THOMAS PAINE’S CORNER |•

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Photo: Bobby Mueller, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (and a true hero), left, argues with a protester as he disrupts a ‘John Kerry Lied’ rally put on by Vietnam Vets for the Truth, at Upper Senate Park, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004, in Washington.

By Gene W. DeVaux

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Activist and columnist
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7/1/07

A Google alert came in this morning. It was related to my KC Indymedia submission from December of 2004 (which follows):

People routinely refer to our troops in Iraq as heroes. What is heroism in an unjust war?

Charley Gibson of Good Morning America, as so many news people do, referred to our troops in Iraq as heroes. I flinch when I hear that. Can we give blanket praise to all who are fighting in this unjust war? Some have probably performed heroic deeds. Others have committed crimes against the Iraqi people, and have done it with the blessing of the U.S. government.

The following letter was sent to Good Morning America today, Wednesday, December 15, 2004:

”Charley, what is a hero? Is an armed robber a hero because he carries a gun into a dangerous situation? Were the Columbine killers heroes? They must have known that they would be shot doing what they were going to do.

”Our troops in Iraq may be heroes when they perform heroic deeds such as protecting their fellow soldiers, at the risk of their own lives. But, Charley, you can’t paint this as a heroic war. This is a war of aggression in which tens of thousands of Iraqis have died. It is an unjust war driven by the lies of the Bush administration that lied to us about weapons of mass destruction, ties to Al Qaeda, ties to 9/11, yellow cake, aluminum tubes, etc. They even lied to us about the mass graves.

Charley, are you aware that many of the mass graves were filled by U.S. troops driving bull dozers during the first Gulf war as they buried Iraqi troops that were slaughtered “In the Kill Box.” By the way, you need to see that documentary. It shows how Iraqis were slaughtered in the desert of Iraq. The intention of our generals was to totally kill 15,000 troops in each of dozens of kill boxes, areas on a map of Iraq that were estimated to have 15,000 Iraqi troops. There was no plan to take prisoners; Charley, it was intentional slaughter by the first Bush administration.”

So, getting back to my question; what is a hero? What is heroism? The heroes of the Vietnam War were the ones who fled to Canada, an action that I didn’t approve of at the time. I now realize that they were right and the troops who went to Vietnam were victims, not heroes of a government that started an unjustified war against an Asian country that was no threat to us. Now our “heroes” are killing thousands of innocent men, women and children in another unjust war. Some of our heroes will be prosecuted for deliberately killing civilians and wounded Iraqis. Some will kill and get away with it because no one will tell about what they have done.

Many American troops are committing suicide in Iraq. We don’t get statistics on that. Have you wondered why? Could it be because of things they have seen and done, things that were opposed to their basic moral values? Many are coming home with mental disorders that will haunt and cripple them for the rest of their lives. They may have killed innocent civilians and soldiers who really didn’t have to die, and wouldn’t have died if the Bush administration had not started this unjust war, based on lies and on the fear of another 9/11 attack.

Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 but the American people were sold the idea that he had. The news media did a poor job of informing the public of the truth. A lot of that blame belongs to Good Morning America, a program that played into the hands of the Bush administration. Dianne has been selling this war ever since before it started. I got so angry at her that I refused to watch the show for a very long time. She did seem to “get it” when she interviewed George W. Bush about WMDs. When Bush changed his story to “plans to produce WMD, and he couldn’t see a difference, I thought the light of insight finally was turned on in her pretty blond head. Now I don’t think so. There must be something in that blond rinse that turns off the thought processes.

Is ABC, and are the other networks so intimidated by this administration that it and they fear presenting the truth to the American people? Don’t you realize that if you would present the facts in the face of administration threats, you and the network would be real heroes? Ones who would be brave enough to stand up to the Bush administration and the FCC and say, “Look, we are in the news business, not the propaganda business, and we are going to do our jobs. That would be real heroism.

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I read all of the comments that readers had made, and would like to thank those who wrote to comment. The last writer to comment was a fellow who was critical of my observations:

In his mind, any soldier who serves in the military and is sent to fight in a foreign land is a hero.

