Article Archives by Subject: Propaganda
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Silencio! |
Subject: The Rhetoric of Anger
In spite of their being no established causal connection between the political right and the actions of such people as Jared Loughner (the Tucson, AZ shooter of Congresswomen Giffords), or James Jay Lee (the Discovery Communications headquarter hostage taker in Silver Springs, MD), or Andrew Joseph Stack (who flew his small plane into an Austin, TX IRS building), this has not quieted the call from the left for "swearing off the rhetoric of violence", stopping the "climate of hate", eliminating the "vitriol ... about tearing down the government", and "toning down the partisan rhetoric" while "promot[ing] centrism and moderation". It has also been pointed out that the left constantly uses language or tactics that imply violence, such as calling for the targeting of Democrats who are insufficiently progressive, while placing "bulls eyes" on Gabrielle Giffords herself, as well as various Republicans. Or calling for Nuremberg-style trials for the "bastards" who deny climate change. Or graphically depicting the blowing up of any school child who chooses to think for him or herself. Or Barack Obama famously stating his position with regard to Republican campaign attacks: "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun." None of this seems to matter in mitigating the left's outrage. Of course it is perfectly clear to anyone engaged in or observing the rough-and-tumble of political discourse, that all of these references to "targeting the enemy", "keeping the opposition in one's crosshairs", "mounting a battle plan", "taking aim", "fighting an uphill battle", "setting off a powder keg of dissent", "dropping a bombshell" and so forth are nothing more than combat metaphors emphasizing the struggle between two opposing (i.e., "warring") groups, and in no way reflect a call for the literal use of knives, guns or bombs, or the actual killing of any person. So why all the disingenuous accusations by the left in demanding a revision in tone and language used by the right? Because it serves their purpose:
Now it is true that those on the progressive left are very much afraid of what they perceive to be happening among those to their political right. But it is not a violent uprising or attacks on their person that they fear. What the left is accurately observing, and what is generating such angst, is the rising passion among Republicans, Libertarians and Independents. It is the awakening of an honest and justified anger concerning what has, and is currently being done to this country and its citizens — and what is being done to them! The left correctly senses that the jig may well be up for their programs of theft and subjugation if the victims stop accepting the unearned guilt and duty they have been told they must bear, and instead, begin pushing back. The left knows that they cannot win on the battlefield of ideas, because in most matters, the powerful weapon of truth is on the side of their foes. So they resort to a time-tested tactic: they attempt to guilt others into abandoning their intellectual ammunition—their truth—and voluntarily surrendering their winning stance. For years, one strategy has been to cast the accusation of "racism" and watch their opponents immediately back down. This tactic had been successful because, being unable to mount a proper philosophical defense against this insult, many people had wrongly accepted an unearned guilt and allowed themselves to be held accountable for the past actions of others, thereby handing the left a leverage point which they could exploit to their benefit. However, since the election of Barack Obama, we have entered a post-racial era, and the left is no longer finding this to be the effective ploy it once was — although they keep trying! With racism effectively off the table, the left has now switched to charges of "violence". And as they are so accustomed to doing, without the need for any actual evidence, they merely proclaim that the rhetoric of the right is responsible for inciting violence in other impressionable people and then hope that those accused will fail to understand the principles involved and swiftly retreat, wishing to distance themselves from the warrantless invective. Fortunately, what they are discovering is that this tactic is also achieving very little traction. In fighting back against these baseless indictments, the right is learning how to not let the left get away with writing the political narrative. Responding to a decade of unprecedented statist abuses during both the Bush and the Obama administrations, a sleeping giant has now been awakened. Where once federal political power went substantially unchallenged by a complacent populace that was focused primarily on their day-to-day lives, many of these same people have now been transformed into political activists, operating either individually, or as members of a grassroots Tea Party organization, to challenge the status quo and assert a newfound commitment to the fundamental principles of constitutionally constrained government, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and individual rights. What this nascent movement lacks by way of an incomplete formulation and understanding of these principles, it compensates for with energy, fervor and dedication. And it is this new spirit of participation and the willingness to fight for self-preservation that so terrifies the left. When the left seeks to "promote centrism and moderation", they are asking the right to compromise their principles. Here is what Ayn Rand had to say concerning the act of compromise:
