“The goal of modern propaganda is no longer to transform opinion but to arouse an active and mythical belief.” Jacques Ellul
On Super Bowl Sunday, the reason that I wrote my new book: Myth America: 20 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution, literally hit home.
Since it was the Holy Day of Obligation for our national religion of Football, I headed for my health club because I have always been a heretic. I arrived there a little before kick off, so the club was still occupied, but after kick-off it was deserted.
After my water workout and swim in the pool that I had all to myself, I headed to the hot tub which was occupied by another spa patron—an older gentleman named Bill whom seems to come to the club just to sit in the hot tub and chat. I get the feeling he is very lonely, and this following exchange may be why:
Bill: I think what you do disgraces your son, his memory and what he died for.
Cindy: Oh really? Since he was killed in an illegal and immoral war, I think this nation disgraced him.
Bill: But they attacked us on 9-11.
Cindy: Who attacked us on 9-11?
Bill: Iraq and Saddam Hussein.
Cindy: Are you serious? If you believe the official story, 16 Saudi Arabians attacked us.
Bill: But Saddam killed his own people.
Cindy: We have killed over one million of Saddam’s “own people,” (at this point Cindy does “air quotes?).
Bill: But we didn’t mean to.
Cindy: (deep sigh), So what team are you rooting for this afternoon?
At which point, Bill scrambled out of the hot tub and headed for the showers.
My “friend” Bill has been thoroughly propagandized from the right—there was no use sitting in the hot tub with the jets blasting and trying to reason with a man who thinks that over one million people can be killed “accidentally.”
Tags: Cindy Sheehan, Iraq, Iraq war, Mythocracy, Obama, propaganda, United States
No comments:
Post a Comment