He was of the opinion that those of us who disagree with him, should move out of the U.S. into some third world country that is less free than the United States. Well, of course, I disagree with him that serving in a war, no matter whether that war is a justified conflict or not, makes a person a hero.

Are there heroes who are or who have fought in Iraq? No doubt there are. There are those who have sacrificed their lives and limbs for their comrades in arms. There are those who have risked their own lives for others in this conflict. There are those who have exposed the abuses of Abu Ghraib. There are those who exposed their comrades who have committed terrible crimes against the Iraqi people. There are those who have refused to go to Iraq and have faced military courts martial. There have been returning troops who have attended peace demonstrations and exposed themselves to military sanctions. All of these are truly heroes. But, do we consider those who go, perhaps against their will, to fight in this unjust war to be heroes? Do we consider those who have lost their lives, suffered brain damage, and lost limbs to roadside bombs to be heroes? No, they are victims of the lies told by the Bush administration in order to justify this stupid war.

According to my critic, fighting for your country, regardless of the cause, is heroic. No doubt, the Iraqi soldiers who sacrificed their lives to resist our invasion were heroes. In his mind, the German soldiers who fought in WWII were heroes. According to him, the Roman soldiers who fought wars of conquest were heroes (even though they may been forced to fight in the Roman Legions).

Heroism is a term to describe those who, by their actions, should be honored for doing extraordinary things for their country; it should not be used as a tool for propaganda. The government used the term “hero” to describe Jessica Lynch. She was heroic in the sense that she was courageous enough to tell the truth about her experience in Iraq, but not in the sense that the Bush administration wanted us to believe. Pat Tillman was made out a “hero” when he died in Afghanistan. Tillman died from “friendly fire.” He was killed by American soldiers. Was he really a hero? In his case, I would say he was. Not because he died in combat, but because he enlisted after 9/11 to fight against those who he believed had attacked our country. Tillman left pro-football and joined the army, something he did not have to do. I have little doubt that Tillman was a true patriot with good motivations, just as Jessica Lynch was a patriot who wanted the American people to know the truth. These are heroes, and there are no doubt many like them, but just by wearing a uniform and obeying orders does make anyone a hero. Heroes perform heroic acts above and beyond the call of duty.

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by Stephen Lendman

6/20/07

Dictionaries define “yellow journalism” variously as irresponsible and sensationalist reporting that distorts, exaggerates or misstates the truth. It’s misinformation or agitprop disinformation masquerading as fact to boost circulation and readership or serve a larger purpose like lying for state and corporate interests. The dominant US media excel in it, producing a daily diet of fiction portrayed as real news and information in their role as our national thought-control police gatekeepers. In the lead among the print and electronic corporate-controlled media is the New York Times publishing “All the News That’s Fit to Print” by its standards. Others wanting real journalism won’t find it on their pages allowing only the fake kind. It’s because this paper’s primary mission is to be the lead instrument of state propaganda making it the closest thing we have in the country to an official ministry of information and propaganda.

Single-handedly, the Times destroys “The Myth of the Liberal Media” that’s also the title of Edward Herman’s 1999 book on “the illiberal media,” the market system, and what passes for democracy in America Michael Parenti calls “Democracy For the Few,” in his book with that title out earlier this year in its 8th edition.

In his book, Herman writes about the “propaganda model” he and Noam Chomsky introduced and developed 11 years earlier in their landmark book titled “Manufacturing Consent.” They explained how the dominant media use this technique to program the public mind to go along with whatever agenda best serves wealth and power interests. So imperial wars of aggression are portrayed as liberating ones, humanitarian intervention, and spreading democracy to nations without any. Never mind they’re really for new markets, resources like oil, and cheap exploitable labor paid for with public tax dollars diverted from essential social needs.

Continue Reading »

By Steven Jonas

6/12/07

Originally published at Buzzflash

It was a rebuke that was little noticed, nor will it be long remembered. But last week George W. (I call the Pope “Sir”) Bush had some interesting things to say to Russian President Vladimir (in the past Bush has called him “Vlad”) Putin (June 6, The New York Times, “Chastising Putin, Bush Says Russia Derails Reform,” S. G. Stolberg).

