Excerpt:The plague of misjudgment !!!!

[Daanyeer]

Source: Norman Transcript
November 3, 2007


Today America seems at the top of the heap, but it is slipping as resources are wasted and as foreign nations develop technologically. And comparative population seems to nudge us toward the second rank.

These realities call for critical attention; they require that we outgrow our immature fantasy of moral superiority and military invincibility.

We are a great nation, but for all our virtues -- among them a written constitution encompassing an admirable Bill of Rights, an open society unlike any in the world and a spirit of forward looking hopefulness -- our country still has a bad habit of intruding into the affairs of other nations.

The American psyche suffers a curious quirk -- the belief that other nations want to be as we are. Perhaps in some ways.

But what they really want are more consumer goods and a higher standard of living. Most non-Americans do not want "the American way of life" nor democracy as we know it. This is why the president's notion that he is bringing democracy to the Near East is an illusion. Like all mortals we succumb to propaganda.

In our case the code words are "freedom" and "democracy." Without definition or cultural analysis we are certain of their value for the rest of the world. Too few understand that code words are a facade permitting the luxury of self-deception.

They justify what we want without reflection and with indifference to their long-term consequences.

Reality fades in the face of propaganda.

This is a major reason why we flounder in Iraq. We live in a fairyland of political-moral-military-patriotic babel.

Realistically we are in Iraq for three principal reasons: (1) petroleum, (2) corporate profits and (3) to protect Israel.

No oil, no invasion; no money to be made, no war; no Israel, no military presence.

There are lesser reasons -- too much military influence in American foreign policy, right wing clerical pressure, fear of Islam and the aggressive drive inherent in all military organization. But none of this justifies the slaughter and destruction our intrusion has brought to Iraq.

[*jr]

Good read. This might come as news to the average ignorant Americans though. There are plenty of Mad Mac's out there you know

[jamalllll]

A good read indeed.

I think that fear rules a very large part of our lives even more than we realise

[*jr]

Fear has a way of injecting anxiety into our subconscious that acts like a handcuff, limiting our ability to achieve our goals. Although the fear may be perceived, it seems so real. This perceived fear plays games with our minds, robbing us of any rational thoughts we need to cherish in order to move ahead. That's what the bUsh administration does; playing the fear factor in the minds of the american people....using color coded warnings to scare us and make believe there is this imminent danger everywhere.