h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Have you read John Pilgers latest? The New Rulers of the World...

Its about how this 'war on terrorism' *is* terrorism, and its most potent weapon is the media line of newspeak, where Afghani or Iraqi civilians are unpeople - 'collateral damage' instead of dead folk.



The war on terrorism provides a perfectly nebulous and redefinable scapegoat to excuse and justify reducing civil libery and social democracy.

"Part of the reduction of democracy to electoral ritual, that is in competition between indistinguishable parties for the management of single ideaology states"

You are free, to do as we tell you. Free within the obvious unquestioned norms... B******s

http://www.sacredcow.com/enter.html

How is it that "leaders", even in a democracy, are able to get people to do things that, looked at rationally, are clearly against their own best interest? It has to be done at the emotional level - nationalism, xenophobia, religion (fear of motality/death), pride, revenge... At another level, though, it seems that there is always an economic heart to any type of military action. At the end of the day the cost of the action has to be able to be justified. It's easy to become cynical, isn't it?