Among other things, Bush told Vlad that: “In Russia, reforms that were once promised to empower citizens have been derailed, with troubling implications for democratic development. . . . The most powerful weapon in the struggle against extremism is not bullets or bombs - it is the universal appeal of freedom. . . . Freedom is the design of our maker, and the longing of every soul. . . Freedom is the best way to unleash the creativity and economic potential of a nation. Freedom is the only ordering of a society that leads to justice. And human freedom is the only way to achieve human rights.”

Wow. What a statement. What a ringing endorsement of the whole concept of human freedom, of inalienable rights, of the striving of each and every human being for freedom. Why he even relates freedom to “our maker” (by which George, and since he calls Vlad “Vlad” I guess it’s alright to call him “George,” presumably means the “God” to which he has referred so many times in so many speeches). And by “ordering of a society,” one could be so bold as to infer that he is referring to the Rule of Law and Constitutional Democracy. By golly.

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By Jason Miller

6/10/07

Each day untold millions of US Americans unwittingly immerse themselves in an intellectual, social, cultural, economic, political and spiritual cesspool so rancid and toxic that even microbes with the most voracious appetites for human waste, vomit, and inanimate flesh would shun this infinitely repulsive sewer.

Many highly qualified and intelligent researchers, analysts, and authors have written books, essays, and reports documenting the astounding multitude and variety of crimes committed by the United States throughout its history. Since a nation is an entity comprised of numerous elements and dynamics, we can’t simply blame the government, the Republicans, the Religious Right, the Democrats, George Bush, Bill Clinton, or any one particular component. Therefore, nearly all US Americans bear a degree of responsibility. Obviously, some (i.e. Bush and Cheney) are far more culpable than others because they wield such tremendous power and act with a conscienceless, cynical awareness of the suffering they are inflicting on the Earth and its sentient inhabitants.

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Originally published at Speaking Truth to Power

[In 2006 Phillip Botwinick helped organize and coordinate the Local Energy Solutions Conference in New York City. His years of research on Peak Oil, climate change, and economic collapse, as well as his experience as an instructor of Permaculture, superbly qualify him to critique Plan NYC as a public relations pipedream disconnected from current reality.—Carolyn Baker]

I remember Earth Days in the seventies. It was a big deal. People seemed genuinely interested in saving the planet. As the years passed the crowds got smaller and it became a human interest story for the local media. Until this year. Maybe Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth” was a catalyst for many people. Maybe people read more stories about -­Climate Change in papers, magazines. Whatever the reason, I frequently hear conversations about the weather in elevators, on subways and on the street. This year I saw more events, more people and more questions at the Earth Day events I attended.

New York City bureaucrats must have picked up on this increased interest in environmental issues too because they planned a well-publicized and media-saturated event for the culmination of Earth Day ceremonies. That event was the unveiling of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s sustainability plan for New York City called PlaNYC which may be viewed at:

(http://www.nvc.gov/html/planyc2030/html/home/home.shtml)

I was excited that this was being put out. I had some hope that the city was getting its act together on issues of Peak Oil, Climate Change, and Food Security. I skimmed through it and noticed they used colorful graphs, charts and personal stories from ordinary New Yorkers to illustrate how they would solve growing problems the city faces in the areas of the environment, energy, water, housing, and transportation over the next 20 years.

What caught my eye, however, was the four page supplement entitled “How to Make Yourself More Sustainable” which contains “10 easy steps” people can take to achieve this goal. This took me by surprise as there had been no mention of this document in the prior day’s reporting of the Earth Day events. I envisioned that these steps would include sustainable habits I was already incorporating into my life like: using canvas bags, installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, and using public transportation more often. But Step 1 stopped me in my tracks.

Stay in NYC. Although it may seem counterintuitive, living in dense, urban cities is one of the best ways to help the environment. Our reliance on mass transit and smaller living spaces have made New York the most energy-efficient city in the United States.

