First it was the myth of the successful surge; now has Obama been cowed by the mythical Iranian nukes?

Ever the fine upstanding Christian Imperialist, and after succumbing to the myth of the successful surge, has Obama now been cowed by the mythical Iranian nukes?

Note how the false comparison Davis and other propagandists make (e.g., Montreal : Rochester = Gaza : Israel) precisely follows Goering's advice: declare an attack, denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism.

The interests of US are identified with the interests of Israel. Actual attacks against Israel, however self-provoked, or even mythical threats against Israel such as non-existent Iranian WMD--just as ante bellum Iraq--are being treated as existential threats to US.

Israel doesn't have just the ear of our "Holy" War Party leaders: it has their souls. They don't dare jeopardize their own access to Heaven by stating the obvious: Israel is the aggressor here.

GLEEN GREENWALD: So what's the justification for Obama's inflammatory and obviously consequential (though seemingly baseless) claim on national television that the Iranians "are pursuing a nuclear weapon that could potentially trigger a nuclear arms race" when the consensus of American intelligence agencies is that they are not doing so?

As I said last month [23 November 2008]: Obama is being, or about to be, run like any other asset of the same NSA-type fiends who've been jacking us to hell with myths of mass destruction, and sticking us with the bill, for god knows how long now.

And as I said in February, 2008: Obama is ringing the same ol' cracked bell of American liberty.

ALAN WATTS: But nevertheless the imagery affects us because the image of the monotheistic god of the West is political. The title King of Kings and Lord of Lords is the title of the emperors of ancient Persia. The image of god is based on: the pharaohs; the great rulers of the Chaldeans; and the Kings of Persia. And so this is the political governor and lord of the universe, who keeps order and who rules it, from, metaphorically speaking, above.[The Relevance of Oriental Philosophy, podcast downloaded December, 2007 from http://www.alanwatts.com]

Making a false god of "The Great Father in Washington" and then using the power of myth to "put the fear of god into them" is what we do. Ah, but ain't that America? Our business model is plantation. Our PR strategy is that of the Nazis.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD: " . . . The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.” Hermann Goering, president of Reichstag, Nazi Parliament, 1934. [http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/25/body_of_war_new_doc_tells]

-- knowbuddhau2

[Read knowbuddhau2's other letters]

Permalink Monday, January 12, 2009 02:37 PM

Joseph Campbell began lecturing, for I don't know how long, at State's Foreign Service Institute in 1956. How many times since then have we used the power of myth as the engine of regime change?

Somebody took the lessons of Goebbels and Goering to heart. Add some behaviorism and comparative mythology and BAM! An invisible weapon that leaves no marks and yet is more powerful than all the armies of the earth. As a Zen poet, non-matriculating grad student of research psychology, and devoted student of comparative mythology, I see it plain as day.

Robert Parry, whose Iran-Contra reporting brought me to my senses, just posted a great article on the power of myth:

Besides being only one of many factors in the reduced violence, the “surge” also failed to bring about the political-economic reconciliation in Iraq that Bush had promised when he announced the build-up in January 2007. Nor has it led to the expected drawdown of troops to below pre-surge levels, with almost 150,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq, about 16,000 more than before the “surge.”

Yet, the myth of the “successful surge” has proved extraordinarily powerful.

During the campaign, Obama faced hectoring from media interviewers, such as CBS News’ Katie Couric and ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, demanding that he admit he was wrong to oppose the “surge.”

For weeks, Obama held firm, insisting that the issue was more complicated than his interviewers wanted to admit. He argued that there were many factors behind Iraq’s changed security environment. But ultimately he caved in while being interrogated on Sept. 4 by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly.

"I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated," Obama confessed to O'Reilly. "It's succeeded beyond our wildest dreams."

Obama may have judged that continued resistance was futile. But his surrender on the “successful surge” myth may have other long-term consequences. [Retrieved 5:50 AM Pacific 23 Dec 08 from http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/121808.html]

As if that weren't bad enough, check out this hair-raising little quote from Ray McGovern:

Obama is no shrinking violet. Just the same, it may be useful to warn him not to succumb to the particular brand of “shock and awe” that can be induced by ostensibly sexy intelligence to color reactions of briefees, including presidents. I have seen it happen. [Retrieved 5:55 AM Pacific 23 Dec 08 from http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/110708c.html]