1984 Comparison with modern society -- Part VII

- Ignorance is Strength chapter by Goldstein

-- Promises by politicians running for office to fix things, change things, provide for the public welfare ... only to forget the masses that got them elected once in office.

-- Telescreens able to transmit propaganda and monitor citizens 24/7 = the Internet, 24-hour news cycle, meaningless entertainment programs, blogs, chats ... a million different ways for us to observe each other. We ARE the collective Thought Police.

-- The MEDIA focusing the public's attention on one event or tragedy, while countless others are forgotten.

-- Council on Foreign Relations

-- The G8

-- The WTO

-- "Here comes the new boss. Same as the old boss."

-- The more things change, the more they stay the same.

-- Republicrats and Demicans -- The two party system in the U.S. functions much like the three supernations in the book 1984. They basically enact the same legislation, regardless of party affiliation ... and the pundits who debate one another are the equivalent of the slave populations on the borders of the supernations, fighting the endless war.

-- The United States deposing a dictator that we supported two decades ago. Thankfully, the past cannot be rewritten. However, those who support current military action, like deposing Noriega or Saddam, have no choice but to forget our support of these dictators years before. The admission of a mistake weakens the present argument ... if we've made mistakes in the past, it's very easy to argue that our current actions to correct past mistakes are merely compounding the situation. In other words, leave well enough alone.

-- "Mutability of the Past" = Columbus "Discovered" America, Andrew Jackson "Expanded" America, etc. How about this: the Cherokees and other tribes "Discovered" imperialism, and shed blood and tears as Jackson "Expanded" America's borders. This is but one small example of how has been history is written by the victors, those in charge, the Party, Big Brother.

-- "The prevailing mental condition must be controlled insanity" = No wonder logical solutions are seemingly never enacted by Government, under the guise of such buzz words as "bipartisanship" and "compromise."

Obama: How DOES He Raise $55 million in One Month?

Michael Savage raised this question tonight -- how did Barack Obama raise $55 million in February?

It's an excellent question. The MEDIA seems to shrug their collective shoulders and accept this as a byproduct of Obama's "Grassroots movement."

I know from personal experience that raising money on the internet is damn near impossible ... if you're an honest guy. Now, if you're a snake-oil salesman, or a spammer, or an aggressive con artist/hot chick, or a purveyor of porn/voyeurism/prostitution ... then I could see you making money!

Now, if you're an honest guy and you find a decent method, like Damian did with PPP, you can be sure that Google will eventually "Layeth the Smacketh Down" on that candy web trick ... I've read about this for years on Addme.com -- "Oh, Google figured out how to stop this technique we've used for getting hits, but they haven't figured out THAT!" And then in three months, another technique ... then, another, and another.

Truthfully, you either have to be dishonest or so cynical about the way the internet works that you don't care about pre-internet morality and ethics. An argument ... let me rephrase, a STRONG argument can be made that, like the wild west depicted in movies, business morality and ethics practiced on the internet is not practical for most people trying to make a buck on the web.

Which brings me back to Dr. Savage's question -- how does Obama do it?

And who benefits?

I believe some people have bought into his snake-oil salesman's charm ... it seems to be a mix of "He's the new JFK!" and "He's a good speaker!" But is this grassroots religious fervor worth $55 million?

Perhaps enemies of Clinton are gleefully backing the new upstart ... perhaps the "Pink hand" is giving Obama a boost in exchange for a promises ... perhaps the corrupt Chicago political machine is working overtime....

It would be nice if the MEDIA would investigate this....

How do they know?

Here are some random quotes I've heard over the years:

"People are clearly inspired by Barack Obama's message. That's why they're voting for him."

"McCain needs to reach out to conservatives; they won't vote for him otherwise."

"America wants change!"

"It's the economy, stupid."

"No team will sign Barry Bonds because of the court case and the public outrage against him."

I have a simple question: How on earth do commentators, pundits, news anchors, and all else KNOW what Americans are thinking, feeling, and wanting?

What. Did they talk to five people walking by before going on the air to get a feel for public sentiment? Do they look at a poll where a majority of people say one thing and then project the image that 100% of the people feel that way?

As one of the few people walking on this blessed earth with a brain, I tire of these tactics. I tire of seeing the effects of these tactics on John Q. Public -- around water coolers, at supermarkets, etc. Average folks tend to parrot what they're verbally fed.

I wish intelligent analysis was considered profitable by the MEDIA.

What If...? Bush prevented 9/11?

Warning: I am not "pro-Bush". I just want you to THINK.

