Friday, November 23, 2007

News and Believing

My personal hero and mentor in so many ways, Henry David Thoreau, said that most news is mere gossip. Once you've heard about one ship wreck or train wreck, why do you have to hear of every single one that happens. Once you've figured out that man is an inhumane creature and that horrors occur every day in the lives of men, why must we dwell on these daily horrors? Once you've heard of one thrid world gov't collapsing to be replaced by a tyrrant, why do you have to hear about them all? I agree to a certain extent. What's the point? Are we to fret over each and every occasion for horror?

Thoreau was talking about the media sensationalizing events just for the fun of it, basically. Today, we have a much more insidious media. It sensationalizes non-events for the purpose of anesthetizing and manipulating the desperate masses, and they do it in a purposeful and complex manner. Although, all one has to do is follow the money.
Someday, the first part of the 21st Century will be used as a classic example of such proletariat manipulation. I shutter to think of what our descendants will think of us. How will you be remembered even 100 years from now? Voter records will be important sources of genealogical research when people are trying to decide the location and character of their ancestors.
But I digress. Take the current "Iran" crisis. The US corporate government still sees the possibility of controlling mid east oil. How the fuck they can still visualize such a farse, is beyond me, but again I digress. Of course, controlling the largest oil reserve in the world controls the majority of the money in the world. So they have fabricated this absurd senario where the Iranians are some sort of threat to the world with their pitiful little nuke program, their non-air force and their army that is equiped with all the latest 1950s hi-tech weaponry. Yea, we Americans with our gigantic, uber modern war machine that we spend unbelievable amount of money on each year should be afraid of these desert dwelling jihadists. Gimme a break.

Take the following news article. It is essential that if we attack Iran, we demonize Russia who will respond by condemning our country for once again invading another nation simply to fulfill our capitalist desires.
Russian president lashes out at West
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin harshly assailed his opponents and accused the West of meddling in Russian politics, telling a parliamentary campaign rally Wednesday that opponents at home and abroad want to weaken the country.


And nowhere in this article or any other article on Russian politics does anyone mention the fact that xenophobia is a strong part of the character of Russian culture (why is it that we expect everyone in the world to understand our politics and culture as we smash our way across the globe yet we make no effort to understand the cultures and politics of other countries?). So what. A Russian leader displays xenophobic traits in a national speech to his people. WTF do you expect? It the same old same old we've been hearing from Russian leaders for 200 years. It's nothing, but the US mass media will try to use it as a part of their fabricated international crisis over Russian politics which is part of their fabricated international crisis over Iranian nukes which comes in the wake of their fabricated international crisis over Iraqi "weapons of mass destruction."
Never forget, you ignorant proles were convinced that war on Iraq was essential because they were getting ready to attack us with "weapons of mass destruction." Do any of you feel like the ignorant morons that you are for falling for that load of shit?

So yea, it's the same old stupid shit that has been shoved down our throats for hundreds of year, but can we really ignore it when the ignorant slack jawed spew gobbling desperate proles are swallowing the lies and deception like it's manna from heaven and the corporate government relies on their ignorance to destroy our country?

8 comments:

fu said...

iran has the GNP of louisiana and the population of michigan or something like that. who are they gonna nuke? they nuke one US city and their country would be a parking lot the next day, the Iran fear mongering is so stupid. but cheney, Bush and co. count on us to be the same scared little morons that let them bungle their way into iraq.

Traci Dolan said...

I used to think Russia was the sleeping giant, but now, it's the Republican Party.

Tell your good-looking daughter I said congrats on her doe. I hope she's tasty.

Love, Rita said...

Interesting blog. I agree with most everything you write. Now, how do we change it?

SagaciousHillbilly said...

rita, I don't know. I used to think we could do it at the voting booth, but then it's the voting booth thatgot us into this ridiculous state.
I used to think that education would enlighten and advance us forward, but we have the most educated electorate ever and we're worse off than ever.

Bottom line for me is that we HAVE to reject the hysteria of consumerism. That alone might not solve our problems, but I believe that once Americans begin taking control of their own lives, thinking for themselves and setting priorities that bring them peace, serenity and happiness to their lives, we will have a chance.
I don't see that happening, as our populous is addicted to consumerism no less than some crack whore down on the corner.

nanna, Unfortuately, it's not just the republicans.

Forrest Proper said...

Of course, under the Czars the majority of the Russian people were badly off, and I'm sure that was blamed on foreigners and the Jews. After Stalin took over, all of it was. Now it is blamed on the Jews and Bush.

Of course, Bush has given Putey-Pute- whose eyes he gazed into (bleeech!) oil prices to allow the old USSR to rise again. Not the USSR that stood for the workers rights, neither Bush nor Putey-Pute want that, but the USSR that took it's strength from being able to oppose the West.

*sigh*

Good work, George, in a wide variety of ways, you have been able to re-institute the USSR Commie Menace and all sorts of other bad jubee. Satan has a big throne awaiting you.

ptui.

SagaciousHillbilly said...

Good stuff colonel. Put it out there!
Maybe an ignorant prole here and there will pick up on something.

Simply Curious said...

I think I'll name my firstborn Vladamir. I'm politically stupid so I'm going to sit, watch, nod, grin and look pretty. Is that OK?

SagaciousHillbilly said...

Ms. Curious, Absolutely ok. When one does something like "look pretty" as well as you, they should do it often and with enthusiasm.
You do "stuff" and I'll do political rants. I don't look as pretty as I once did anyway.
Glad to have you around here.