent. We are enticed via prestige and hoped respect to work hard and ascend the corporate ladder to benefit and perpetuate the corporate world stealing your time as a trade off for hard earned cash. Those that work the hardest, sacrificing their lives in terms of long grueling hours can climb the ladder and will be properly outfitted with status and cash for trinkets. Moreover, as you ascend the ladder we can experience mounting prestige, gains of power and illusion of control. Yet, what we fail to realize as we penetrate the corporate structure in need to either stroke our pride or soothe some needs is the failure to come to terms with the fact that we become trapped. This is not to say that hard work is not a reward; it certainly can and often position can be rewarding. However, that appeasement of self-esteem that strides to rid ourselves of that deep emptiness is no more than a double sided slavery. Your want of social approval is met through position, yet it is that place in that company that steals away even more time. You become tethered through longer hours, email, cell phones, blackberries etc, and without it being pointed out – you are a modern slave. Think you are not – try avoiding answering your email or phone regarding any business arrangements after work. Try it.

Why not ask some pertinent questions? Is the accumulation of stuff and prestige good for me? Can I live without or do I need it?

Discontentment is a problem that will not be solved with greater status, money or accumulation of stuff. It is like throwing gas on a campfire to extinguish it. The more one has that more attention one must give to those things; and therefore yet another type of slavery engulfs us. Life is reduced to prizing inanimate objects and holding them up to be esteemed as the ultimate life trophies. But is it really true that the first person to die with the most toys wins? A person dies most definitely but without the toys. Finally we need to ask ourselves something about what we assume is progress; have human beings been brought this far to be reduced to collecting pieces of wood, plastic and the accusation of prestige as our final end? Money then is not the problem, it is the love of it that crushes us into dust. Things too are not the problem but the overwhelming need to accumulate that is.

Is it honest to say that often we are kept (by our own choice) on such an elaborate, sophisticated treadmill that we are sidetracked from asking questions that really matters? What if we are so enraptured by what we see, hear, feel and touch (naturalism) that we neglect to ask ourselves…is there something beyond this? Is there something better? If we lose the sense of transcendence than I think that we have lost ourselves and flattened our world becoming one dimensional people.

Finally, selling unease is good business, but hard on our pocketbook and soul.

The Groundworks

[i] Os Guiness, Steering Through Chaos, NavPress, 2000 p 39

[ii] Indeed, printed materials such as newspapers and magazines also find their niche markets to promote their wares.

[iii] RW

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:43:13 GMT

Weapons of Mass Deception: Mind Control & Propaganda Part 3
Subverting your Children (and their parents) through Cultural Engineering

The TV is a value dispenser. There is no device quite like it that has the ability to tie a society together through visual stimulation. It is indeed an alluring illusion machine and one that we imbibe in almost daily. It is a friend to the lonely, background noise to the needy, and entertainment and news source for the masses. It too has a way of infecting our moral aptitude for good and bad. One generation’s objection to content becomes the next cohort’s acceptable guide. Television HAS social values and we grow to like it, embrace it and believe it…even if it does take time. Some of the principles associated with TV include greed, fear, violence, personal gain[1], indulgence and self. All of which co-incidentally are associated with the preoccupation of OUR identity and our mental picture of reality.

In his book Fit Bodies Fat Minds Os Guinness comments citing Neil Postman “Television, Postman argues, is not the sole culprit in effecting the shift from the age of exposition to the age of entertainment. It is simply the single most powerful and persuasive medium in which the graphics revolution has culminated. But behind the television lie two earlier inventions – the telegraph,, which put the focus on the “instant,” and the photograph, which put the focus on the “image.” Television’s real potency, therefore, is its blending of instancy and image”[2] Television is supposed to be a purveyor of knowledge, yet it comes with its own bias. Os Guinness further elucidates that there are at least five biases that are built into television…bias; a) against understanding b) against responsibility c) against memory and history d) against rationality e) against truth and accuracy. [3]

Some background information first: A 65-year life, the average person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.[iv] The average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 2 months of non-stop TV watching per year). [v] By the age of 65 2 million commercials will be absorbed….by you.

