Fox News, postured as a balanced new source, is a veritable shill for the establishment. The party line is promoted with vigor and rare legitimate dissent is regularly talked down.

The media, both printed and visual, is tightly held by a handful of extremely wealthy elitists and the indispensable role of a critical press has been carefully replaced with support for a profligate government. All this is being done in the name of a free press.

Dr. Nancy Snow lists control of the media as one of the necessary elements of modern propaganda. "Modern forms of communication, including mass media, are instruments of propaganda. Without the monopoly concentration of mass media, there can be no modern propaganda. For propaganda to thrive, the media must remain concentrated, news agencies and services must be limited, the press must be under central command, and radio, film, and television monopolies must pervade."

As trusting, patriotic Americans plaster their vehicles with stickers supporting war and affirming freedom, our government pulls the strings of tyranny that control their behavior and the Nation maintains its deceitful facade.

The successful beautification of Abraham Lincoln is a feat unsurpassed by the propaganda efforts of the worlds most cruel and tyrannical governments. . Under the aegis of freeing the slaves Lincoln was responsible for the illegal invasion of the Southern States, the burning and sacking of the cities of the south and the deaths of 600,000 of the Nations best young men. As if this carnage was not enough his despotic seizure of government power set the stage for the rise of subsequent centralization that has incrementally stolen the freedoms of our citizens.

One of the cruelest governments in world history has been successfully defended by enough of America's power centers to be considered an ally in the elitist quest for world domination. Russia enjoyed favor with enough Americans to have one of its agents author the platform of the organization now being touted for world dominion. It was Alger Hiss, later convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, who was instrumental in crafting the United Nations, which is now being sold to the American people as the ultimate vehicle for world peace.

Paul Weber writes about the roots of American propaganda, "American advertising and propaganda has been refined over the years into a malevolent science, based on the assumption that most people react, not to ideas, but to naked emotion. When I worked at an ad agency many years ago, I learned that the successful agencies know how to appeal to emotions: the stronger and baser the better. The seven deadly sins, ad agency wags often say, are the key to selling products. Fear, envy, greed, hatred, and lust: these are the basic tools for good propaganda and effective advertising. By far, the most powerful motivating emotion - the top, most-sought-after copywriters will tell you, in an unguarded moment - is fear, followed by greed." (Mr. Weber is off a bit on the Seven Deadly Sins which are: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. He is on target with fear.)

When Fidel Castro was rising to power in Cuba the New York Times not only defended him but also actually promoted his accession. Herman Dinsmore, a defector from the Times, in "All the News that Fits" writes, "The New York Times achieves very considerable editorial effect by selecting and positioning the news.As the Times goes, so goes a large part of the nation's press".

At this writing the consolidation of ownership in companies that disseminate news is already far advanced with governmental approval for continued mergers. Viacom owns CBS and UPN television networks, Showtime, MTV, Paramount Pictures, and Simon and Shuster books. Disney owns ABC, A&E, and Lifetime networks, it operates Disney motion pictures, and co-owns ESPN. AOL Time Warner is the worlds largest Internet provider and also owns CNN, TNT, TBS, and HBO networks. Similar consolidations are in progress worldwide.

These denizens of darkness are not only in the process of promoting unspeakable debauchery but are in absolute unison with coverage of the news. Americans never hear well-articulated dissent. In decisive positions sprinkled through the media structure are establishment cronies who render voice to the standards of the reigning cabal.

How could the congress vote against a bill entitled Homeland Security? Who could possibly be against a secure homeland? No one, of course, and the Congress voted for it without even reading the legislation. Conceptualized, and mostly written beforehand, this egregious, freedom robbing, unconstitutional legislation was accepted by Americans who had been conveniently traumatized by the death and destruction of 9/11.

Our nation has accepted a plethora of absurdities as having substance.

        The Federal Reserve System, sold as necessary to prevent the ups and downs of the business cycle,         has turned out to be a method of controlling the government while extorting wealth from the population.         This breach of Constitutional mandate is still considered beneficial by many of our elected officials.

        Welfare sold by the Johnson Administration as a method of eradicating poverty has not only failed to         alleviate poverty but has been responsible for the break up families, an increase in crime, and
        a deterioration of the culture.

        Mandatory public education has taken our population from the best educated in the world to one of the         lowest and done it at the highest cost per pupil. Integration and busing have been a costly
        method creating additional unnecessary problems. Continuous efforts to "fix" the system sold to
        tax payers as solutions to the problem have only bought additional deterioration.

        The present success in inserting the homosexual lifestyle into the American mainstream has
        been directed by the power brokers and played out by the media in perfect harmony.

        In the last several decades the media has been spewing out immorality in ever increasing doses.

        Buttressed by an illegitimate freedom of speech and an artificially legitimatised diversity
        the propaganda of debauchery is gaining believers.

        Fifty years ago the concept of marriage among Lesbians and homosexuals was too ridiculous
        to warrant discussion. Media promotion of this societal cancer has been so successful that
        even politicians who claim the name of Christ pander for Sodomite support.

        Etc.

Governments produce nothing. Their only source of revenue is the citizens whom they govern. When they breach individual responsibility and begin to provide assistance to citizens, they have begun a walk down the road to tyrannizing their constituency.

Franklin D. Roosevelt began the Social Security program (Who could possibly be against social security?) Historically, governments have frequently created crises in order to accumulate power in providing their solutions. This was the case during the Great Depression. With something like 25% unemployment the American people never bothered to question the government's unconstitutional usurpation of power. Many of our citizens and legislators were not familiar with the Constitution nor were they schooled in the dangers involved in allowing government to metastasize.

Fear, that most potent advertising technique, is fueling The War on Terror. Rather than extending their dependence of government, Americans need to regain a healthy suspicion.

Paul Craig Robert describes the illegitimate powers that appear to be in control of our government.

Mark Summer exposes the agenda, "What we are seeing in the Bush Administration, however, is a new dedication to deceit as a primary tool of governance and weapon of choice against all perceived enemies foreign and domestic...The Bush Administration is rapidly moving to construct an impenetrable Information Curtain between the American public and the rest of the world. Removing the last regulatory limits on ownership of media outlets, intimidating networks and journalists into concealing unfavorable information, denying press access to the battlefield, distracting the public with gladiatorial sports spectacles laced with programmed patriotism, and keeping its populace paranoid with the prospect of further attacks: through a well-orchestrated manipulation of the mainstream media..."

Freedom in America is a tragic illusion. The skillful use of propaganda has allowed a peaceful, progressive tyrannization that is unsurpassed in world history.



"Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact."

Al Cronkrite is a free-lance writer from Florida. He a is regular columnist for Ether Zone.

Al Cronkrite can be reached at: fmsinfla@hotmail.com

Published in the September 24, 2003 issue of  Ether Zone.
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