Is it me or is the empire project accelerating?

[mmonk]

Your opinions on the matter would be appreciated. Do all the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia want war with the US using terrorists or does the US want war with them? The media seems to be stepping up here.

[midnight]

1. The media are paid to offer us daily doses of fear.

[mmonk]

2. But what is it that is in it for them?

Favorable legislation? No FCC problems?

[liberal N proud]

6. The talking heads are just good soldiers

The interested parties are the CEO's and other executives. The 1% of the population that has most of the money.

[spanone]

28. what is in it for them? getting democrats out of office...republican war good, democrat war bad

[bvar22]

39. Getting Democrats out of office?

Why would they want THAT?
The Democrats have given them MORE than the Republicans ever could.

Can you imagine the UPROAR if the Republicans tried to force every American to BUY virtually worthless "Health Insurance" from the For Profit Corporations, AND use the IRS as the Collection Agency?

The Republicans could have NEVER gotten away with THAT one.
A SCAM that size requires the "Centrist" Democrats working WITH their ideological allies, The Republicans.

Now that the top 1% has bought the Democratic Party (DLC), they will just rotate the nominal Party in Power every 8 years or so to keep up the illusion of "democracy". They will maintain some minor "differences", primarily around social issues, but the Economic Policy WILL remain The SAME:

The Advancement of the RICH Ownership Class at the expense of the Working Class and The Poor.

[surrealAmerican]

29. It may be as simple as ratings.

The bigger the crisis, the more people watch.

[mmonk]

35. Ratings certainly are the game when news becomes entertainment

instead.

[SunriseStorm]

3. Empire Of Illusion - Chris Hedges

The links below provide a good overview of Chris Hedges new book: Empire of Illusion.

Start by listening to the following interview for an overview:

http://ia301506.us.archive.org/1/items/DailyDigest-072009/2009_07_20_hedges.mp3

Then partake of Chris's latest speech at the Binghamton, NY Universal Life church this last October:

http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

Finally satisfy ones curiosity at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Illusion-Literacy-Triumph-Spectacle/dp/1568584377

This will not be easy fare for most - illusions die hard.

[mmonk]

5. Interesting links. Thanks.

[SunriseStorm]

9. Try This As Well - Tangential To The OP - "Addicted To Nonsense"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7390280&mesg_id=7390379

[mmonk]

13. Thanks.

Addicted to nonsense is correct.

[EFerrari]

49. Here's his extended booktv interview. Summary at link:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/289070-1

[SunriseStorm]

55. Thanks

eom

[dipsydoodle]

4. Getting in while the going is good.

As oil runs out so the US military will grind to a halt. I figured ages ago that the USA probably plans at least 20 years ahead.

[Hannah Bell]

11. more, i think.

[dipsydoodle]

16. Yes - I used a conservative estimate.

:hi:

[Soylent Brice]

31. yup:

http://www.spr.doe.gov/

and...

The US SPR is the largest emergency supply in the world with the current capacity to hold up to 727 million barrels (1.156E+8 m3). The second largest emergency supply of oil is Japan's with a 2003 reported capacity of 579 million barrels (9.21E+7 m3). Also, China has begun construction and planning for an expansion of a SPR that will place their SPR at 685 million barrels by 2020, surpassing Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve

at the rate we're going that would last us roughly 20 years, give or take, after supplies are depleted.

the war machine will come to a deafening halt, unless they have a plan B already (i.e. alternative energy source) lined up.

[mmonk]

33. You would think we would shift to alternatives.

But I guess they would lose leverage in their minds.

[Soylent Brice]

43. i like to equate it to cats and food.

i have two cats. as soon as i set food out they both attack it and try to out-eat each other. they're both smart enough to know the food will continue to show up, but they both try to outdo the other.

i think that's all it is. oil is the food, and we're (U.S., Russia, and now China) are the cats.

no real motive besides greedy attitudes and the lack of motivation to look elsewhere for (renewable) energy resources.

:shrug:

goofy analogy, but it was the first thing that popped into my head.

[mmonk]

50. Good analogy on behavior.

[Soylent Brice]

57. thanks. personally, i'm still dumbfounded that i used a cat analogy for oil depletion.

and that it made sense.