Apart from what TV networks pipe into our brains as entertainment they also feed us advertising. The current model to deliver TV in North America is commercial TV. A TV viewer can expect up to 17 minutes commercials per hour (CBC claims 12 minutes), some would argue more. Moreover, there are 20,000 commercials viewed by the average child.[vi] This is the model North American TV is based upon. On top of the avalanche of commercials we experience there more than meets the eye says CNET “Subliminal advertising may be "more effective than regular advertising, because people don't have time to raise their anti-ad defenses," according to a new study.”[vii] We have been maneuvered by television since the mid-20^th century to be materialists; collectors of items, things, and trinkets. We are taught to consume, buy, acquire, have, want and upgrade. Progress it seems has reduced humanity to the banality of “stuff collectors”. [viii]

Mental food for thought…

If advertising has taught us nothing but to collect things, then by and large entertainment has taught us that image, art, music, theater is to be consumed, used and discarded. News, education and politics have become points of entertainment rather than information to be moved, analyzed and pondered. Moving images must get better, and more dazzling and tantalizing to keep us occupied. The pendulum has swung in the opposite direction from the early days of TV giving us a more realistic portrait (or hyper-realistic) of our world with additional gratuitous sex, violence, murders, dismemberment to go along for the ride. It is here that TV begins to emulate real life, and real life imitates television. What if I were to tell you that this device we call TV could incite your children to be more promiscuous, violent, and less empathetic and keep adults occupied and drugged?

By the age of 18 a U.S. youth with have viewed 16,000 simulated murders, 200,000 acts of violence including rapes and assaults.[ix] There appears to be mounting evidence that our television is at least in part to blame for youth violence (some not all).[x] Children (and the mentally disabled) simply do not have the capacity to discern as one would expect an adult would do (many adults simply too lazy to discern and many are also ill equipped). Suppose that none of these images insight anti-social behaviour, would it be enough to think that it may not be in the best interests of children (or to be carefully discerning?) avoid such depictions planted in their fertile minds?

Getting that old time secular religion…

TV is a purveyor of lifestyle coercion as well. Kids are offered a world view where much is reduced to two dimensions of surface and sensation. We learn to value only what looks good, trendy or attractive because that is what is reinforced in our screens. Ponder for a moment that thin is truly ‘in’, where dieting and eating disorders envelope our culture because we are taught that a particular body type is desirable. Consider too that MTV [as well as MuchMusic and other music television programs] is highly influential providing teens with cues for music, fashion, style, including the glamorization of drugs, alcohol, violent behaviour and sexual promiscuity.[xi] Indeed it is quite circular, MTV picks up clues from youth and the youth from MTV. Repeat. Reinforce.

The bombardment of pop-porn has reached mainstream not surprisingly years ago. Annie Lennox was quoted in the Guardian Unlimited as stating “Pop videos now are like soft porn.”[xii] Without much objection (but much adulation) Madonna has paved the way for pop-porn princesses like Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears and others; our children are the recipient patron and emulators.[xiii] Not to be outdone, an article by Martin Edlund in the New York Times comments "Hip-hop has lately taken a turn toward the bourgeois…But in deliberate defiance of this newfound respectability, some top acts have begun to pursue a less-than-wholesome sideline: commercial pornography. Pop music has always pushed sexual boundaries, of course, and rap has never shied away from gleefully smutty lyrics. But now, some stars are moving beyond raunchy rhetoric into actual pornographic matter, with graphic videos, explicit cable TV shows and hip-hop-themed girlie magazines."[xiv] Some of the characters involved include 50 Cent, G-Unit, Method Man, Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, East Side Boyz, & Ice-T. Edlund further comments “Of course, many of these acts' fans are teenagers. Mr. Mann, of Video Team, recalls hearing Lil Jon's ''Get Low'' played over the loudspeakers during halftime at his 10-year-old son's football game. ''The little cheerleaders had actually made up cheers to the tune,'' he said.”[xv] Furthermore, hip-hop-porn pushers are getting endorsements (because of their popularity in music) from rather large name brands only further entrenching the majority to accept this as conventional. Popularity usually means wide spread acceptance. You and your children are being habituated to think porn is normal. In a recent article on porn Antonia Zerbisias from the Toronto Star cites not only the normalization of it but the fallout; “Robert Jensen, a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, has been tracking the trend for years. In his new book Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity, he writes with alarm about how the "cruelty line" in mass-market pornography is driving up. At the same time, the "normalization" line – "the measure of the acceptance of pornography in the mainstream of contemporary culture" – is also up, sharply.”[xvi] Strangely she suggests "There are data that suggest a correlation between the amplification of `gonzo porn' and media violence, and a concurrent drop in rapes and violent crimes, at least in the U.S. It could very well be that the more women choke almost to death on screen, the fewer of them do in real life."[xvii] A day later in a letter to the editor, Martin Dufresne of Montreal responds “Or the fewer such rapes are reported. Another explanation to this alleged drop is that pornography normalizes abuse to the point that victims do not feel entitled to speak up any more or that male authorities take less and less seriously reports of behaviour they themselves are aroused by.”[xviii] It should not be surprising that your children’s buying habits are groomed (as you are) for such purchases, as imagines once objectionable are slowly re-arranged in our consciousness. Given enough repetition it is doubtful that you will give it another thought – the normalization process will have inclined it to be well…normal.