Earth Second-guess

President Bush acts on the August 6th Memo:

It is my belief that the threat of Osama bin Laden and his Al-Quaida organization hijacking
a plane is too great to ignore ... We must get more information, but we must also act ... I have decided today to close all airports for the next two weeks. During those two weeks, we will be working with the airline industry to ban all Middle Eastern visitors in our country from flights. We need the two weeks to gather and collate the data.

"We understand the impact that this will have on the economy. We know that many of the people that will be banned are innocent in this matter. I apologize to all of you who will be affected by this decision. Unfortunately, our hand has been forced by forces outside of our country -- forces that would seek to harm this country.

"We cannot afford to have a hijacking. The risk to the lives of those people must be prevented. And Osama bin Laden must know this: we will not yield to threats, and no man will be released from prison because of his action."

--President Bush, August 8th, 2001

Newspaper headlines:
"HE'S A MADMAN AND A FASCIST!" Senator Kennedy speaks out

BUSH APPROVAL RATINGS DROP BELOW 10% -- LOWEST IN HISTORY OF POLLING

SENATOR DASCHLE CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS

AIRLINE INDUSTRY SEES SALES PLUMMETS; THREATEN MASSIVE LAYOFFS

GORE TEAM RENEWS CALL FOR RECOUNT


October, 2001
LETTER TO SENATOR LOTT CONTAINS ANTHRAX

The fourth Anthrax letter has been discovered -- this time in the office of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

"It is clear that terrorists are attempting to shake our resolve in this time of crisis. With massive unemployment and the strong possibility of a hijacking, we are facing the time of our greatest tribulation," stated Senator Lott from the steps of Capitol Hill.

The other letters that contained Anthrax were sent to the home of Rush Limbaugh, Rupert Murdoch, and the White House.

Senator Lott has been one of the few Republicans to remain faithful to the President, as the majority of Republican and Democrat congressmen have moved quickly to impeach.


December, 2001
PLANE CRASHES INTO THE ATLANTIC: NO SURVIVORS

... The FAA has already admitted that finding the cause of the crash will be "pretty much impossible."

"It will take months to dredge up what we can ... and there is a very real possibility we will never find the black box," stated an FAA official.


December 25, 2001
MERRY CHRISTMAS, BUSH. YOU'RE IMPEACHED!


JANUARY, 2002
BUSH FINALLY BACKS DOWN

"It is with a heavy heart that I have ordered airlines to resume business as it was prior to August 8th, 2001.

"Despite our best efforts, we were unable to discover the true nature of the plot that Osama bin Laden had in mind. We have not yet found the operatives that live here in the United States, nor when or where the hijacking may occur.

"Because of this, I would ask all airline pilots, stewards and stewardesses, and anyone else aboard a flight, remain vigilant. If you see anything suspicious, do not be afraid to let the crew know. Until we can get to the bottom of this murky plot, we ask you, the American people, to keep your eyes open and remain alert."


Newspaper headlines:
EDITORIAL: WHO CAN AFFORD TO FLY, BUSH?

NO MONEY=FEW FLIGHTS

GREENSPAN EXPRESSES OPTIMISM FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC RECOVERY

UNEMPLOYMENT REACHES 15%

BUSH RESIGNS IN DISGRACE


January 31, 2002

AMERICA ATTACKED

The nation is reeling after today's apparent terrorist attack that occurred in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.

The attack started at 8:15am, when a plane crashed into one of the Twin Towers in downtown Manhattan. Twenty minutes later, horrified bystanders watched a second plane narrowly miss the other Tower, and crash into the Hudson River Highway.

Within five minutes, reports came in that a third plane had crashed into the White House, and a fourth plane had slammed into the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The bridge collapsed an hour after the initial impact, just as the sun rose over the Pacific Ocean.

At 9:45am, as firefighters rushed to help evacuate the World Trade Center building 1, the impacted Tower fell, leaving a massive cloud of dust and debris in its wake. It's unknown at this time how many people were in the building, or at the White House or San Francisco. There were approximately 400 people combined on the four planes that crashed....

Paul Lo Duca: Hype

Paul Lo Duca: Hype

Back in August 2004, I wrote an editorial about how baseball catcher Paul Lo Duca was overrated, in effect I buried him. Turns out I was correct. Not only did this guy NOT win a championship with any team since I wrote that article, but he got caught cheating on his model wife with teenage girls. He also got into several fights with players while with the New York Mets. He did not heal the New York clubhouse; in fact, he added to the chaos under Willie Randolph, and contributed to the greatest downfall in Mets' history (AND THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING!). The icing on the cake: everyone in baseball apparently knew that he was steroid and HGH user, as shown in the Mitchell Report.