I should have known better than to assume that New York City officials know what’s best for its citizens. They actually want me to believe that remaining in New York City was the sanest and most rational decision I could make. Not only was this against my better judgment, I felt completely manipulated. Manipulation of this sort is a tool of the public relations industry. Public relations professionals are wordsmiths~ possessing skills with vocabulary that are similar to a plastic surgeon’s skill with a knife. Once a procedure is performed their finished work is d’ nearly impossible to detect.

Interestingly, the rise of public relations is due in part to the nephew of Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays. Bernays believed that the opinions of the public needed to be molded and shaped without their knowing it by those who claim to know better. Bernays was famous for having “neutral” third party experts support issues he was hired to promote. His legacy can be seen in paradoxical campaigns such as: “Clean Coal”, “No Child Left Behind” and the “Help America Vote Act,” encouraging the American public to look favorably on efforts that hurt them. Unfortunately, these campaigns are constructive actions in name only and are more concerned with keeping the public confused and complacent.

Step 1 does the same thing by telling me that “living in dense urban cities is one of the best ways to help the environment.” So essentially, by riding an overcrowded subway I’m helping the environment, but how am I dealing with my anger when I’m pushed up against the person next to me in the tightly packed subway car. And if three policemen searched my backpack on my way into the subway, is that still good for the environment? Does it make me feel safe and secure or anxious and neurotic? What I’m really asking is, does my quality of life suffer by living in the most energy-efficient city in the United States?

Frankly, I don’t really care what the answer is. I already know I don’t want to be living in New York City if the economy collapses. But for the sake of those who still have faith in (insert your city here) bureaucrats these are important questions.

And this is only the first step. Reading steps 2 through 10 makes it clear that New York City officials expect individuals to bear the burden of initiating sustainable habits to help the city become more sustainable. Well, what about all of the companies that are headquartered in the Big Apple? Do they not have plenty of money to use non toxic materials and products (step 3) or reduce energy consumption by controlling the indoor temperature (step 6)? It really is sickening that these steps imply that all the citizens, the majority of whom are middle to low income, are being asked to open up their wallets to help the city become more sustainable when some of the companies that are here make billions of dollars.

The steps individuals are being asked to take barely scratch the surface of the changes needed to achieve a sustainable city. Steps 1 through 10 claim sustainability can be achieved by installing thermostats, buying light bulbs and appliances and power from a centralized energy company.
I expected to see steps that ask people to give more of themselves than their money. Why weren’t people encouraged to educate themselves about energy? Learn where it comes from. Don’t blindly accept proposals offered by government, corporations, or so-called experts. These entities or individuals have a vested interest in keeping their current system going.

Wouldn’t it empower people more to take steps that enlighten them about what is really going on? For example educate themselves about where energy comes from and how we waste it. There are a lot of informative books, articles, and websites about energy that New Yorkers can use to come to their own conclusions about how to use energy sustainably.

Another empowering step might be to connect energy to other parts of their lives like food. Consider only buying food grown locally like through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or the farmer’s market. If you’re daring you can try a 100 mile diet. And, if you’re really pumped you could take a Permaculture Design Certificate course.

Still another empowering step could be to not buy on impulse, but to really look at a product before purchasing it and ask yourself, “Do I need this or do I just want it?” Consider the person who made that item. Where and how do they live? Were they paid a fair wage? Do they have the comforts I do?

Imagine the sustainable city we could live in if all New Yorkers took these steps. That would mean that New Yorkers would have to turn off their TV s and Ipods, and do a little more thinking for themselves. Would New Yorkers take these steps? I very seriously doubt it. That’s why I’m not planning on “Staying in NYC.” If these steps are any indication, imagine what’s in PlaNYC, or more importantly what’s not!

Philip Botwinick was the conference coordinator of the Local Solutions to the Energy Dilemma Conference that took place in NYC in April 2007. He’s the cofounder of Local Energy Solutions, a volunteer organization that is working with Green Phoenix Permaculture to offer an affordable Permaculture Design Certificate currently being offered in NYc. He can be reached at phil@localenergysolutions.org