Using A Tragedy To Blatantly Further A Political Agenda

[CJCRANE]

before we even have all the facts (and sometimes we never get all of the facts).

We see this technique used over and over again, and yet people who should know better still fall for it.

The biggest example of course is 9/11 which was used to build up the political will to invade Iraq and implement a "Homeland" police state and a never-ending "war on terror".

Recent examples are the Syrian chemical attack, which was immediately used to beat the drums for an attack on Syria.

The sudden success of ISIS running amok in Iraq, which was used to push for regime change of the Maliki government.

The disappearance of the three Israeli teens was immediately blamed on Hamas and used to justify a military agenda.

The shooting down of MH17 was immediately used to justify pointing the finger in a geopolitical way, while the remains of the plane were still smouldering.

All I'm trying to say is, don't rush to a knee jerk emotional reaction when these big stories hit the headlines.

So, take a deep breath, try to think clearly.

[Uncle Joe]

1. Good advice.

Thanks for the thread, CJCRANE,

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. I think the problem is the 'knee jerk' reaction.

And when a single, unusual incident is the tragedy in question, you're probably right. When the tragedy is simply one in a long line of similar tragedies (Think Sandy Hook) that continue to go ignored, it's not really a 'knee jerk', but simply further evidence that furthering a specific political agenda is a good thing for the country.

Sometimes such tragedies simply galvanize the collective consciousness of the politically apathetic, and unless you 'strike while the iron is hot', nothing will change and such tragedies will simply continue unabated. Which is exactly why we're told we can't respond immediately, it would be a 'knee kerk' reaction, and those who desire the current status quo delay and delay, until the public's attention focuses elsewhere, and they can then obstruct without any political penalty for their decision to side with death for profit.

[CJCRANE]

4. I'm not against reacting when we have the facts.

Even in the case you cite their were knee jerk reactions which were completely incorrect.

It's very easy to react based on our individual biases.

When politicians decline to provide the evidence of their assertions, that should also send up a red flag that they're playing on our emotions.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

5. There will always be some.

But the case simply wasn't unique in how it went down. Just in numbers killed recently. We all had known about the problems of ease of access to firearms by anyone and everyone for years on end. Parents who legally buy legal firearms with mentally unstable kids in the house, straw buyers, even very simple ways for felons to end-run background checks entirely.

All sorts of evidence exists that some serious changes need to be made to current gun laws, but most of the time they're a non-starter, and even in the wake of the most horrific tragedies, the excuses are pulled out to delay and prevent.

[CJCRANE]

6. I agree with you on that but I'm talking about the Blame Game.

Whenever a big incident happens there are often politicians and commentators blaming this or that group straight out of the gate before we even know what's happened.

And the group they blame will always be based on their biases. Conservatives have certain boogeymen that they always blame, and vice versa for liberals. Quite often both sides are wrong and people end up getting angry and riled up for all the wrong reasons.

[Eleanors38]

18. Did you know the NRA was at fault for the Boston bombing?

One posting after another, right here in ducks unlimited told me so!!!

[Eleanors38]

19. Did you know the Navy Yard shooter used an AR 15?

Heard it in MSM, on line and in DU right away!!!

Then the corrections came in & things got quiet. Fast. The Narrative was not served.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

21. No, I didn't.

But then I don't even remember 'the Navy yard' shooting. There are so many, so often, that it's hard to keep track.

[Eleanors38]

23. Actually, we are lucky another mass shooting at a school hasn't occured

since Sandy Hook. We should find out what, if anything, is working. The weapon used at the Navy Yard shooting was a hoary pump shotgun.
The last mass murder, I believe, was the "mysoginist" who dispensed with more men; half the total with a knife. I think the OP is correct in that we should await more information before drawing conclusions, lest we develop a Salem de jour culture.

[FreedRadical]

3. Confirmation Bias...

Using the tragedy to confirm the bias you already hold.

[conservaphobe]

7. People should also refrain from being truthers about everything.

Going against what every mainstream source in the world is saying simply because one has some disturbing notion of a grand conspiracy is way worse.

