THEATER OF THE
TREACHEROUSLY ABSURD

Most Americans are beginning to see through the theatrical fakery and contrivances of Karl Rove and his huge public relations machine, the media. Once known as the guardian of our liberty, because the 1st Amendment demanded "freedom of the press," it became part of Rove's hoodwinking of America.

A few began to notice it way back in the Primaries for the 2000 election. It became apparent that the Republicans were marketing a pig in a poke. The tip off was the way the media provided cover for a candidate that quite obviously could not speak his mother tongue.

Sure, we could laugh it off. Anyone's tongue can slip so a sentence can come out with garbled words. And it was amusing in a way to hear new words come into the English language like "misunderestimate."

Then the PR press kicked in and the candidate's words were "cleaned up" as reporters gave us a false picture, making this candidate sound erudite and humble and "compassionate."

Soon the crocodile beneath the lamb's skin became apparent when it savaged John McCain. Then we experienced it fully during the election when some citizens of Florida were denied their right to vote; when the Florida Supreme Court was denied its right to adjudicate.

So we got the hammer down on us from the Feds via the Supreme Court and a pig in a poke took over the Oval Office. Then we got caught dumb, naked and defenseless on 9/11 because the pig scrapped the anti-terrorists safeguards put in place by former President Clinton.

Then with lies about fighting a war against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, we got to watch our sons, daughters and resources bloodied on the sands of Iraq. Here are just a few of the carefully contrived pictures and carefully scripted words that disguised the pig and fooled so many. Most of them will be seen in campaign ads from now until November.

* The head of the pig photographed with the presidential sculptures of Mount Rushmore that suggests he is one of the "great" presidents.

* The head of the pig photographed against the Great Seal of the United States so it appears as if he has a halo, likening him to Saint George.

* The pig with a bullhorn, armed draped around the neck of a courageous fireman. Carefully scripted dialog appeared to put extemporaneous words of courage into his mouth but the whole scene was a choreographed setup.

* The pig landing on an aircraft carrier declaring victory. It subsequently turned sour because all the blunders in Iraq came home to roost and we learned that the war was really just beginning.

* The pig appearing with a turkey in Iraq photo op which suggested that all the troops were included in this Thanksgiving feast while in reality, only a few did.

* And just this week, the so obviously staged smirk fest between the pig and Britain's Tony Blair. An added attraction was a note -- soon to appear in a campaign ad near you. If the pig had actually thought and written the phrase himself, it would have been, "let freedom rain."

It is no accident that we are not shown other images of the pig such as the 7 minutes on when planes were crashing into the World Trade Center where he looked like a scared rabbit. He chose not to do his duty and face the facts. Instead, he stayed in the classroom and avoided the reality he had caused.

Fortunately, that picture and others may be seen thanks to Michael Moore and his documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11. Moore has peeled the poke off piece by piece and exposed the pig within.

"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. -- Edmund Burke!

twanda@sover.net

2004-027

Copyright 2004 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@sover.net.