Thursday, March 16, 2006

Leaving America, Entering Police State USA

Police State Politics: Click the picture of Mr. Hackett and then watch the video—it needs no commentary. It's hilarious, and it tells you all you need to know about what's wrong with this nation in decline and its minority political party. And it reconfirms Jon Stewart as the Mark Twain of our era. Also see Wonkette's take on this.

Police State Media: Yep, it's no longer America as you once knew it, or as your Pappy or your Grandma knew it. It's machinery at work, wherever you look—even (or perhaps especially) in the matter of media control. Today, CBS's appeal of the Janet Jackson fines was rejected, even as a new one was piled on for a scene in an episode of Without a Trace. Even Fox came in for censure with the FCC, though they, of course, avoided a fine—thus forestalling an unsightly clash between the Thought Police and Bill O'Reilly's Fox Security.

Police State Rules & Regs: if you're not one of us, you're with them. Sen. Russ Feingold was accused of "siding with the terrorists" for introducing into Congress motions of censure against President Bush.

Police State Spin: attack anyone who dares to practice journalism (see FAIR's expose of the real reasons behind Dubya's attack on the L.A. Times' story on anti-IED devices).

Police State Psychology 101: anyone who would walk in the shoes of the poor and middle classes and then publicly (and eloquently) write about their plight and defend their rights is a shrill Marxist-Lesbian-loving-baby-killing monster—see how this happened to Barbara Ehrenreich, who, in a better nation, would be our Press Secretary; and in the best of nations, the Press Secretary's boss.

Police State Economics: deficits are positives; fiscal restraint is negative (except when applied to any spending that would benefit the poor and middle classes); and the wealthy are needy.

Police State Diplomacy: isolation is supremacy; if you're alone in the world then you always know who your friends are (note the one "no" vote against the U.N.'s human rights body).

Police State Technology: Google this, Stanford: if we say we need to know, trust us—we need to know.

Police State Mathematics (or the 3 per cent solution): if 97% of the people won't buy your truth, it's time to invent another one (note carefully the reversal of cause and effect).

Police State Legislation: if you broke the law, change it. If the ball's not rolling your way, shuffle the shells a little.

Any questions, class? Good. Now, your bookmark to dailyrevolution.net will now be deleted and you will be redirected to townhall.com.

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Quote of the day, from Bob Herbert, that clarion voice of sanity at The New York Times (and if you have the money, a year's worth of this kind of insight is well worth $50):

"Everyone who thought this war was a good idea was wrong and ought to admit it. Those who still think it's a good idea should get therapy...Most of the people who thought this war was a good idea also thought that the best way to fight it was with other people's children. That in itself is a form of depravity."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Bob Herbert, as well as Maureen Dowd of the Times, are two of the best progressive minds in America. I,m sure Mr Herbert is tired of being so right- against such a brick wall.