So, let's hit rewind and see what I wrote over 3 years ago:

August 4, 2004- The Dodgers traded Paul Lo Duca to the Marlins in a deadline deal. Then the MEDIA christened catcher Paul Lo Duca the "heart and soul" of the Dodger team, and how the chemistry has been ruined in the Dodger clubhouse. After all, Lo Duca was a "clubhouse leader" and "proven veteran".

It's amazing that Saint Lo Duca's "leadership" didn't win the Dodgers a pennant. After all, he's been playing with them since 1998. Why can't the MEDIA explain that?

Let's take a look at Saint Lo Duca's stats: he had one above average OPS+ year in 2001, when his OPS (on-base+slugging%) was higher than 44% of the league. In 2002, he was league average. And in 2003, he was 8% below league average. By the way in '98 he was 26% below avg., 58% below avg. in '99, and 25% below avg. in 2000. His homerun totals in his 6-year career: 0, 3, 2, 25, 10, and 7. Huh. According to Similarity Scores, his stats are most similar to the greatness that is Michael Barret. Huh.

And to add to his legend, he hit a homerun on the first pitch seen in a Marlins uniform. The sad thing about baseball is that below average players always seem to shine when everyone's watching. So a year from now, I will be eating these words. After all, Paul Lo Duca will carry the Fish all the way to the championship in 2004, right?

The MEDIA has elevated his status to other "proven leaders" like Pudge and Derek. I wish there was an "intangibles" ranking on ESPN, so I can look up to see who the other league leaders are.

Ronald Reagan

Remembering the 80's President

by a child of the 80's



I'm not even sure I should be writing this. I don't know anyone personally who loved Ronald Reagan, other than my parents who voted for him twice -- the only people who seem to have anything nice to say about the man are the voices I hear on the radio, in some far-off studio, or MEDIA anchors who are biting their tongues.

I've always felt embarrassed about admitting that I liked him as a President. Whenever his name would come up, friends or other family members would say stuff like, "Oh, he's such an actor! That's why he's so good at fooling people!" or "He didn't do anything in his second term -- Nancy ran the show!"

And it's almost like his announcement of his having Alzheimer's in 1994 was a seal of approval for those who thought he was old and incompetent. "See? He's probably had it for years."

This week, I have heard and seen another side to the Reagan story. I have heard of a man who was likable, and humorous. A man who had the courage to take on the Communists. A man who prayed.

I heard about a President who loved to write! He would answer 30 letters a month personally ... and sometimes he would go out of his way to help a person, even making phone calls to various government departments to get things done, for John Q. Citizen.

I think one reason I like President Reagan is because he came from the same generation as my father. They both came from humble roots. My father, as an immigrant, gave up a successful business in [censored DailySkew] to come here. Reagan could easily have played it safe and continued being an actor; instead, he got into politics, ran for office, and changed the world.

My father didn't change the world, but he impacted my world. And, in President Reagan, I saw someone who had similar ideals as my dad. He was a Christian. He had conviction. He was honest. And he was wise.

Hearing his speeches this week gave me goose bumps. Finding out he was an economics major in college, after hearing from THE MEDIA in the 1980's that Reaganomics was a stupid creation of a senile Hollywood actor ... well, that was absolutely shocking. I had no idea that our 40th President was a learned expert in economics -- I felt betrayed by the pundits and talking heads of my childhood, who conveniently left that fact out when belittling the President.

Reagan's optimism reminded me of my own optimism, which has proven annoying at times, quite frankly. I have a tendency to see the best in people, and to give them a free pass, and believe that they can overcome their problems. I have tendency to have too much faith in people. Over the years, I have learned to temper this with realism. Still, I think optimism, properly focused on something achievable, is a powerful tool. Reagan's accomplishments are proof of this.

I wasn't sure if I should write this when I started out, and now I'm not sure how to finish. I'm sure when I proofread and edit, I will delete things that you will never see, move things around so they make more sense, and generally clear up my ideas. I guess to sum up, there was a quote from Reagan that had to do with choosing sides. He said, paraphrasing, that by blaming both sides of a conflict you separate yourself from the moral battle taking place. He was referring to those who pointed the finger at both America and the USSR for the arms race (thank you, Dan Rather, for those nightly charts showing how many missiles each side had pointed at each other. You made stories like Dark Knight Returns realistic).

He basically said that you have to choose a side, and fight. That is something I have a hard time with, these days. I try to see everyone's point of view -- I think the 90's political correctness invaded my brain at some point and has grown into a forest of vacillation. I think this website, at times, is an exercise in destroying that part of me. Somehow, I know it's wrong not to choose a side and stick with it. I hate bandwagon jumpers in sports ... but somehow, I get embarrassed and take it personal when it comes to politics, so I just avoid the whole thing.

I think I'm going to change that. Let me look up that quote, and memorize it. I think that'll do me some good.