:crazy:

[dipsydoodle]

34. They don't need plan B in much of rush

If you think for one moment that the public would have access to the SPR then dream on.

Aside from that the military have most likely already got an alternative energy source lined up / under wraps.

[Soylent Brice]

42. i've always assumed the SPR is reserved strictly for the military.

i've also always assumed that they have another means lined up for when that is depleted. they do plan ahead, for themselves.

[Buzz Clik]

7. oh, brother.

:eyes:

[mmonk]

10. Oh brother. Is that an opinion of the question?

If it is ridiculous, could you go deeper in explanation?

[malaise]

8. Yes and no

Get a copy of The Constitution of Imperium by Ronnie D. Lipschutz and then scream!

"What is new and novel since 2001 is the Bush administration's Constitution of Imperium, a 'charter' that offers rules that structure 'the game' of global political economy. The most obvious of these structural rules is the U.S.-proclaimed unilateral right of preemptive intervention, as executed in Iraq and threatened against Iran. Although neither of these can be said to have been successful (so far), the very notion that military threats from others must be anticipated and eliminated before they develop, rather than being met and suppressed once manifest, goes far beyond the U.N. Charter's principles of self-defense.
Yet this rule seems to be garnering some degree of support (so long as it is expressed in appropriate language), as is evident in tentative international support for preventing Iran and other 'rogue' states from acquiring atomic weapons."

On the other hand,
"...a global economic implosion that strips the world's middle class of its assets in a particularly brutal form of enclosure and deflation could have a social impact not dissimilar from war. It could also trigger broad political mobilization across the globe."

He ends with this
"If Imperium is to survive, it will have to find a way to maintain middle-class support, provide social goods to the impoverished and diffuse oppositional forces. Can this be done? Will it be done?
It is too soon to tell."
------------
I believe the contradictions within imperium - i.e. neo-liberal economic policies with the imperialist approach to domination by force and rule by executive edict will lead to imperium's destruction. Additionally, like all empires that over-extend their might Imperium is fucking broke. I hope I am right.

[mmonk]

25. Good post.

Implosion is certainly possible as this cannot be maintained into perpetuity.

[AllentownJake]

12. They need a draft to further the expansion and secure resources

The only good thing about the 30,000 troops in Afghanistan is it limits the Neo-Cons options. If the options prove to be not viable, I fully expect a crisis to satisfy their demands.

[mmonk]

14. I have a feeling if they institute a draft,

this all will fall apart very quickly. I think that is why they are relying so heavily on mercenaries.

[AllentownJake]

17. The mercenaries are causing them problems right now

They are expensive, tend to act like mercenaries always do and give you bad press, don't really give a shit if they are successful or not, since their paycheck is based on them being mercenaries.

There is a reason why WW2 was over in 4 years and we've been in Afghanistan for 8. Everyone went, and people wanted to get the fuck home.

[KharmaTrain]

15. Typical Lazy Corporate Media

To answer your question...no, I don't think anything is stepping up here. If anything, stuff that was hidden under the table is surfacing. Our incursions into Yemen aren't new, just it's become caught up in the undiebomber story and the ongoing corporate media meme that Democrats either are weak on "homeland defense" or that some kind of attack is sure to happen. The corporates know that amping up fear means ratings...and if they ever needed those it's now.

I think the concept of "American empire" has taken a major hit in recent years. The ham-handed invasion of Iraq was the beginning of the end as not only did this country destroy any moral ground it had in playing "world policeman" but the ensuing economic messes booooshie presided over weakened this country economically. Of course the corporate media and their myopia will pump up the US and always frame stories as "how does it affect us".

Of course the countries in that region don't want war with the US...they want our money. Other than that they wnat us to leave 'em alone. If some foreign power were meddling in your affairs, how would you feel? Sadly so little of what these other countries and people think are aired...instead we get partisan spinners and GOOP hacks puffing up their balls.

[mmonk]

18. I think you're right.

We're typically in these countries before things flare up to be on American citizens' radar, especially our clandestine agencies. And yes, our media is shallow and seems to get even more so. In depth foreign correspondent reporting has been reduced to nil.

