Political Correctness - The Tool of Cowards

In the aftermath of the Fort Hood massacre, the American public has, once again, been injected by another poisionous dose of governmental "tweaked speak" as a way of diverting attention from the simple facts leading up to this cold blooded slaughter. As more evidence about the shooter's history is revealed, the alarming assault upon one's sensibilities is NOT the fact that a radical Islamic devotee undertook a bold suicide mission to eradicate the enemy. No, the American public well understands that in a time of war against an enemy that utilizes suicide missions as a prized and effective weapon, there is little, if any difference between Major Hassan's brutal attack and the suicidal Japanese pilots who sacrificed their lives during World War II in order to assure their explosive-laden planes hit their targets. War, by definition of exterminating the enemy, means people are killed .

What shocks those who have not yet become completely anesthetized by the unrelenting stream of distortion flowing from reporting lips in Washington DC is the stumbling and albeit heavily postured response by the Obama administration to this stark reminder that America is, indeed, engaged in 2 foreign wars against enemies who will say and do anything to further their cause. And the almost laughable way this event - like so many others - is being portrayed to the public as if the public is made up of simple-minded, sheeple people who will believe any scripted sound-byte handed out to them as a rational explanation of how things are or why things happen.

Where publicly available news is concerned, the much-needed brash "if you build it, they will come" attitude that characterizes unbiased and forthright fact finding has been replaced, yet again, by a twisted parody of "if you say it, they will believe it" deviance. In this instance, we are told that Major Hassan's slaughter house killings were not the act of a jihadist. Rather, this tragedy is presented as the inevitable consequence of a mentally unbalanced soldier who suffered from undiagnosed PTSD. And that it should be swept under the rug in the name of maintaining social diversity. A silly notion in a long string of other inventive explanations that might have slipped past the public radar if not for mounting contradictory evidence that tells the tale of a devout man who admired suicide bombers and sought to educate those around him about the dangers of entertaining secular devotees who believe their enemies must be annihilated. An ignored forewarning by one and all who were prompted by self-serving fears to follow a social mandate of political correctness versus the natural plainspokeness that is necessary to protect the greater good. Errors in judgment that ultimately cost 13 people their lives; and -- in the larger sense, a reprehensible testimony about the all too pervasive habit in social and governmental cultures that demand the suppression of natural honesty in order for its members to advance or find favor.

In spite of how many blatant Washington lies have been exposed in recent months, it is still hard to believe that national leaders and the media entrusted to accurately report factual news continue to foolishly compromise on honesty by playing a man-made game of deception they call political correctness. A game of "tweaked speak" that when viewed dispassionately reveals itself as the nasty habit of cowardly deceivers whose every utterance is a deliberate political expediency to gain something for themselves.

Sadly, there is a striking parallel between news media personalities who knowingly engage in skewed and biased reporting for the purpose of enabling a political administration to unceasingly present falsehood as truth and those who would harm or destroy the nation by insinuating themselves into traditional roles for the purposes of inflicting as much damage as is possible on their enemy. The same can be said about a political administration that habitually panders misinformation to the populace while positioning itself as the moral exemplar of ethical behavior even though it endorses duplicity and utilizes intimidation to threaten or punish all who would question the veracity of its obvious fabrications.

Shameful as these comparisons may be, this latest tap dance to avoid facing the realities of war in favor of politically expedient insincerity coupled with today's feeble excuses for an even longer delay in decisive military action in Afghanistan are reminiscent of the many reasons cited by Hillary Clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign about why then candidate Obama was unfit for the high office of Commander-In-Chief. In the matter of Major Hassan or foot dragging over increasing troop strength in Afghanistan, President Obama is simply conducting business as he always has -- speaking whatever words are necessary to manipulate an outcome favorable to himself.

Over the last 32 months since Mr. Obama first announced his presidential candidacy in February 2007, the public has been told every imaginable story and spin on issues ranging from healthcare to homosexuality If the latest Rasmussen approval poll is any indicator, 70% of the voting public is finally catching on that something is terribly amiss in the White House.

Whatever members of the U. S. Government who still possess something of a spiritual conscience or a shred of authentic patriotism must eventually grow weary of the constant deceptions that characterize the way the nation is being governed. May they soon join the ranks of the disenfranchised voters who do not approve of President Obama's job performance since it does not seem that Mr. Obama will soon discover the folly of attempting to lead the nation using inventive stories that do not hold up under scrutiny.

The trust of the American people is the single-most precious asset for any sitting president. It is not lightly given, and when betrayed by corruption and pandering to special interests - especially in the guise of political correctness, the consequences do not bode well for the nation or the public.

Hoodwinked by Propaganda

Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me

The Anita Dunn video about how "selectively enhanced" information carried the day for the Obama presidential campaign is another powerful warning to the nation about the dangers of tolerating any more glib politcal posturing that is characterized by invective, personal attacks, and vague generalities as way of obstructing fact-based, lucid debate about the critical issues of the day.

