U.S. Scientists Say They Are Told to Alter Findings
More than 200 Fish and Wildlife researchers cite cases where conclusions were reversed to weaken protections and favor business, a survey finds. (LAtimes.com, mirror)
Bush’s new budget ignores Amtrak, leaving rail service to survive on its own (which it can’t) while pumping money into automobile and air traffic subsidies. Fantastic. A bunch of single-occupant SUVs (or even the most fuel efficient economy cars) are a lot better on the environment than a smart commuter rail system. (
Boston.com,
mirror)
Condoleeza Rice, 2001: “[Saddam Hussein] is a great terrorist, international terrorist network that is determined to defeat freedom. It has perverted Islam from a peaceful religion into one in which they call on it for violence.”
Those two phrases (emphasis mine) are oversensationalized and cliché. They epitomize what I consider propaganda — statements that are relentlessly repeated to convince people of what the facts are.
A group or person wants to “defeat freedom”? Just think about that for a second. First of all, the people in question are possibly just ensuring their own freedom — whether that be done by becoming a dictator, attacking an oppressive state, etc. Secondly, it’s rendered meaningless by its vagueness. What freedom? This leads to the third point, twisting of words. When American’s hear “freedom” they first think of a handful of civil liberties like free speech and flag waving or whatever. Bush et al. use terminology like “defeat our freedom” to try and insinuate that Saddam or Osama bin Laden wants to take away our right to free speech. I highly doubt that is anywhere on Saddam’s or OBL’s agenda.
Then Rice uses “perverting Islam.” The first word is not really accurate and is used for sensationalism — like people saying “George Lucas raped my childhood memories with the horrible Star Wars prequels.” Secondly, toss an “Islam” in there anytime you want to drum up a little anxiety or resentment in the base of the American right. Since the gay marriage issue has already put perceived perversion on the minds of many Americans, “perverting Islam” is a real double-whammy in the conservative dialect.
So to sum it all up, members of the Bush administration continually repeat key phrases that invoke fear or hatred of Middle Easterners in Americans, which is propaganda.
Twice, actually. But in Bush’s relentless campaign to do what’s worst for America, he wouldn’t let Rumsfeld go.