[Marxism] Left Hook Updated

["M. Junaid Alam" <mjunaidalam@xxxxxxxxxx>]

<>Left Hook

www.lefthook.org

Latest Release: Saturday, October 30, 2004

Interview with Mickey Z., Author of Seven Deadly Spins

| M. Junaid Alam with Mickey Z. |

*MJA: *In your book you take apart seven major lies and rationalizations
employed by the media and government to maintain support for the wars
America wages. But before asking about some of those seven spins, I
wanted to talk about a point in your Introduction, where you note that
"we must not be lulled into believing that merely presenting the facts
is enough to change both people's minds and U.S. policy," and that there
is another important question we must confront: "does the public really
want to know the truth behind the spins"? What's your own answer to that
question for the present period? What do you think the anti-war movement
can or must do to cultivate an atmosphere in which people will be more
open to our criticisms, concepts, and ideas, apart from exposing pro-war
spin?

*MZ: *The public, it seems, wants to write a check to some charity, buy
a "Free Tibet" t-shirt, or run in a 5K race to raise money for some
useless research...and feel really good about how much they care. It's
no fun to discover what's really going on and I'd imagine most Americans
will avoid it at any cost. However, I also believe that putting it in
their face and making it difficult to avoid awareness of the death and
destruction they are funding and supporting with their tax dollars and
voting choices is something we all must do...because once the truth is
known, I think the public will want to change things. They will do
everything in their power to avoid the truth but, when confronted with
reality, many of them will demand change...

- (Read full) <http://lefthook.org/Reviews/AlamZ102904.html>

The Magic 8-Ball: Dumbing Down of Political Discourse in America

| Morgan Southwood |

It has occurred to me, while watching President Bush give a statement to
the press on television the other day, that the man is a sort of human
Magic 8-Ball. You're probably familiar with these Magic 8-Balls. Sold at
toy and novelty shops, you proffer the 8-Ball a question ("Does
so-and-so have a crush on me?" for instance), then shake the Ball and
flip it over, where one of half-a-dozen answers appears on the bottom.
You can't guess with absolute certainty what answer the 8-Ball is going
to give you, but you know damn well that it's going to be one of those
half-a-dozen possibilities.

Well, President Bush is just like our good friend the Magic 8-Ball. Put
the man before a camera and ask him a question of any sociopolitical
relevance whatsoever, and you can bet your sweet ass that you're going
to get one of perhaps fewer than a dozen possible answers.

- (Read full) <http://lefthook.org/Culture/Southwood102904.html>

Review of Seven Deadly Spins: Exposing The Lies Behind War Propaganda

| M. Junaid Alam |

The overwhelming propaganda barrage to bolster America's latest
civilizing mission can take quite a toll on even the staunchest radical.
It's no easy task to filter out all the fabrications and distortions,
rhetorical tricks and historical myths, used to deceive and coax the
people into supporting war. Even if you stand against it, sorting out
and understanding exactly how the war is being peddled can be
cumbersome. Enter /Seven Deadly Spins: Exposing The Lies Behind War
Propaganda/, authored by Mickey Z. Identifying seven major themes of
pro-war propaganda, Seven Deadly Spins concisely and effectively targets
and destroys each and every one with well-presented examples and
evidence drawn from our own history.

- (Read full) <http://lefthook.org/Reviews/Alam102904.html>

Progressive as Pawns: Cannon Fodder for Kerry's War on Nader

| Stephen Conn |

The progressives and peace activists who are helping to stop Ralph Nader
and Peter Miguel Camejo don't realize it but they are being used by
people who represent the corporate interests, especially the
military-industrial complex, of the two major parties.

After months of fund raising, research and development of a detailed
attack plan, anti-Nader Democrats hatched a much publicized two pronged
attack on the Nader campaign in meetings with party leaders from
Washington, New Mexico and elsewhere during the Democratic Convention
(David Postman, "Nader foes seek funding from Democratic donors,"
Seattle Times. July 28, 2004).

The first prong was a nationwide preemptive attack on voters who might
choose Nader. The Democratic Party would field law firms to challenge
Nader's access to state ballots with ubiquitous law suits to deplete his
resources and limit his candidacy. Nader's grassroots campaign would be
sued to death. The second prong was a campaign to insinuate and
perpetuate a lie found effective by polling and focus groups, that Ralph
Nader was a tool of right wing Republicans.

- (Read full) <http://lefthook.org/Politics/Conn102904.html>



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