In the video, Dunn outlines the Obama strategy of controlling the media and hence the public through selectively presented information as the winning fundamental of their campaign. By her very words, Anita Dunn is a self-admitted propagandist. One who - through her own gift for gab - has placed herself and those she represents in the ranks of other nation-changing propagandists such as Hitler, Stalin, and Chairman Mao who relied upon disinformation schemes to seduce the populations of Germany, Russia, and China respectively.

Dunn's revelation also goes a long way in explaining her summarily dismissive response to yet another inquiry about a June 2009 speech she gave to impressionable graduating high school students in which she named Mao Tse Tung as one of her 2 most trusted philosophical exemplars. Her response to Glenn Beck's queries was to say references to Mao were an ironic, meaningless play she called  a joke, even though her speech presented Mao as a source of inspiration for these student to carry with them into the future.

As repeated by many in recent days, Dunn's candid comments in these videos are premonitions of things to come if the majority of American people continue to accept "selectively enhanced" mis-speak from the White House or Congress. Though, to her possible dismay, they have also provided much-needed insight into Obama's mystifying reluctance to assume the mantle of governance and  explains his disposition for creating a list of domestic 'enemies' who need to be silenced.

Dunn's description of how then candidate Obama was deliberately kept away from the media except as permitted to deliver calculated remarks suggests that the criticism made about his continuing campaign-mode even after inauguration is not without merit.  When all that matters regarding the public well-being is the sound-byte, not the substance behind it, then we can expect that Obama and his teleprompter will continue their uninterrupted publicity tour while the nation languishes from presidential neglect.

What the average citizen "gets" is that Dunn's instructive comments implies that these very same campaign tricks have been carried over to the governance of the nation.  They tell us to be wary of being hoodwinked again.  And urge the studious to read for themselves how propaganda shapes the fate of nations. 

The research article PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES OF GERMAN FASCISM(1) details how Hitler successfully used the following propaganda strategies that when placed in today's context bear an uncanny resemblance to the posture and conduct of the Obama campaign and now the White House:

1. "Name Calling" is a device to make us form a judgment without examining the evidence on which it should be based. Here the propagandist appeals to our hate and fear.
2. "Glittering Generalities" is a device by which the propagandist identifies his program with virtue by use of "virtue words." Here he appeals to our emotions of love, generosity, and brotherhood.
3.  "Transfer" is a device by which the propagandist carries over the authority, sanction, and prestige of something we respect and revere to something he would have us accept.
4. The "Testimonial" is a device to make us accept anything from a patent medicine or a cigarette to a program of national policy.
5. "Plain Folks" is a device used by politicians, labor leaders, business men, and even by ministers and educators to win our confidence by appearing to be people like ourselves—"just plain folks among the neighbors."
6. "Card Stacking" is a device in which the propagandist employs all the arts of deception to win our support for himself, his group, nation, race, policy, practice, belief, or ideal. He stacks the cards against the truth. He uses under-emphasis and over-emphasis to dodge issues and evade facts.
7. The "Band Wagon" is a device to make us follow the crowd, to accept the propagandist's program en masse. Here his theme is: "Everybody's doing it." His techniques range from those of medicine show to dramatic spectacle.

Sound familiar?

Considering all of that together with the five major phenomena characteristics of Fascism in Germany (listed below), one cannot turn a blind eye to rapidly evolving national events.

1.  The destruction of labor unions.
2. The destruction of "free enterprise" to bring business under the absolute control of the Führer.
3. The destruction of "free enterprise" in agriculture.
4. The destruction or silencing of members of the intellectual class—editors, professors, teachers, clergymen and others who by reason of native gifts, training, education, and experience are among the best equipped to analyze and appraise the policies and acts of the Führer and the hierarchy of Nazi officials.
5. A monopoly of propaganda, accompanied by coercion, to keep all the people subservient to the authoritarian will.

Dunn and company have already set a dangerous precedent for future campaign hopefuls who, by emulating a campaign strategy based on trickery, will ensure ethics and morality have no further place in the annals of American politics.

It behooves all thoughtful Americans to consider the many countries where populations are suffering the whims and fancies of despotic rule before dismissing due consideration to the many warning signals that something is truly amiss in the halls of the American government.

Today, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander (TN), who served in the Nixon White House, provides his observations about the dangers of today's unsavory political climate in this Roll Call article: Alexander to White House: Don't Create 'Enemies List' in which he describes some of the White House tactics that are deliberately being used to discredit anyone who objects to their policies. That's No. 4 on the list of Characteristics of Fascism in Germany.

Even more perilous is the interlude between now and 2010 elections when more bail-outs and costly entitlement programs can and will be signed into law unless the American public stops it now by petitioning the government with their grievances and concerns.

