In the orchestrated prelude to the war in Iraq, here are some of the statements that were made as part of the misinformation campaign by the current Administration.
Dick Cheney, Aug 2002: “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.”
George Bush, Sept 2002: “The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given. . . . This regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material could build one within a year.”
George Bush, Jan 2003: “The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”
George Bush, May 2003 (in an interview given to Polish TV): “We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories.”
George Bush, March 2008: “Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision–––and this is a fight America can and must win. Defeating this enemy in Iraq will make it less likely we will face this enemy here at home.”
A similar misinformation campaign has been started on the economy by viewing it through ideologically tinted glasses.
George Bush, Jan 2008: “There is a lot of uncertainty in the economy. I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs . . . because we’re buying equipment, and people are working. I think this economy is down because we have built too many houses and the economy’s adjusting.”
George Bush, Feb 2008: “I don’t think we’re headed to a recession, but no question we’re in a slowdown. . . . I’m coming to you as an optimistic fellow,” Bush said as he joked his way through an address given to the country’s top bankers at the Economic Club of New York.
George Bush, March 2008: “One thing is for certain –– we’re in challenging times. But another thing is for certain –– that we’ve taken strong and decisive action. . . . Right now we’re dealing with a difficult situation.”
As the steady drumbeat of alarming economic news increases the possibility of global financial havoc, how much longer do we have to wait before the White House and its Panglossian Press Corps unleash the “War on Economy” on an unsuspecting public? At the very least, the President can claim that this war will “increase jobs and spending, and ensure that the markets are functioning efficiently and effectively.”
3 comments:
Only a fool will believe this administration anymore. And what about the economists, regulators..? There is so much of disinformation going around qualifying the current state of the economy. Is it really very bad?
There is a big difference between investing and gambling with investments. One would think that investing is putting money in an asset that yields revenue due to some value addition to the asset. This does not seem to be the case. Making money on investments is only based on what some other sucker will be willing to pay for it. All of us directly or indirectly play this game and then pay for it dearly by bailing out fallen causes. With so many seemingly knowledgeable people not able to solve this conundrum, what hope do we have? Is there a way to control greed?
For now, mock at the fraud perpetuated by this administration, gamble away and have a good time.
Amrit: You are right on about the regulations in the financial markets. Paul Krugman of the NY Times recently wrote that “we have refused to learn from history. What turned an ordinary recession into a civilization-threatening slump was not the stock market crash of 1929 but the wave of bank runs that swept across America in 1930 and 1931.”
Much like today’s unregulated financial markets which are headed towards a ‘meltdown.’
Other than Krugman, I haven’t heard anyone else "out the naked emperor" by stating that US economic policies are more a function of corporate greed than the interest of the vast majority of its citizens. Calling a skewed economic system of vast inequities a “free market” does not make it any less onerous.
One of the few people I know who sleeps well at night is my neighbor's father. That’s because he pulled his money out of the shadow banking system and became a “bister-may-rupeeya-babaji” (money-in-the-mattress-grandpa). Last time I spoke to him he told me "I sleep like a baby and my spondylitis is almost gone." I wish I had the "C" notes he does to make a firm mattress for myself.
I bet that neighbor of yours is the same Turkish neighbor you mentioned a few days ago, because Turkish people are well accustomed to (nowadays born with) economic instabilities. A study in an effort to correlate incidence of spondylitis and where your money resides seems to yield meaningful results.
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