I'm amazed at returning to find Political Cortex now a screamer site! No comment, it seems, is based on a sober appreciation of the failure of the voters to install honest legislators and executives. All the blame, it seems, must go to the prostitutes and not the johns.

We specialized humans have decided to buy our governance from the lowest bidder for our nodding assent to promises snicker-inducing in any reality but that of election campaigns.

But we're not evolved to handle the reflexiveness of the niche we've built. Darwin hasn't been around long enough, and we don't like him anyway, for pointing out we're not the crown of creation, but merely an over-adaptable self-obsessed twig on the evolutionary bush.

And bush was devolution, not easily overcome.

Now Political Cortex has been invaded by the noise machines, especially Skip MacLiar (whatever...)

Borrrrrrrrrring!

I'm amazed at returning to find Political Cortex now a screamer site! No comment, it seems, it based on a sober appreciate of the failure of the voters to install honest legislators and executives. All the blame, it seems, must go to the prostitutes and not the johns.

We specialized humans have decided to buy our governance from the lowest bidder for our nodding assent to promises snicker-inducing in any reality but that of election campaigns.

But we're not evolved to handle the reflexiveness of the niche we've built. Darwin hasn't been around long enough, and we don't like him anyway, for pointing out we're not the crown of creation, but merely an over-adaptable self-obsessed twig on the evolutionary bush.

And bush was devolution, not easily overcome.

Now Political Cortex has been invaded by the noise machines, especially Skip the Liar (whatever...)

Borrrrrrrrrring!

Based on falling congressional approval ratings, Republicans have been publicly implying that Americans don't like Congress since the Democrats gained control in January. In fact, congressional Republicans have far lower approval ratings than Democrats.

Given the recent polling data, Republicans should stop speciously pointing fingers and start asking: 1) why do most Americans view us negatively, and 2) what can we actually do to change that?

Last week's Gallup poll found that more American's trusted Democrats over Republicans to do a better overall job and to handle national security and prosperity. The new Washington Post/ABC poll results contain similarly bad news for Republicans.

A short time ago, I received an email from my friend Vonnie (as follows):

Hi Jason,

The following being friendly banter between my lobbyist pal, (who actually lobbies for AZ Governor), and myself. I am sure a sparring ring with the two of you would be fun to witness... I love to hear a good debate. Thought if someone put some heat under your ass you might snap out of your "funk" and start writing again. Hope you find your inspiration soon.
Vonnie

The letter written to Vonnie from the lobbyist (BRG) concerning my book (Propaganda 101: Mastery of the Dark Arts) is below.  My comments pertaining to each paragraph are identified with my intitials (JDG).  

No, not from bin Laden, from Republicans who will inevitably politicize Osama's message to perpetuate the lie that members of the American anti-war majority are terrorist-coddling appeasers.

"Oh!" they'll whine, "See what the 'blame-America-first' crowd is doing. They're coddling the enemy. They're providing loving, nurturing support for the terrorists. It's time they shut their mouths and support our president. There's no room for political dissent in America anymore."

Inevitably, they'll quote bin Laden:

...I plan to speak about the repeated errors your President Bush has committed in comments on the results of your polls that show an overwhelming majority of you want the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. But he (Bush) has opposed this wish and said that withdrawing troops sends the wrong message to opponents...

"Doesn't get any clearer than that!"

Already the stream of debris is flowing. Here's a tiny sampling:

We need to ask ourselves one essential question.  Are we really living in a Democracy that is deserving of that noble title?  

When machines are devised by corporations and used by our government that can be purposefully hacked without a trace to alter the Democratic process, are we living in a true Democracy?  The Diebold Corporation doesn't make mistakes like that by accident.  Let us not forget that they are the ones who make the ATM machines that you get your pocket money out of.  Can you imagine?

When your President begins a campaign of torture against his enemies, is he living by the principles set forth by our Founding Fathers?  You can sugar coat this one as much as you like, but the Vietnamese torturing our boys in Vietnam was wrong - even in war.  Just like it was wrong for our government to authorize and implement these evil tactics in this pseudo-war.

This and other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle

In an in-depth investigation by Andrew Buncombe this weekend, a link was discovered between the Lincoln Group and the intense propaganda smear campaign that sunk John Kerry's bid for presidential election.  

President Bush has admitted to authorizing the NSA to spy on American citizens.  But many are asking why.  He already had powers to run emergency wire taps for a period of 72 hours before getting secret court authority.

Jason Galde explains why at Mind Your Noodle

This and other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle

On Monday, December 5th, 2005 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave a speech at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Studies.

The goal of this speech was rather direct, especially for Rumsfeld, who often requires an interpreter so that the rest of us can understand what he's really saying most of the time.  Rumsfeld broke from character a little to ensure the public that things in Iraq are going great, despite the negative poll numbers caused by all the "pessimistic... elites in our country."

Have you ever wondered why the word 'liberal' has developed into a naughty word these days?  Find out why at "Training the Beast" by Jason Galde.

This and other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle

George Bush gave a speech yesterday at the Park Hyatt in Pennsylvania, as part of his four part series designed to muster support for his failures in Iraq.  It was smart, well written (by someone clever) and far more subtle and persuasive than any of his previous attempts.  He gets two propaganda thumbs up for this masterpiece.

Now let us dissect some of it, in order to understand a few of the techniques he utilized to mold our minds into something that he can be proud to call his own...

Take a look at how Rumsfeld uses statistical propaganda to twist the truth.  In an essay entitled "We Can See Clearly Now", essential spin techniques are broken down so that you can understand the dynamics of Rumsfeld's unique choice of language.

www.MindYourNoodle.com

i posted the picture below on my blog on thursday following bush's victory in iraq speech... the title of the post was "a grand photo of a small man with a small plan..."

today, in the wapo, i happened across an article by phillip kennicott with the title, "finding an angle in every shot," that uses the following photo of the same man in the same setting with a very, very different message...