Today, Roll Call also reports: Pelosi Refuses to Call New Spending Another Stimulus Package. That sure smells like a hybrid of "Card Stacking" and "Testimonal" given this excerpt: " After trotting out a handful of economists who each backed another stimulus package, Pelosi said Democrats would consider a host of ideas to spend more money and cut taxes next year."

Yep, false campaign promises fooled a lot of plain folks. But dropping presidential approval ratings and party defections offer the promise that people of good conscience will speak up before it is, indeed, too late.

Transparency...at last!

"oh what a tangled web we weave when we first begin to deceive.."

2009: October 18 Headline: White House Boasts: We 'control' news media - Communications chief offers shocking confession to foreign government - contains a video that is well-worth watching by anyone who is concerned about the Obama administration's mystifying refusal to meet the public's growing questions with forthright and honest answers.

The video is an accurate record of remarks made by Anita Dunn, the White House spokesperson who recently shocked some in the nation with her startling announcement that the Obama administration has just declared war on a new adversarial entity - FOX News.

Yes, you heard that right. A war that escalated over the weekend with 2 more White House spokespeople, Rahm Emmanuel and David Axelrod, publicly imploring other news networks, media outlets, and journalists to NOT follow FOX's lead in investigating matters that can and will effect 305+ Million U.S. Citizens. Matters such as health care reform, rising debt, the safety of troops in Afghanistan and more. A request that appalled many, including journalists, as it should since it was a plea to the media at large to turn a blind eye to the workings of the Obama adminstration.

Fortunately, Dunn's video comments explains in detail why the White House has proclaimed a domestic war on FOX News in addition to the foreign wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They explain why Obama's closest advisors and representatives are taking to the national stage in a deliberate attempt to create a schism within the media community that can be widened by selectively branding networks and journalists as good guys or enemies based upon whether their reporting, editorials, and selection of talk shows are deemed "favorable" to the White House or not.

QUOTE: "Very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control," said Dunn.

Take careful note of the word "control".

Captured on camera in an undeniable way, Ms. Dunn ticks off every step of how the success of Obama's campaign - first against Hillary Clinton and then against McCain - depended upon the tight control of what information was actually made available to the media. Media who would then broadcast those deliberately controlled messages to a public hungry for any information that could help them maked an informed voting decision. An admission that might be of some solace to Hillary Clinton who repeatedly complained about her opponent's disinformation tactics, but one that brings chills of horror to those who are so utterly weary of political trickery and schemes that they voted for Obama in hopes that he would, indeed, prove to be a man of his word - honest and true.

In spite of the heartbreak in discovering the sad fact that Barack Obama is no different than any other politician who has plotted and schemed his way into office on the wings of half-truths and cryptic sound-bytes, Dunn's video remarks provide the first blush of much-needed transparency into Obama's philosophy and approach to governing our large and diverse nation. To those whose first loyalty is to upholding the U. S. Constitution for the sake of all U.S. Citizens, this sobering behind-the-scenes peek is both an illuminating disclosure and further proof that a controlled media that unquestionably reports what it is fed by an individual, a group, or a government is the bedrock upon which every dictator and despot throughout history has founded his kingdom.

As Thomas Jefferson said:

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

Mindful of this timeless insight, in the days ahead - the poisonous weed of a government controlled media planted by Ms. Dunn and other contrivers during the Obama campaign years can be uprooted by swift and diligent investigative efforts and public reporting by any and all members of the media who refuse to blindly accept and propagate "selectively enhanced" information without question.

At this juncture, it might also serve the country well to review more of the insightful observations made by Hillary Clinton during her campaign since her complaints about dirty tricks are now proven true - courtesy of the Anita Dunn video.

"This is, you know, a, a — an unfortunate story line that the Obama campaign has pushed very successfully,” she said. “They’ve been putting out talking points. They’ve been making this — they’ve been telling people, in a very selective way, what the facts are.” ~ Hillary Clinton (Politico, Jan. 2008).

More so, it might well serve the country if Mrs. Clinton, in good conscience, stepped forward as a vocal public servant whose intimate knowledge about dirty politics and scheming ploys can help expedite a government that must become trustworthy enough to place the best interest of the nation as a whole ahead of divisive party politics serving highly selective special interest groups.

It is easy to muse that Hillary Clinton is far more palatable and probably far more useful to the American pubic in a new distinguished position such as Speaker of the House versus the vacuous Ms. Pelosi. And in times of war and economic struggle, the nation truly needs savvy fence-menders, not bumbling fence makers.

Perhaps Mrs. Clinton is one of the rare few who genuinely understands that the majority of citizens are fed up with immature bickering that consumes precious resources for the benefit of the few without any consideration for the anguish it is causing the American people. In fact, in an act of boldness, she might even articulate that such infantile antics are just a continuation of the same-o Obama story line: use any deterrent and any means whatsoever to obstruct authentic fact finding. Something that is both beneath the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States and an insult to the nation.