This is a profoundly important observation. Compromise is not possible on matters of fundamental principles, for any attempt to do so utterly destroys that principle in the process. And this is precisely what the left is counting on. If they cannot guilt us into surrender, then they merely ask that we negotiate a compromise of such things as our lives, our liberty, our property and our privacy. And the moment we concede even the smallest breach of our individual rights, then those rights have been effectively extinguished and all that remains are insubstantial words to which some may cling in delusion, but which will provide no protection, ultimately resulting in our being conscripted into national service; or being told what type of medical treatments will be permitted and which will be denied; or having half, or three quarters, or all of one's wealth confiscated; or being subject to warrantless wiretaps and strip searches at the airport. This art of compromise is a game of gotcha that the left fully understands and applies against the unwary. Fortunately, the defense is easy: simply say "No!" and stand firm. A more sophisticated version of this game can be seen when the left demands that the right "tone down the partisan rhetoric." What they are actually saying is, "stop being passionate about your cause," because they understand full well that passion is infectious and can ignite similar feelings and commitment in others. If they can convince us to give up the anger we feel in response to their actions, they know we will have been defused and no longer pose a threat. So they manufacture criticism designed to make us question the legitimacy of our feelings and hope that the resulting guilt will lead us to internally sabotage our values; to compromise our principles without a fight. It is a strategy that has often worked, but is ineffective when seen for what it is. Today we are engaged in a serious battle of competing ideologies, with the future of this country—and our personal freedom—hanging in the balance. The progressives have seized an opportunity to advance their totalitarian agenda, consolidating an unprecedented level of arbitrary power in the hands of the President, while eroding the rights of every citizen. If, in the modern era, there was ever an appropriate time to be provoked by political events, this is certainly it, and the displeasure exhibited through the outpouring of articles, speeches, rallies, protests, and letters to Congress, are all fully justified, as are the use of combat metaphors which effectively punctuate the seriousness of our concerns and accurately convey the level of our outrage. At this point, the citizens of this country are not advocating the use of violence, but instead are engaged in the rhetoric of anger, which will continue to be dialed up until they are finally acknowledged. However, it must be pointed out that while the protests of the citizenry have remained generally peaceful as they attempt to address their concerns through the expression of ideas and via the electoral process, the same cannot be said of the actions of government. By its very nature, government operates by means of coercion. Every initiative it takes is imposed upon the citizens with the explicit threat that failure to comply will be met with physical force. As the regulations which restrict our freedom of speech, expression, movement and choice grow, and the theft of our property increases, all at the point of a gun, the country is being moved closer and closer towards a dangerous tipping point. If our supposedly representative government continues to ignore the message being communicated by a large segment of the populace, and persists in further destroying the rights of the individual, Then all bets are off. Our politicians, many of whom just now appear to be getting their first education into the meaning and purpose of the U.S. Constitution, should also reacquaint themselves with the Declaration of Independence, which states in part:
There was a time when those in America had had enough. Pushed beyond their limits, they declared their independence from an oppressive government — and when that government attempted to enforce its despotic control, these people fought back in the cause of their freedom. Today we find ourselves on the cusp of a Second American Revolution, with the parallels to 1776 clearly seen in the excerpt above. However, we have at our disposal a significant advantage that was unavailable to our forefathers — the remnants of constitutional protections that they bequeathed to us. While the First Amendment is currently under concerted attack by the Obama administration, we still enjoy a reasonably unfettered ability to voice our opposition and work to educate more and more people as to the true nature of the progressive's totalitarian agenda, without the need to resort to actual bullets. And we are making visible progress! But the path back towards a proper society based upon inviolable individual rights and strictly limited government is long and arduous, and will require real passion in order to fuel our ongoing commitment to the cause of liberty. Do not allow the enemy to wear you down or convince you to relinquish your justified anger. Reason must always be one's guide to action, but respect your inner flame and let it inspire and drive you forward to do what is necessary in order to win this battle and vanquish, once and for all, the philosophical ideology dedicated to human destruction. Please reread Brian Faulkner's poem at the opening of this article, as it expresses my deepest feelings concerning the current state of the world. I pledge myself to the rhetoric of anger, so long as it shall be required — and not a moment longer.
How sharp would fly the bullets from my mind. To victory!
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The Examiner |
Subject: What Is The Tea Party Movement Really All About?