[cpwm17]

8. The stereotypical CT supporters are usually wrong about everything concerning their CT's

Authoritarian followers are also frequently wrong. Authoritarian followers are also worse since they are more dangerous, as they support the powerful. The powerful have the potential to do far more damage than some crazies in the basement. Iraq and Palestine are recent examples.

One should remain skeptical about what we hear from people with an agenda – follow the actual evidence.

[CJCRANE]

10. Were you among the 90% who supported Bush

after 9/11?

Did you support the invasion of Iraq in order to find the WMD?

I didn't mention anything about a "grand conspiracy" in the OP.

I mentioned examples where people overreacted before knowing all of the facts.

[randome]

13. You sort of did edge into conspiracy theory.

You seem to conflate making guesses with 'overreaction'. Getting information about Syria, MH17 and what's going on in Iraq is not the same as making knee-jerk decisions.

Sure, there are some loud-mouthed politicians who think it's to their advantage to be the first to size up any situation no matter how complex, but they aren't calling the shots. President Obama is.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A 90% chance of rain means the same as a 10% chance:
It might rain and it might not.[/center][/font][hr]

[CJCRANE]

14. I conflate blaming the wrong group with overreaction.

I was talking about knee jerk reactions and how politicians and the media can exploit that.

As happened after 9/11 and appears to have happened after the three Israeli teens disappeared.

That's not a conspiracy theory.

I have no doubt that President Obama is a good man but he works within the political atmosphere created by the media, the lobbyists and the court of public opinion.

If the public allow themselves to be swayed by media overreaction that makes his job harder.

That's why I warned fellow DUers not to overreact or buy the media story without some critical thinking.

[randome]

17. Okay, then.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]The night is always young. It's never too late.[/center][/font][hr]

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. You supply the tragedy. We'll supply the war.

It's been going on since we we're fighting w. rocks and clubs.


K and R

[DeSwiss]

11. They need a war.

Any war will do.... at least at first. As a catalyst. They still use the old ways (wars and rumors of wars) to steal appropriate new funds fresh from the Federal Reserve Master Digit-Maker in order to keep the cash flowing -- the world turning.

- And the shells moving......

K&R

[center][/center]

''The true value of a conflict is in the debt it produces -- you control the debt, you control everything''.

[freedom fighter jh]

12. Rec

Yes.

But just the way the doctor uses that little hammer to make your knee jerk, we often react because some authority is telling us to react.

Consider some of your examples. President Bush made it sound as if Iraq was responsible for 9/11. It was President Obama that tried to use the Syrian chemical attack to attack Syria. It was the Netanyahu government that blamed the murder of three Israeli teens on Hamas to justify the attack on Gaza.

So I think the unjustified conclusions to which ppl often jump are provided by the powers that be, through the news media.

One big barrier to developing an accurate concept is that we don't always get all the important facts. Consider 9/11. The facts do not support the government's story about what happened: An airplane striking a building does not cause the building to come down 45 minutes later in a collapse that lasts 10 seconds from start to finish. What really did happen? I don't know; as far as I can tell, the facts are not available. But go to youtube and search "9/11 conspiracy theories" and you will see enough theories, many of them mutually incompatible, to keep you busy for a long time.

"It's not really clear what happened" is not a comfortable place to be. But often it's the only valid place to be.

Perhaps a citizen's job is to ask questions and point out problems with the stories toward which we are being led.

[geek tragedy]

15. Um, Maliki does need to go. Talk to anyone

who knows anything about that area and it was clear his policies and political strategy were what was making ISIS thrive.

He refuses to work with Sunnis and Kurds. That is simply untenable.

The Iranians, Kurds, Sunnis, and Americans all agree on that. That group never agrees on anything.

[Eleanors38]

20. Oh, I agree. But there are exceptions.

[Lurks Often]

22. If posters waited for facts here before posting.......oh wait, never going to happen

Believing the initial reports in a 24/7 news cycle, where the stations are eager to be the one with the breaking "news" because it boasts their ratings, which results in higher revenue, is a mistake.