Conformity loves company…

The reinforcement is prompted by social pressures of conformity and a need to either fit in or blend it with the mainstream. It should come as no surprise; children imitate what they see, especially if they have no other standard to draw from. They are designed to emulate and practice what they observe and hear adults behaving like. Children aspire to be adults, and what is more adult than sex and what is more exciting than violence? There is some evidence to believe that exposure to TV violence in childhood can be mirrored into adulthood. [xix] Perhaps worse is the fact that TV could be teaching our young that these activities are commonplace and that in our world one should come to expect such behaviour (or at least tolerate it). It is commendable that our culture has become concerned with what foods we should ingest, but strange too that we fail to see that what we pipe into our minds.

Are adults immune to the same images? After all, we are not better equipped to think independently, critically and responsibly? Strange though that even as adults we have catch phrases because they are catchy. They crawl into our minds and stay there – crafted to remain there a hook us into a fun TV program. Think "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?""Don't have a cow, man!" "Doht" ""You're fired!" "Norm!" "Yabba dabba do!"[xx] In the blog The Cleaver makes a very interesting observation "The system uses soap operas, dramas, movies, pop videos, docusoaps and comedies to construct a deliberately ambiguous moral, ethical and intellectual framework."[xxi] The image world of TV conveys a place where divorce, broken families, murder, violence and drugs are part and parcel of a normal stream of life often without consequences. Think of a variety of any topics good and bad that are repeated & reinforced; adultery, bed-hoping, environmentalism, homosexuality, family, product placement, friendship, religion etc. The ones that are most sensational or moving are the ones that stick on our memories the longest. Of course we are adults and see this only as entertainment? – or do we? It is evident however that just a few generations ago audiences were thrilled by the likes of “Leave it To Beaver”, “The Outer Limits”, “Mission Impossible”, “Batman or Bonanza”. But it was also realized by most that these shows did not correspond to reality; they were not realistic. Reality did not blend with the TV universe or vice versa. Society contrasted greatly to the fictitious world of yesterday. Looking back almost thirty years ago “Three’s Company” was considered risqué. Today we have been conditioned through years of repetition and reinforcement to accept ways of life that a generation ago would have been found shocking (or at least odd). It is rare to find a family on TV where they are not divorced or somehow fragmented; perhaps this suggests the new “normal?” Therefore, TV is the perfect medium after a mind-numbing day and one that can pacify, re-educate and formulate our way of thinking.

The Cleaver further elucidates a disturbing trend “TV is not just a product of a consumer mentality that entices humanity by material goods. The fascinating, ubiquitous device is a worldview guru. Guru’s are experts guiding, teaching, soothing, chastising, engaging….” It is captivation, repetition and inundation. The media sells fear, we watch violence in entertainment and studies have shown that generally the population is more fearful (i.e. think terrorism, home invasion), and less connected.[xxii] In reality violent crime in the last few decades has actually gone down - yet we as a society have gotten MORE fearful. That does not at all seem rational. Perhaps we need to ask “what type of mental food are we munching on to exacerbate this fear?”