In a recent OpEd piece in the Washington Examiner titled, Media still clueless about Tea Parties, author Noemie Emery ponders the media's disingenuous "confusion" over the nature of the Tea Party participants, wondering why they classify us as irrationally angry, uncaring, fear mongering, racist, misogynist, ignorant rabble, aggrieved elite, populists, and above all, unappreciative for all of the great things that are being done for us by our government. She then correctly identifies that there is no mystery here and that Tea Partiers are upset at the massive increase in the national debt, fearing that it has become unsustainable. While I agree with her point, and appreciate he having correctly identified this issue, I do not believe that she has squarely hit the the target with her analysis. Here is my response to her piece.
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Atlas Shrugs |
Subject: Obama Continues to Organize his Youth Army!
Got that! Obama is using the public school system as a means to recruit an army of youth organizers specifically focused on the upcoming 2010 elections. And he is proposing that the schools extend classroom credit to the students for their participation! This "internship" is nothing more than a ten-week, socialist, youth army, propaganda, indoctrination program. Let's look at some of the highlights:
Suggested Reading: "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky, and "The New Organizers" by Zack Exley Week 2: What is Organizing?: Building Relationships and Organization
Suggested Reading: "Dreams of my Father" by Barack Obama Week 3: What is Organizing?: The Power of Good Data and Reporting
Week 4: Strategizing for Effective Change
Suggested Reading: "Stir It UP: Lessons in Community Organizing and Advocacy" by Rinku Sen, and "Politics the Wellstone Way: How to Elect Candidates and Win on the Issues" by Wellstone Action Week 5: Developing Leadership
Week 6: Managing Events
Week 7: Building Coalitions
Suggested Reading: "A Strategic Approach to Collective Action: Looking for Agencies in Socialist-Movement Choices" by James M. Jasper Week 8: Working with the Media
Week 9: Utilizing New Media
Week 10: Celebration, Evaluation & the Long Haul of Change
Potential Action: "Have Intern agree to participate in a December conference call with OFA headquarters (and ideally a special guest). During the call, we can unveil our larger strategy for student and youth strategy [sic] in the states. After the call, we will follow up with specific contacts for each participant so that they can get immediately get [sic] plugged in to OFA's efforts within their communities." See Pamela Geller's website for photocopies of the entire document which she obtained from a concerned parent whose son had received it in his government class. As the agenda outline makes clear, the purpose of this "training" is to create a student army that continues the President's push for passage of his health care, energy and education reform legislation. And if you believe that this would only affect students who have already developed a deep commitment to political activism, then you haven't been paying attention. As I have reported here in depth, through its Service-Learning program, the government is imposing mandatory community service requirements upon students of all ages, making this a necessity for them to graduate each year. Faced with meeting this onerous new obligation, every student must waste their time looking for some form of labor that is acceptable to their school. Then their teachers dangle this "opportunity" in their faces, telling them it will not only fulfill their community service requirement, but will earn them class credit as well. Just another masterful example of the government employing the carrot-and-stick approach in order to force people to do its bidding. And who pays for all of this? Why you, the taxpayer. As I reported here and here, for their 2010 budget, the Obama administration has handed over $1.149 billion dollars to the Corporation for National & Community Service, which then uses that money in the form of grants, to entice school districts to impose Service-Learning programs upon their students. So, once again, the government is using your own money against you, to undermine your liberty. Another interesting thing to notice in the OFA Internship document is the proposed reading list, which is nothing less than primer for the progressive left. And notice that, despite a year's worth of serious criticism on this point from many commentators, Obama is still proudly reading from the play book of Saul Alinsky, the radical who wrote, in typical Marxist class-warfare fashion:
Well, there you have it. For Obama, this is nothing less than an all out war for power and control — not just over your health care, or the economy — but control over your very life. With the push for mandatory national service for all Americans currently winding its way through Congress in the form of H.R. 1444, we are rapidly moving towards the fulfillment of Rahm Emanuel's dream of having the government impose its idea of "basic training and understanding" upon each of us, making sure that we learn the "universal sense of service" that will "give Americans, once again, a sense of what they are to be American". Translated: "If you don't agree with Barack, then your simply not an American ... and we plan to fix that!" The final thing to be learned from this document is just how organized these "community organizers" actually are. They have developed a well thought out, highly structured program to implement their agenda and they are following through with their plans. And with Obama in the White House, they now have access to considerable funds — your funds — which they can use to achieve significant results. If they are not stopped, in the long run they will certainly achieve their purpose. Therefore, it is imperative that we act in opposition to end this nightmare. We must continue to attack on every new front, chopping off each tentacle until they have no more to extend. And then we will lop off the head and put an end to this nightmare.
