[Update below]

"Propaganda is not meant to fool the intelligencia, it is merely meant to provide them an excuse to avoid seeing ugly realities they'd sooner not believe."

"It is not propaganda’s task to be intelligent, its task is to lead to success."-- Joseph Goebbles

Hotpotatomash posted this video, but it is well done and so wanted to post it here, "for the record."




While Robert Greenwald's new short film argues that the mounting evidence demands Condoleezza Rice resign from office as Secretary of State,it is more compelling than that. In fact, the film and the larger story surrounding it, impugn the "highest levels" of the Bush administration as authors of a fully articulated torture program. Yes, Rice repeatedly claimed that the "United States does not torture," (true on some level -- most of the United States does not torture people -- just Bush officials) but this dissembling rhetoric was spouted by every one of those high level officials who participated in these meetings, most of whom are now gone. Except Cheney. And obviously he should go, too. But we know how likely that is. Considering the near complete media silence on this issue in the aftermath of the story, not only will Rice's resignation remain unconsidered, but the White House would disregard any such calls. Fortunately for Bush, and unfortunately for the state of the union, I think we can all see that he won't be placed in the uncomfortable position of having to defend Rice. If you watched the Democratic "debate" Wednesday night, you will understand that. (Oddly, it was ABC, one of the outlets that broke the White House torture meetings story, that was also responsible for the inconsequential nonsense that formed much of the discussion.)

Perhaps a far more effective avenue of reproach would be for international diplomats world-wide to simply refuse to talk or even meet with Rice, rendering her even more useless than she has been already. I doubt this would shame the White House -- nothing does -- into removing her, but it would certainly send a clear message that the world has had quite enough of the Bush administration and their preposterous claims of moral leadership on the world stage. One thing is at least certain, however. Any, any notions Rice may have entertained for a future political career are over. Done. At the end of Bush's term, she would do well to quietly slink off to a very private life and hope no one tries to prosecute her for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Though they will not be forthcoming, calls for resignation, though perhaps more realistic than impeachment, are wholly inadequate. Impeachment of each and everyone one of the participants, and the clown prince who signed off on their choreography, is demanded and required as a matter of law. Democrats are obviously unlikely to pursue this, since it seems likely that at least a few of them had some indication about what was going on and therefore could be found guilty of aiding and abetting or, at least, accessory after the fact. Which is precisely why Congress will not pursue the matter. Because they are still accessory after the fact. And though the evidence is now overwhelming, the unbridled criminality of the country's highest officials will remain forever, not only unpunished but underreported by the corporate media. Hats off to ABC and AP for their reports, but they are reverberating almost nowhere.

No, the most pressing concern for this country's wretched political class, however, continues to be Obama's "out of touch" claim that Americans are "bitter." Forfend that thought, say the television meatheads. Americans can't be bitter. That just can't be. They live in America! And what with this being America, why, "small town" Americans must be slavishly optimistic to the myth that has been shoved down their throats since childhood. Work hard, work harder, dream the impossible dream, watch pensions disappear and health care evaporate, work harder still, get fucked over again and again and watch the corporate overlords reap uncountable riches. Remain optimistic, however, because this is America! No, no one could be bitter about that arrangement. Obama is clearly an out-of-touch elitist.

This is the media meme of the day and will remain so for many days, at least until enough time has passed for that unpleasant business that the Bush cabinet "choreographed" a torture program at the highest levels and then lied about it. Bear those words of Goebbels in mind, when considering what you are witnessing taking place in the US media -- the endless Obama "analysis" while an uncomfortable and ugly truth floats suspended and ignored.

There is a subtle psyop in play in the media here, though most will be unaware of just what is going on.  Despite the fact that reports like that delivered by ABC News can be broadcast, demonstrating a free press, the fact that almost none of the talking heads, distracted by and distracting with the phony Obama "gaff," even bother to discuss the serious breach of law represented in the report has a certain effect.  And that effect is one of dismissal through elision; that by failing to follow-up on such a report with the brio of the media's self-styled talking heads, where the import of such a story would be amplified by orders of magnitude -- as it should be -- ignoring the torturous facts swirling around the Bush administration conveys a message of insignificance.  If no one is talking about it, it can't be important.

We see this constantly in the media and, as McLuhan so long ago observed, the media do not simply convey messages, they are the message.  What they say, goes.  And what they don't say goes nowhere.  Perhaps the internet has changed that some degree, but this still remains largely true.  And it is especially true for those "small town" Americans, even more so if they happen to live in such towns that beneficent telecom companies have deigned delivery of internet service, which thereby prevents those impossibly optimistic folks from watching videos like the one above and possibly -- just possibly -- getting bitter about it.

Update:Perhaps you are one of those hopelessly naive souls who might think that, yeah, all those higher-ups talked about "enhanced interrogation," but "slapping" and "pushing" hardly sound that bad. C'mon!

If this is the case, and you think that this interrogation technique fails to meet any normative criterion for cruelty, please inform yourself otherwise with an autoposy report from the Armed Forces Institute for Pathology that is now being highlighted in various outlets. The examination was of an inmate held by US forces at Al Asad, Iraq.

Circumstances of Death: Iraqi detainee died while in U.S. custody.

Authorization for Autopsy: Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, lAW 10 USC 1471

Identification: Identification by accompanying paperwork and wristband, both of which include his name and a detainee number, 3ACR1582

CAUSE OF DEATH: Blunt Force. Injuries and Asphyxia

MANNER OF DEATH: Homicide

FINAL AUTOPSY DIAGNOSES:
I. Multiple Blunt Force Injuries
A. Cutaneous abrasions and contusions of the scalp, torso, and extremities
B. Deep contusions of the chest wall musculature and abdominal wall
C. Multiple, bilateral, displaced and comminuted rib fractures, with lacerations of the pleura.
D. Bilateral lung contusions
E. Bilateral hemothoraces
F. Hemorrhage into the mesentery of the small and large bowel
G. Hemorrhage into the left sternohyoid muscle with associated fractures of the thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone

II. History of Asphyxia, Secondary to Occlusion of the Oral Airway
III. Pleural and Pulmonary Adhesions
…

And the final medical conclusion.

OPINION
This 47-year-old White male, [redacted], died of blunt force injuries and asphyxia. The autopsy disclosed multiple blunt force injuries,including deep contusions of the chest wall, numerous displaced rib fractures, lung contusions, and hemorrhage into the mesentery of the small and large intestine. An examination of the neck structures revealed hemorrhage into the strap muscles and fractures of the thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone. According to the investigative report provided by U.S. Army CID, the decedent was shackled to the top of a doorframe with a gag in his mouth at the time he lost consciousness and became pulseless. The severe blunt force injuries, the hanging position, and the obstruction of the oral cavity with a gag contributed to this individual's death. The manner of death is homicide.

Pushing.