RESPONSE:

What a sorry set of comments below. The U.S. has 200,000 troops plus “contractors” in Muslim lands and is firing munitions into others but “they” are trying to take us over? And, since Islam “started it” in the 8th Century we can go on blasting children with a clear conscience because this kind of stuff always happens in war? The low-tech terrorists have succeeded in getting us high-tech terrorists right down to their level. - RW

<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

Sometime during the second term of George W. Bush, I heard something I never thought I would hear from an America journalist: “Now it’s okay to criticize Bush.”

Of course. The damage had already been done. America had free speech again---as long as it came too late to actually change anything.

America got sucked into the war on terror when it lost the right of real time free speech after 9/11. The country allowed outspoken people like Bill Maher, Phil Donahue and the Dixie Chicks to be censored by the infotainment media industry.

Donahue’s talk show was canceled by MSNBC after an internal memo contended he would be a "difficult public face for NBC in a time of war....presenting guests who are anti-war, anti-Bush and skeptical of the administration's motives."

“…at the same time that our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity,“ the memo warned, the Donahue show could be "a home for the liberal anti-war agenda."

When George W. Bush called the 9/11 suicide bombers “cowards“ few spoke up---except people like Bill Maher.

Here’s what caused Maher‘s “Politically Incorrect” show to be canceled. Panelist Dinesh D'Souza said he didn't think the terrorists were "cowards" as George W. Bush had described them. Maher replied: "We have been the cowards. Lobbing cruise missiles from two thousand miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building. Say what you want about it. Not cowardly. You're right."

This reference has not been erased from the internet. We are not like the Chinese government who had American internet providers remove all references to the Tiananmen Square Massacre before they could do business in China. In America, we don’t need to destroy all free speech---only put it off long enough for the short-attention-spanned to move on to something else.

The Chinese government has a healthy fear of it’s people. But the corporatists, the U.S. politicians and the corporate media have lost their fear of the American citizenry.

Washington politicians used to refer to us voters as “The Great Beast”---now we are just a bunch of cleverly redistricted numbers to be joggled at election time.

But it is the unawareness of the American public---it’s susceptibility to endless manipulation and exploitation---that arouses such contempt from business and politics. The American public will go along with just about anything. A flashy advertising campaign will get us to buy, eat or drink any junk they come up with. It’s about the same for our morality. All it takes is a simple-minded public relations or disinformation campaign to get the American public to accept just about any abomination. As long as it doesn’t get their own hands dirty. And they even get all huffy and self-righteous about it!

During the dark days of World War II Winston Churchill called attention to the “gallantry” of German General Erwin Rommel---“The Desert Fox” who was, at the time, kicking British butt in North Africa with his numerically inferior “Afrika Korps.”

I’m no Churchill---and al Quaeda sure as hell ain‘t “gallant“----but since few others are saying it, I must point out that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were, from the standpoint of effectiveness, brilliantly conceived and executed operations.

I’ve always believed the 9/11 terrorists frightened Americans specifically because the bombers were obviously not cowards. I believe most Americans must realize that they themselves would never have the courage to fly a plane into a building. America skirted the issue by simply portraying the terrorists as evil, cowardly and insane.

The 9/11 operations more than fulfilled their objectives: America threw itself into turmoil; spent itself into bankruptcy; and was prodded into violent overreactions that encouraged more anti-American sentiments.

A Question Rarely Asked -

A very simple and basic question was raised at the White House Press conference on terrorism, 1-5-2010.

White House Press Corps journalist---89 year-old Helen Thomas---asked the crack Obama anti-terror team what had motivated the Underwear Bomber in his attempt to blow up an airliner with himself on it?

"Why,” she asked Counter-terrorism czar, John Brennan, “do they want to do us harm? …what is the motivation? We never hear what you find out on why."

"Al Qaeda is an organization…dedicated to murder and wanton slaughter of innocents…” replied Brennan. “They attract individuals like Mr. Abdulmutallab and use them for these types of attacks. He was motivated by a sense of religious sort of drive. Unfortunately, al Qaeda has perverted Islam, and has corrupted the concept of Islam…to attract these individuals. But al Qaeda has the agenda of destruction and death."

"…you're saying it's because of religion?" asked Thomas.

"I'm saying it's because of an al Qaeda organization that used the banner of religion in a very perverse and corrupt way," answered Brennan.

"Why?" Thomas repeated.

"I think this is a - long issue, but al Qaeda is just determined to carry out attacks here against the homeland," said Brennan.

"But you haven't explained why," said Thomas.

President Obama’s remarks were just as unclear. "It is clear,” said the President, “that al Qaeda increasingly seeks to recruit individuals…to do their bidding.”

“…we must communicate clearly to Muslims around the world that al Qaeda offers nothing except a bankrupt vision of misery and death…while the United States stands with those who seek justice and progress…the vision that is far more powerful than the hatred of these violent extremists."

Unfortunately, Muslims in the Middle East have clearly seen the “justice and progress” in Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, Fallujah, Lebanon and Gaza. The U.S. wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The missiles flying into Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has an answer to this Muslim misreading of noble American intentions---she calls it "counter-radicalization."

"How do we identify someone before they become radicalized to the point where they're ready to blow themselves up with others on a plane? And how do we communicate better American values and so forth ... around the globe?"

So, better communication of our "values" is the answer? I ain’t buying any of it. Americans are obviously the intended audience for this Obama-coma babble. The people of the Middle East already have us figured out.

KILL THE CHILDREN -

Every worst outrage can now be committed by the U.S. government without fear of the domesticated media speaking out or brain-whipped American citizens rising up in protest.

The American public has accepted the overthrow of governments, resource wars, collateral damage, torture and kidnapping. Now it’s the hands-on assassination of children!

General Stanley McChrystal, appointed by Barack Obama as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, once headed Dick Cheney’s assassination team. McChrystal now heads up the Obamination team to assassinate Afghans.

There is plenty of media coverage of the embarrassing blowing up of seven top C.I.A. agents in Afghanistan (including a female station chief, the mother of three children). Meanwhile, the U.S. media barely mentioned the apparent mass killing of Afghan school children (one as young as 11) by a contingent of US-led troops. Even less-mentioned was the report from UN investigators that the students had been killed execution-style after being rousted from their beds and handcuffed (Are US Forces Executing Kids in Afghanistan? By Dave Lindorff - Jan 4 2010).

BUT WE’RE STILL THE “GOOD GUYS” RIGHT? -

We are deep into a great big mess because many Americans cannot even consider that “the terrorists” just might be motivated to attack us because our government is committing beastly acts in their countries---lobbing munitions, invading countries, occupying countries, propping up despotic governments and providing those governments with arms and military support to suppress their own people.

America is now the home of eternal warfare, wiretapping, torture, kidnappings, assassinations and the incidental killing of children. And now the possibility that we are involved in the deliberate killing of children---and still there is not a whimper of public protest. We have surely compromised our morals and ideals as a nation.

WHY?

9/11 says it all. They hit the World Trade Center. It’s all about business.

Rudy Wittshirk