The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (Full Version)

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Owner59 -> The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/6/2009 8:40:49 PM)

In Frank Rich`s new book,the systematic hoodwinking of America is exposed and documented.

From PR hacks posing as experts to mislead us on news/talk shows, to fake stories published, to a fake reporter placed in the White House Press room to ask fake questions.


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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/books/review/Buruma.t.html

As a former theater critic, Frank Rich has the perfect credentials for writing an account of the Bush administration, which has done so much to blur the lines between politics and show business. Not that this is a unique phenomenon; think of Silvio Berlusconi, the media mogul and master of political fictions, or Ronald Reagan, who often appeared to be genuinely confused about the difference between real life and the movies. Show business has always been an essential part of ruling people, and so is the use of fiction, especially when going to war. What would Hitler have been without his vicious fantasies fed to a hungry public through grand spectacles, radio and film? Closer to home, in 1964, to justify American intervention in Vietnam, Lyndon B. Johnson used news of an attack in the Gulf of Tonkin that never took place. What is fascinating about the era of George W. Bush, however, is that the spinmeisters, fake news reporters, photo-op creators, disinformation experts, intelligence manipulators, fictional heroes and public relations men posing as commentators operate in a world where virtual reality has already threatened to eclipse empirical investigation.


Rich’s subject is the creation of false reality. “The Greatest Story Ever Sold” is not about policies, or geopolitical analysis. The pros and cons of removing Saddam Hussein by force, the consequences of American military intervention in the Middle East and the threat of Islamist extremism are given scant attention. The author, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, has his liberal views, which are not strikingly original. I happen to agree with him that Karl Rove and George Bush manipulated public fear and wartime patriotism to win elections, and that Dick Cheney and his neocon cheerleaders favored a war in Iraq long before 9/11 “to jump-start a realignment of the Middle East.” Whether Rich is right to say that this has “little or nothing to do with the stateless terrorism of Al Qaeda” is debatable. The neocons may well have believed that an American remake of the Middle East was the best way to tackle terrorism.
They were almost certainly mistaken. But the point of Rich’s fine polemic is that the Bush administration has consistently lied about the reasons for going to war, about the way it was conducted and about the terrible consequences. Whatever the merits of removing a dictator, waging war under false pretenses is highly damaging to a democracy, especially when one of the ostensible aims is to spread democracy to others. If Rich is correct, which I think he is, the Bush administration has given hypocrisy a bad name.




gman992 -> RE: The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/6/2009 10:30:37 PM)

Frank Rich is a liar!  . "I happen to agree with him that Karl Rove and George Bush manipulated public fear and wartime patriotism to win elections, and that Dick Cheney and his neocon cheerleaders favored a war in Iraq long before 9/11 “to jump-start a realignment of the Middle East.”  So, did FDR, LBJ, and Bill Clinton....




Termyn8or -> RE: The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/8/2009 9:15:23 AM)

One thing about liars, they must mix in some truth. It is better if these truths are hard to come by but really true.

I read the AFP because it has the exact opposite slant from the major media outlets. They claim not to have a slant, as does everyone. However I can cite a case in point.

It has been discovered that someone involved in the 9/11 attack had contact with a Mossad agent. Even with photographic evidence what does that prove ? They say it proves at least complicity. I say that is post hoc ergo propter hoc. I say it only proves that two people met, nothing else. Was there complicity ? Actually likely. Did the two Men know each other ? Most probably. Does this evidence indicate that there might have been complicity ? Yes. Does this evidence prove there was complicity ? NO.

The US has been ripped off, and it took a bunch of people to do it. You can't pin it on any one individual or group. Unless of course you rethink groups, adding fuel to the class war, which is really what's going on.

The fact of the matter folks is that we, although becoming more overpopulated, are becoming obsolete. That's right. One small segment of the world's population could simply build machines that build other machines. They don't care what happens to the rest of us, and in reality they can't. All they can do is to try and secure the future for themselves and their's and let the chips fall. Hell it would be too expensive even just to kill us off in mass quantities.