[Echo In Light]

21. "Lazy" media sounds a lot like "incompetent" Bush. M$M wouldn't escalate propaganda w/o guidance

[KharmaTrain]

27. The Media Has Its Own Agenda...

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The fact that rushpublicans are the party of big business makes them natural allies. However, I don't believe they get "marching orders" from anyone other than their own self interests. This isn't the case with hate radio...which was targeted by GOOP activists as their "mouthpiece", but this doesn't cover the major television networks. They're just plain lazy. They've downscaled and "consolidated"; eliminating much of their foreign news coverage, became infotainment; focusing on personality rather than substance and found that filling airtime with talking heads (many who are on their payrolls) is how they play "fair and balanced".

For the corporates, war and fear mean viewers which means ratings which means money. These days with revenues falling, the corporate media is piling on the cheap and lazy and ramping up the fear and partisanship strictly for their own purposes. It's why you hear similar complaints from right and left.

[Echo In Light]

38. The preferred $ angle doesn't explain the consistency of scores of disinfo re numerous subjects

In other words, if the M$M operated away from the concerns and aims of the state, one wouldn't find - going back decades - instance upon instance of the MIC intere$ts relying on the mainstream apparatus to sanitize, spin or omit incriminating and unflattering info that 100% suits the aims of the MIC/ways of empire. I mean, I could offer countless, well sourced examples of this...but I'm unsure if it would do any good. The moderate view tends to downplay very real overarching agendas as being 'conspiratorial' and therefore non-existent, mainly b/c those interests, and their lapdogs, seeded the public mind for decades along those lines. Why? It obviously benefits them to have a populace believe otherwise.

For example, the mass deception and disinfo during the run up to invading Iraq was indeed quite orchestrated and intentional, and wasn't a 'whoops' result of those Corp interests simply following their 'own' agenda.

[mmonk]

40. I agree it was orchestrated and those that did not follow the conductor

were removed from the air.

[Echo In Light]

47. And that is but one example out of endless ones - the M$M does not act on its own accord as it....

... pertains to essential aims of empire. Those outlets will all immediately sell one lie, and the owners/editors and pundits certainly do not dream that specific info up in order to "make $."

[KharmaTrain]

53. That Was Hardly Psy-Ops

It definitely was propaganda, but it was open and blatant...deliberate lies that weren't questioned right out in the open. And it was all about the money...wars bring lots of viewers and thus all the networks were on board for their own motives. What we were watching was another episode of "The Big Lie"...say it enough and people believe it. The fact that so many did shows how our corporate media has failed in being a real check in the checks and balances.

[Echo In Light]

54. Parent media Corps don't operate on their own, separate from directives/instructions of Hawks

... aside from the choice of 'spooky' terms to make a 'conspiracy' seem outlandish (which it is not) I'm unsure we're actually in disagreement here as to how M$M works. I'm saying that the networks and cable outlets, just as most of the printed M$M, do not decide independently what slant to give to war efforts, they follow the Pentagon line.

[KharmaTrain]

56. And Your Proof?

The problems with conspiracies is keeping everyone on script and/or silent. There's just too much "fame and glory" inside the beltway to keep anything secret...especially of such a wide ranging operation that involves several corporations involving hundreds of people. We see a propaganda operation in Faux...and remember, they tried to mask it for years and are still prickly when their partisan strings are pointed out.

If there were such an orchestrated operation, we would never have learned about Gitmo or the use of torture or many of the other war crimes of the past 8 years. Inversely, if there was some true psy-ops program, you would think a former employee would leak proof or evidence that would be picked up and sent around the world on the blogosphere.

Having had experience with the media, there are common goals...making money being foremost. It's under the rushpublicans that "deregulation" flew through which has enabled the corporates to eliminate the so-called "Mainstream". While the gatekeepers on what one sees on the cables, they aren't the ultimate control of information in this country. Thank goodness for blogs and foreign broadcasters such as the BBC whose motives aren't driven by ratings and dollars.

If there's people giving marching orders here, it's the top corporates of companies such as GE that benefit from billions in defense contracts, but that doesn't work with companies like Disney, Viacom and Time-Warner.

Cheers...

