Monkey see, monkey do

What is it with the "world press" anyway? The president of one nation can command an entire army of mass media to jump when he says jump, and praise occupation when he says so? Wow.
Maybe Bush takes his evangelical stance a bit too seriously. The trend really is that when ratings in those incredible "polls" start to slide a bit, the leader rallies the world around his/their war by reminding how in doing so, we're really supporting the troops. There is nothing WRONG with supporting our troops, in fact we should support them by prolonging their lives and their sanity and their families' wellbeing by bringing them HOME safely rather than using them as an occupying force. Imagine that. I love to watch the weird relationship between the leadership and the media, the way that the 'retraction' and 'blame' slight of hand get played quicker than a game of poker where the establishment always comes out winning. Crazy magician it is. Free press anyone? I know I've read Marx's view that the mass media exists only to further the goals of the ruling capitalist class in Political Sociology but the "world press"??? Is nothing immune from the almighty dollar? I'm stunned by the many ways this administration has been able to unite and divide the entire world either in support of the U.S. (as in directly after 9/11, in suffering) or against it, (as in pre-Operation Iraqi Freedom or "Bush War II")
The mainstream American press obviously has alot to do with the uniting/dividing of the American people, but MUST we continue being content with our role as pawns in some fucking global chess game? If you don't want to be one of those three monkeys (See/hear/speak no evil) then watch the indy media and compare all that the truly global media has to say from those pre-packaged pop tarts masquerading as brain food. Support every troop and civilian (the truly voiceless) by educating yourself beyond what Fox, CNN, CBS, NBC will sell you is "newsworthy" or "truth."

In one of my classes we just finished "The Surrounded" by D'Arcy McNickle and there is an interested parallel in the way the current U.S. leadership seems to think that war/occupation is necessary to help these poor Iraqis into democracy (by force?) just as it once thought it needed to help the Native Americans into "civility" (and I won't even mention the lust for land and resources!) The American people are also treated as children by this administration in its post 9/11 glorification. Let the wounds heal and stop creating new ones please. I've heard people term this "war" (it's actually "peace" now isn't it?) the new Vietnam or American's second Vietnam or America's Afghanistan but I'm thinking its more like America's Palestine. Perhaps on this one case we could do well to learn from Israel in that the more you destroy, the more homes/lives/way of life you destroy, the more anger/frustration/desperation and hatred you create. Imagine that. This point of view seems quite lost on the mass media (and wisely so, I'm sure). If they were to feed the American people a daily diet of the reality of war, do you think that our troops would still be there, yet alone be willing to send more? Bush once spoke of having learned the "lessons of Vietnam" and I think that indeed he has. Our government has never since allowed the media the freedom of press that the US media eventually had in covering Vietnam so that the seething unforgettable images from Vietnam OF WAR are replaced by images of shiny happy troops and shiny happy Iraqis (including the occasional "terrorist/insurgent" photo to reaffirm again and again WHY we MUST stay) .

peace!

"Sometimes, it's easier to live in fiction"--from Michael Franti/Spearhead "Pray for grace"
(Thanks to Marcy for introducing me to the music Franti/Spearhead. They offer great music but also great hope!)


"Do not scold the little birds.
We need their songs.
Do not hate your own body.
It is the altar for humanity's spirit."
"Do not destroy the structure of suchness within you"--Thich Nhat Hahn