As such, nothing is going to happen unless we make it happen. They are just fine letting us go down the tubes slowly, it is not their concern. But when the axe grinds, it grinds for all. Eventually it will come to them, because they do not recognize where the wealth comes from, all they know is how to get a bigger piece of it. They are killing the golden goose, and there is no doubt that some of them know it. They just don't care, they already had to rent storage for their gold, because they have so much. That is a metaphor of course, but I think it hits the spot.

So now it is pretty much a contest, thief on thief. All trying to get to the top. The problem is they don't see that is the top of nothing.

In years to come, with some strife, I believe the situation will right itself. But it will be too late. At that time what has gone around will come around.

Think of it, why is money valuable ? Because we want it. What if we were gone. What if the only people on the planet were all billionaires. What incentive would there be to do anything ? We could all be dead or so dessimated financially that there is no more to take, noone to exploit. That will take all the fun out of it. And if you think about it, that will mark the end of our civilisation.

Take your choice people, help them by maintaining their market for useless garbage, or get back to basics. To change the direction of the world you must first slow it down. STOP the economy dead in it's tracks by refusing to buy junk. Then watch the change, the change THEY will make to stay on top. In other words, we have the power, but what we lack is the solidarity. But even brains would help. Do you need the latest movies and games ? Do you need a new car every year ? Do you need alot of other things ?

Without the rampant consumerism in the US, the "plan" would not work. I think the term is euphemism, but here goes. I argue against Hunky and a few others about the value of gold, not currency, actual gold. Now you can grow a tomato plant and eat the fruit (or vegetable, whatever it is this year). What can you do with gold ? Trade it for goods and services of course, but couldn't you just trade your goods and services for those of others ? Gold even is thus reduced to a mere modicum of exchange, a measure in a way. It would have no intrinsic value.

In other words, if we get back to what is real, they can't hurt us much. Of course there were the days when taxes were collected in wheat, corn, salt, goats or who knows what else, but we have "advanced" from those times.

Think of it, the government only accepts money for taxes, so you must sell your wheat short (cheap) to make the deadline. Then the government might use your tax money to buy wheat. Why don't they just accept the wheat ? Well by distressing you, they get it cheaper and it results in a net profit. Not that it's how it works, but it could.

Many wonder why there are so many scams but I don't. We were born into a world of scammers. We are used to it, we are conditioned for it. That's what makes it work.

T




subrob1967 -> RE: The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/8/2009 5:17:17 PM)

I thought this thread was about Obama, but that book hasn't been written...yet;)




Owner59 -> RE: The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/8/2009 9:15:13 PM)

While you`re waiting,you can read about how bush just fucked us.




DarkSteven -> RE: The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/8/2009 9:25:27 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: gman992

Frank Rich is a liar!  . "I happen to agree with him that Karl Rove and George Bush manipulated public fear and wartime patriotism to win elections, and that Dick Cheney and his neocon cheerleaders favored a war in Iraq long before 9/11 “to jump-start a realignment of the Middle East.”  So, did FDR, LBJ, and Bill Clinton....


gman, I again cannot understand your posts.  Are you saying that FDR, LBJ, and Clinton:

1. manipulated public fear and wartime patriotism to win elections?
2. favored a war in Iraq?
3. wanted to jump-start a realignment of the Middle East?

My impression is that you're trying to make a case for #1, without any evidence whatsoever.

Could you clarify and also provide some substance?




CruelNUnsual -> RE: The Greatest Story Ever Sold... (5/8/2009 9:56:08 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

quote:

ORIGINAL: gman992

Frank Rich is a liar!  . "I happen to agree with him that Karl Rove and George Bush manipulated public fear and wartime patriotism to win elections, and that Dick Cheney and his neocon cheerleaders favored a war in Iraq long before 9/11 “to jump-start a realignment of the Middle East.”  So, did FDR, LBJ, and Bill Clinton....


gman, I again cannot understand your posts.  Are you saying that FDR, LBJ, and Clinton:

1. manipulated public fear and wartime patriotism to win elections?
2. favored a war in Iraq?
3. wanted to jump-start a realignment of the Middle East?

My impression is that you're trying to make a case for #1, without any evidence whatsoever.

Could you clarify and also provide some substance?



Youre kidding right? The evidence for number 1 is in every history book and newspaper ever written that discussed President's selling wars.




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