[Echo In Light]

59. If $ were the only guiding element for M$M, there would be differing results on key issues

Yet over the past thirty yrs one would be hard pressed to find examples where there wasn't a unified, ideological M$M slant behind the want of spinning, obfuscating or omitting data that would reveal the favored state, or key elements within, to be quite criminal and grievously immoral in their actions. Sure, given the brazen Bushco, the shit was so deep that, coupled w/the internet info, the M$M was forced to cover some of the more offensive scandals, but would of course always attempt to trivialize the seriousness of the matter, and never delve deeper than need be in order to say, what conspiracy?...we covered it. Well, not really. And not w/o external public pressure to bear.

That aside I can only offer the standard Chomsky/Moyers/Parenti, etc propaganda models (argues that there are five classes of 'filters' in society which determine what is 'news;' in other words, what gets printed in newspapers or broadcast by radio and television) that have been examined thoroughly over the yrs to better illustrate this point ... and I'm guessing you're already familiar w/that analysis, and disagree with it. We'll have to agree to disagree then.

The mass media serve as a system for communicating messages and symbols to the general populace. It is their function to amuse, entertain, and inform, and to inculcate individuals with the values, beliefs, and codes of behavior that will integrate them into the institutional structures of the larger society. In a world of concentrated wealth and major conflicts of class interest, to fulfill this role requires systematic propaganda.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Herman%20/Manufac_Consent_Prop_Model.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlyb1Bx9Ic

Fantastic doc film on our media, Orwell Rolls In His Grave:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&q=orwell+rolls+in+his+grave&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=OFtCS4uYHIawlAenyZyeDA&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBEQqwQwAA

[malaise]

26. Well said bro

:hi:

[Echo In Light]

19. M$M doesn't pull it's own 'news' from thin air; they're INSTRUCTED on what to 'report,' and why

As to your question, there are zealous fundies on either side who want a 'holy war,' just as there are big Corp interests that will dance w/that devil for a variety of reasons.

[madokie]

20. And will until we change our ways

We're the reason they don't like us and never forget that.

[rucky]

22. Not concerned about colonizing as much as

control of resources & funneling money into the usual stable of defense contractors. Al Qaeda is a convenient way to get involved anyplace in the region that would benefit those two objectives.

I think this is mostly the US initiating this & the UK.

We kill more civilians in a given month than the estimated number of living Al Qaeda members. Of course the countries in the crosshairs would disapprove, and the others must be wondering when it's their turn.

I don't think it's accelerating as much as shifting out of the mires we create & trying to find a more friendly venue for our theater.

[mmonk]

23. Yes, a lot of it seems destabilization and control economically

for interested parties. Actual occupation of all of them is impossible even though we have military bases in approximately 135 countries now.

[malaise]

24. 100% correct

but as the global middle class understand what's going on, there will be resistance.

[varelse]

30. Ours or China's?

We aren't going to be the only superpower in the world for much longer, if indeed we can call ourselves that now.

[mmonk]

32. I do not believe I mentioned China.

Besides, they are buying up what we are losing.

[varelse]

60. They could be a contender for *the* next superpower

it will go even better for them if they don't have to go to war to accomplish that goal (assuming they're even in the running).

[mmonk]

62. True

[L. Coyote]

36. One thing is certain, we are still provoking more attacks.

Stupid!

[dysfunctional press]

37. it's you.

what makes you think that "the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia want war with the US using terrorists"...?

[mmonk]

41. I dunno. Where did I get that from?

Love your screen name.

[dysfunctional press]

44. i have no idea where you could have gotten such a stupid thought.

do you have ANY evidence to support such a notion?

btw- individuals and extremist groups are not the same as 'countries'.

[mmonk]

48. I know that. So why are we invading countries?

[dysfunctional press]

51. oil.

[mmonk]

58. Yep.

And control of natural gas markets as well.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mmonk]

52. I'm ready to leave the bloody fit here at the end and enter the lemonade stage.

[hunter]

46. We're in a gambler's panic, trying to win back our accelerating losses.

We've passed the-cash-advance-from-the-credit-card stage and are well into the cashing-out-our-retirement-and-life-insurance-and-stealing-from-grandma stage.

It ends with us hastily retreating from the casino and taking a bus to Mexico, never to be seen among the first world nations again.

[H2O Man]

61. Yes. What is fascinating

is that the foundation is breaking apart at the smaller, most basic units -- families, villages, etc -- at the same rate of acceleration.

[mmonk]

63. That does seem to be a by product. It certainly doesn't seem to

be just a coincidence.