The chickens are all coming home to roost. Everyone who cares about
the future of this country, whether you have children in school or not,
needs to take action agains this abomination. Get in touch with your
local schools and find out where they stand on the matter of
Service-Learning programs and determine whether they have received
these OFA Internship forms, and if so, whether they passing them out
to the students. If you are a parent in the PTA, raise these issues
with other parents and organize protests over the transformation of
our government schools from nominal places of education into socialist
indoctrination camps. And everyone should be loudly protesting against
Obama's totalitarian tactics of attempting to create a youth brigade
to serve his overt political agenda. If this doesn't qualify as
clearly illegal activity, and if people don't rise up in a storm of
protest, then I truly fear for the future of this country.
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Star Tribune |
Subject: Indoctrinating the Indoctrinators
As the government continues its speedy imposition of forced community service work on the country's students through the Service-Learning initiative, one might wonder just what sort of training do the teachers in these classrooms have for administering these programs, and what type of mentoring can we expect them to provide to their charges. Well, wonder no longer. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, Katherine Kersten does an excellent job of reporting on one answer in her article, At U, future teachers may be reeducated. Did she actually mean to report that teachers were to be educated? No, she really means reeducated! From the article:
And only then will they will be ready to send forth and pass on their
indoctrination to your children.
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Youth Service America |
Subject: I Am AmeriCorps ... Because Obama Says So!
Using federal taxpayer funds, the Youth Service America organization, which is primarily responsible for the implementation of the "service-learning" programs in schools, along with AmeriCorps, VISTA, Online Learning Center, United We Serve, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, has branched out to use YouTube as a recruiting and promotional tool. As they say on their YAS Service Wire website:
Heading over to their YouTube Resource Center, we are greeted with the following introductory promotional video. This consists of a number of AmeriCorps members holding an "I AM AmeriCorps" sign and telling us the reason for their involvement. In many cases you can see them reading their heartfelt "reason" off the back of the sign that they hold. Often, you cannot hear or understand what the speaker is saying. I was particularly impressed with one fellow who, at about 57 seconds into the clip, shows that he is a graduate from the Kutcher/Moore school of total subjugation, by proclaiming:
The lack of quality in the production and content of the majority of these YouTube videos is certainly some indicator of the level of results that can be expected from the remainder of the work projects being conducted by these organizations. It certainly seems to be the case that quantity takes precedence over quality. Is this where you would choose to have your dollars spent? Fortunately, you don't have to make weighty and troublesome decisions like this, since the federal government has taken over your life and is making all of these decisions for you. More soma anyone? |
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Big Brother |
Subject: Obama Controls Your Television Set
I would like a break from reporting on stuff like this, but the bad news on the ever expanding subject of national service just keeps pouring in. Back on September 10th, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) issued a press release which indicated that:
Remember, this primetime TV programming blitzkrieg covering more than 60 different shows, is only the first wave in a multi-year effort! A more detailed list of which network shows are participating, and in exactly what manner, can be found here. On the Big Hollywood website, John Nolte has just submitted an article entitled, LEAKED NETWORK MEMO REVEALS: Obama Controls Your Television Set, which discusses a related industry memo that describes the purpose of this media campaign. Here are some sections from that memo:
So, just as the Obama administration has organized artists, using the National Endowment for the Arts, to push his social agendas, he is now using the broadcast media to accomplish the same goals. And if you think that getting the government run United We Serve website out of the service program hosting business was a victory — it was a very shallow one, because other shill organizations like the EIF simply take over the operation with sites like iParticipate.org. When the government gets called on the carpet for inappropriate or illegal behavior, it simply outsources it dirty work to other quasi-private organizations, which it then funds indirectly with the billions of TARP and Corporation for National & Community Service dollars that are being dispensed by the administration like candy.
If you have been reading all of my previous articles, then you know
that this effort is merely one more prelude to Obama's true agenda
of instituting a program of mandatory national service for every
American citizen. It is critical that we organize a very vocal
opposition to this effort. For if we allow the idea of mandatory
service to continue unchecked, then it will not be long before the
autonomy of the "sovereign individual" will be nothing more
than a memory in this country.
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