TV is primarily an entity that entertains and keeps us preoccupied. I like to watch it as much as anyone else. Moreover, it is a device that fills in the cracks to our perception of reality without exposing the real thing. We are slowly and passively being tweaked through entertainment to be morally guided consumers conducted by Hollywood directors, producers and whoever else is behind the curtain. We have been taught a plot line and we gladly believe it. While TV is losing some of its audience to the internet (I’m one of those people!) it still has a hold on us. I still watch it and have a selection of shows that I enjoy. Our electronic guru has offered up mostly a mental fast-food menu (there are exceptions of course), the question is what are we to choose; and what will we choose for our children?

The Groundworks

1 Noam Chomsky, What Uncle Sam Really Wants www.zmagmorg/chomsky/sam

[2] Os Guiness, Fit Bodies Fat Minds, p77

[3] Os Guiness, Fit Bodies Fat Minds, p78-79

[4] The Source for Teaching Science www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html

[5] The Source for Teaching Science www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html

[6] The Source for Teaching Science www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html

[7] Study: Subliminal ads warp your brain Tom Krazit CNET News www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9898078-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Duke University and the University of Waterloo

[8] The commercial Christmas push was used to kick start a sagging U.S economy in the mid-1800’s, not the 20^th Century as some have come to believe.

[9] Battlecry News Room, www.demossnewspond.com – Referenced from American Psychiatric Association & University of Michigan

[10] Leonard Eron Senior Research Scientist at the University of Michigan

[11] Battlecry News Room, www.demossnewspond.com & Parents Television Council, www.parentstv.org/PTC/facts/mediafacts.asp, University of Michigan Health System www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/tv.htm

[12] 'Pop videos now are like soft porn' Sunday June 26, 2005 arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1514486,00.html

[13] TV movies and shows equally condition our thoughts (for both good and bad)

[14] Martin Edlund, MUSIC; Hip-Hop's Crossover to The Adult Aisle March 7, 2004query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E0DD153FF934A35750C0A9629C8B63

[15] Martin Edlund, MUSIC; Hip-Hop's Crossover to The Adult Aisle March 7, 2004query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E0DD153FF934A35750C0A9629C8B63

[16] Packaging abuse of women as entertainment for adults , Antonia Zerbisias Toronto Star, 2008/01/26

[17] Packaging abuse of women as entertainment for adults , Antonia Zerbisias Toronto Star, 2008/01/26

[18] LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Toronto Star Jan 28, 2008

[19] University of Michigan Health System www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/tv.htm

[20] MSN entertainment.uk.msn.com/tv/

[21] thecleaver.blogspot.com/2007/06/tv-is-for-women.html

[22] Changing The Channels www.changingchannels.org/index.php

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:56:05 GMT

"Television is altering the meaning of "being informed" by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation..." Neil Postman

Weapons of Mass Deception: Mind Control & Propaganda Part 2
Reliance on the Appliance - Massaging Your Mind!

Since the 1950's we have fallen in love with the bluish glowing box we like to call television. Indeed TV lures us into another world with 'news', sports and entertainment. TV as a medium is unique in that it is passive and does not allow the viewer to interact or respond (i.e. think). It does not permit the spectator the ease of pausing for thought (unless one has a TiVo, VCR or the like). Images are flashing many times too quickly for us to focus or digest aimed at base stimulation rather than mental inspiration. Linear thought is placed on hold to embrace a multiplicity of flashing images. Even still I think that far too many would be resistant to participating in any deep thought provoked by our TV…probably a good reason it is called the idiot box. The TV has had a tremendous effect on our social culture and has re-engineered the way we think about our world. Even the best intentioned parents use the television as an automated babysitter. What if the device I am speaking of has slightly addictive powers and to create dissatisfaction?

