Democracy in Iraq?

Are we finally going to start to see some progress in Iraq? Another election, another set of inevitable attacks, probably to be followed by allegations of corruption and vote rigging, a sham election, just to prop up a puppet cherry picked by the US administration. 


Nonsense. Look at the quote from Walid Abid, also check out this quote:


"I am not scared and I am not going to stay put at home," said Abid, who owns a cafe. "Until when? We need to change things. If I stay home and not come to vote, Azamiyah will get worse." 


Does that not (and please don't believe I supported this illegal invasion for one second) illustrate the wonderful effect democracy* can have. How the Iraqi people are, for all this conflict's failings, trying to embrace democracy. That all those civilian deaths listed in the pretty graph** above are not for nothing. 


*any person considering not voting in the upcoming General Election should seriously have a rethink. How much we take our society for granted. How apathetic can a nation become? (over a third choose, on a consistent basis, not to vote at all.) And please don't suggest that this group of people are somehow 'protesting' by not voting at all. The vast majority have no passion for the vote, no passion for democracy any more and probably no passion for the society around them. Oh the beauty of Western liberal democracy. 


** The "beauty of Western liberal" democratic media reporting surfaces its ugly head. A lovely pretty graph to illustrate the civilian deaths. Oh look, it goes up in the middle, it was really bad then you know. And then what? It falls, progress you see. A lovely pretty graph to measure death, innocent deaths, civilian deaths. Not only that - look at the smaller word, the killer word, the slightly less bold font than the other words - 'thousands'. So the lovely, pretty, purple up-and-down graph, with the numbers 1,2,3 and 4 running up the left, has a whole different meaning when your eyes scan up the left side of the graph. All those pretty purple bars, are thousands and thousands and thousands of dead, innocent people. You wouldn't know that from all the 'prettiness' though, would you? 


Also read this, Iraqis defy intimidation to vote, attacks kill 36

US facing rise in right-wing extremists.

Forget Islamic terrorists, Osama-bin-Laden, North Korean dictatorships or Iranian nuclear proliferation - in the USA - a huge increase in right-wing 'patriot' groups and militias have alerted law enforcement agencies since the election of Barack Obama.  


According to the Guardian these groups are 'armed and angry', and are encouraged by the "increasing propagation of conspiracy theories by parts of the mass media such as Fox News." 


"The SPLC has identified 512 groups, including "patriots" and militias, which it accuses of pushing extreme anti-government doctrines or promoting political conspiracy theories. It says that many are not directly involved in violence but help feed extremism.

States with several groups include: Texas (52 groups including American Patriots for Freedom Foundation, Central Texas Militia, Texas Well Regulated Militia); Michigan (47 including Northern Michigan Backyard Protection Militia); California (22 including State of California Unorganized Militia, Northern California State Militia, American Armenian Militia, Freedom Force International); Indiana (21 including Indiana Sedentary Militia, Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, 3rd Brigade); New York (17 including Empire State Militia); Oregon (14 including Oregon Militia Corps) and Kentucky (13 including Kentucky State Militia – Ohio Valley Command)."

Do you suppose this will be the 'breaking news' on Fox News? Will this be a huge concern to the right-wing propagandists of Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly? I doubt it. Like I said before, it just doesn't fit the narrative.

(Some other examples from the UK and Europe found on this blog.)

Quotes on the BNP

Dutch Double-speak

Rupert Murdoch: The future of newspapers

From the Hoover Institution and FORA.tv

He talks nonsense. Was this whole issue a set-up to push his agenda? Does he really believe it is possible to charge for online newspaper content? Can't wait for him go bankrupt... yes I am dreaming, but hope is the only way.

Dutch double-speak

"Geert Wilders’ populist anti-immigration 'Freedom Party (PVV)"

Check out this article on Liberal Conspiracy about the fragile political situation in the Netherlands due to the ongoing presence of Dutch troops in Afghanistan.

My worry, however, - and something that happens a lot in society, especially in the media/propaganda/political society - is the use of double-speak. How can someone with policies like these ever possibly claim to believe in freedom? Or is he using the word 'freedom' in his parties title to try and create that impression in voters minds, whilst advocating, at times, the total opposite.

Language is very powerful - especially in politics.

Always apply context before definition.

Subliminal Mind Control, Brain Washing, Media & Psychology

Break away and reach out for other sources of information. Limit the amount of information you take in from the corporate channels of propaganda. Get good food and good nutrition for the mind.

"This guy is right about the news. The more you watch, the less you really know about current affairs."

How to brainwash a nation

"This amazing interview was done back in 1985 with a former KGB agent who was trained in subversion techniques. He explains the 4 basic steps to socially engineering entire generations into thinking and behaving the way those in power want them to. It's shocking because our nation has been transformed in the exact same way, and followed the exact same steps.