The TV is a placating appliance, relaxing, enticing, inflaming, exciting and always entertaining the audience. While society does have problems with illiteracy, I have not yet heard of someone who is considered "TV impaired" or "TV challenged." Literacy and reading has taken 1000s of years to catch on, TV has captured the world in 50!* The only ingredient not required is thought. Today culture appears to have succumbed to a reliance on the appliance! Jeff Rense a radio talk show host comments "It's been demonstrated that well within two minutes of watching television, most people enter a hypnotic alpha state bordering on theta. Viewers in this state are no longer able to critically evaluate, discern, or pass judgment from their own moral database on the material being viewed. The information just flows, unimpeded, into their subconscious year in and year out." The data is further co-related to Herbert Krugman’s research (1969) that suggested that when we begin to watch TV we enter an unfocused, receptive threshold of consciousness (reading a book altered the mental state to a more critical one).[i] Further research seems to indicate “that the brain's left hemisphere, which processes information logically and analytically, tunes out while the person is watching TV. This tuning-out allows the right hemisphere of the brain, which processes information emotionally and non-critically, to function unimpeded."[ii] One would assume that if we are unhinged of our critical thinking we can indeed be slowly refashioned – for commercial, political, or moral engineering. Those that control the media empires therefore can hold sway to exploit and motivate our impulses. Perhaps that is why the TV networks refer to "network programming"? Video has a primal hold over us simply because we are visual creatures.

The TV is probably one of the most influential technologies every created. Families eat dinner around it, children are babysat by it, conversations are hushed because of it and yet we cleave to it. It entertains, numbs, excites, informs and instructs; it shapes our world view. We allow this machine to passively educate ourselves and our families daily. Think of the latest news, buzz words or ideas that we have gleaned from TV that forms our opinions. It is in effect a persuading machine. As well it is a diversion, often fun but we should not ignore the darker side.

To persuade is to convince, argue or sway someone to a new position, or if we have already arrived at an agreeable position – to keep us entrenched in a particular thought pattern or process. Chomsky remarks”Whether they're called "liberal" or "conservative," the major media are large corporations, owned by and interlinked with even larger conglomerates. Like other corporations, they sell a product to a market. The market is advertisers -- that is, other businesses. The product is audiences. For the elite media that set the basic agenda to which others adapt, the product is, furthermore, relatively privileged audiences.[iii] What is fed to the influential trickles down into the mainstream; adopting political, religious and economic values. The persuasion begins at birth and by adulthood we have difficulty thinking or asking questions outside the mainstream; our framework has already been constructed for us. The development includes consuming our entertainment, sports and fed commercials while being less apt to engage society at large. The majority of the population is to remain sidetracked, and take orders (via elite media & conglomerates)[iv] through the diversion of amusement and preoccupation of media (i.e. TV etc). The crisis of democracy is averted and the status quo is ensured. The goal is to keep the bewildered herd bewildered[v]…and to keep us from truly seeing reality for what it is.

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now acknowledges "that the media has become the most powerful force in shaping public opinion."[vi] Our perceptions on a number of topics whether religion, politics, science and morality are more often heavily weighted by TV rather than by our own personal efforts of research at the local library. It is not that all TV is a tool of menacing proportions but that we spend SO much time in front of it that we should pause in thought for what it teaches. It most certainly has shaped our minds in many ways for good and bad. Indeed, it should come as no surprise then that society has a self-correcting mechanism (i.e. to uphold social values) that prevents (or curtails) one from asking such questions or fear being labeled eccentric, conspiratorial or simply a person who should make better use of our time. Quickly we revert back into conventional thinking by simply re-engaging our media fed mind set.

We shall see in the next entry what some of these values are.

The Groundworks

[i] The Source for Teaching Science www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html
[ii] The Source for Teaching Science www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html
[iii] Noam Chomsky, What Uncle Sam Really Wants www.zmagmorg/chomsky/sam
[iv] Noam Chomsky, What Uncle Sam Really Wants www.zmagmorg/chomsky/sam
[v] Noam Chomsky, What Uncle Sam Really Wants www.zmagmorg/chomsky/sam
[vi] Amy Goodman, Democracy Now from the documentary Globalization and The Media

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

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