Inside the Book

62 The Sixth Commandment

After the Gulf War, Iraq was subjected to some of the harshest sanctions ever imposed upon a nation. The UN deployed inspectors to conduct a search for weapons of mass destruction. This search lasted more than six years. The UN was also to provide stability to Iraq, but because of the lack of funding, resources and ever-political posturing by Saddam Hussein, this became a daunting task. Containment consisted of a “No-Fly Zone.” This allowed the Allies to fly warplanes over northern and southern Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from using his military. Eventually, the No-Fly Zones became a means for the Allies to force Iraq to comply with UN demands.2 Comprehensive economic sanctions would devastate an already fragile war-torn country. Iraq was plunged into dire poverty as a result.

Economic Sanctions against Iraq

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.”

Elie Wiesel

The UN reported that a battered and beaten Iraq was facing a crisis. UNICEF witnessed 200 children dying a day.3 Lack of food, water, sanitation, and health care threatened the country. Medical conditions broke down due to the shortage of clean water, waste disposal facilities, preventive medicine, and health-care services. The lack of electricity and poor transportation only exacerbated the situation. According to United Nations reports, Iraq was in a state of “imminent catastrophe” and the UN predicted epidemics and famine if massive life-support needs were not swiftly met.4 From 1991 through 2002, an estimated 500,000 Iraqi children under the age of five died as a result of the first Gulf War and the impact of the sanctions. This number is close to three times as many deaths as those caused by the U.S. atomic bombs dropped on Japan.5 By 1999, 13 percent of all Iraqi children were dying before their fifth birthday as an indirect result of contaminated water.6 The United States anticipated the collapse of the Iraqi water system early on. The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency projected in January of 1991 that under the embargo, Iraq’s ability to provide clean drinking water would fail within six months.7 Chemicals for water treatment, the agency noted, were “depleted or nearing depletion.” Chlorine...

89 Neo Caustic

Project for a New American Century

Disenchanted with how the first war on Iraq ended in 1992, a group of Neoconservative warhawks started an organization called a Project for a New American Century (PNAC), a spin-off from AEI and housed in the same building. Officially convened in 1997, PNAC is one of five Neoconservative think tanks that received close to a billion dollars in support from its inception in 1997 to 2003.85 PNAC provided the U.S. with a grand strategy for a new world order of American hegemony and a blueprint for world domination. Some direct quotes from their doctrine:

• “The United States has for decades sought to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial

American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein.”86

• “...blueprint for maintaining global U.S. pre-eminence, precluding the rise of a great power rival, and shaping the international security order in line with American principles and interests.”87

• “American grand strategy” must be advanced “as far into the future as possible.”

• The U.S. must “fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous, major theatre wars” as a “core mission.”88

• American armed forces abroad should act as “the cavalry on the new American frontier.”89

• The U.S. must “discourage advanced industrial nations from challenging our leadership or even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.”90

• Iraq, Iran, Syria, and North Korea could potentially be threatening to the U.S.91

• Preventive wars against these nations are recommended.92

Neocon Warhawks Beat their Drums

“This is garbage from right-wing think tanks stuffed with chicken-hawks—men who have never seen the horror of war but are in love with the idea of war. Men like Cheney, who were draft-dodgers in the Vietnam War.”

Tam Dalyell, The British House of Commons

264 Push, Push Back: Distraction, Division and Polarization

The Turd Blossom Factor

George W. Bush’s nickname for Karl Rove is the “Turd Blossom.” A turd blossom is a Texan term for a flower that grows out from under a pile of cow dung.32 This is most interesting. I would ask you to pause for a moment and ask yourself what would cause your boss to give you such a nickname. Karl Rove is a college dropout and a political consultant who is frequently referred to as Bush’s brain and the architect behind his political wins. Rove has a long history of employing dirty politics and has freely admitted to engaging in foul tactics. He once used a false identity in 1970 to get into the office of Illinois Democrat Alan Dixon. Dixon was running for state treasurer. Rove stole Mr. Dixon’s letterhead stationery and sent out 1,000 bogus invitations to the opening of the candidate’s headquarters promising “free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing.”33 Rove laughs at this early account. However, with time and experience, Rove’s tactics have grown in malice and intensity. Rove’s alleged use of “whisper campaigns” against his opponents has proven to be highly damaging. A whisper campaign is a covert method of influencing voters by initiating false and extremely damaging rumors or innuendo about the opposing candidate. The initiator of the rumors works anonymously while still spreading the innuendo. It is a exceptionally unscrupulous practice. There are more than fifty allegations against Karl Rove, the Turd Blossom. These allegations represent unethical, corrupt and disgusting tactics used by Rove against his opponents.

Here are a few examples:

According to Marissa, a hair stylist and former Texan, Karl Rove was well known in Texas for taking his opponents’ best attributes and turning them against them with “mean-spirited” and “hateful rumors.” Marissa said with the George W. Bush versus Ann Richards 1994 gubernatorial race in mind, “Everyone knew Ann Richards was a tolerant person, so when George W. Bush was down in the polls, Rove started a false lesbian rumor. “In the race for governor against Ann Richards, Rove was accused of using pollsters to call voters to ask if they would be ‘more or less likely to vote for Governor Richards if they knew her staff was dominated by lesbians.’” During the race, a regional chairman of the Bush campaign was quoted criticizing Richards for “appointing avowed homosexual activists” to state jobs.34 Only circumstantial evidence would link Rove to these tactics. They were designed to destroy Richards’ creditability. And this rumor worked well, especially in a place as conservative as Texas.” Marissa said, “We just watched as Governor Richards kept drop-…

382 When Watchdogs Become Lap Dogs

Until 1996, the U.S. government provided safeguards against the formation of media monopolies. In fact, the Supreme Court ruled in 1945 that any media mergers narrowing the dissemination of information were unconstitutional.

A change demanded by a Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton deregulated the media industry in 1996. It was supposed to result in more media options for the American public but instead what the U.S. witnessed was the beginning of mass media mergers and consolidations. With the 2001 arrival of George W. Bush and his appointees to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began the largest erosion of free speech in the U.S. media ever observed. The Bush appointed FCC has shown its contempt for the American public. The FCC continually sides with the industry it is supposed to be regulating and providing oversight upon. In 2003, FCC Chairman Michael Powell (son of former Secretary of State Colin Powell) approved a proposal to further deregulate the telecommunications industry, giving the media greater opportunities for additional consolidation. The proposal was blocked only because of the incredible public outcry of three million consumers who disagreed with the ruling. This public response did not change the initial vote by the FCC. Rather, it influenced Congress, who ultimately stopped the FCC proposal.1

A whole host of rule changes by the FCC has resulted in public fury and bipartisan congressional battles. The congressional debate related to media ownership in 2004 amended the frequency of periodic ownership reviews from once every two years to once every four years. Some FCC changes have been legally overturned, but only because of public awareness and demand from Congress to intervene on behalf of the American people.

Lap Dog Number Two:

The Media, Television and Radio Monopolies

There is a media monopoly in America. I was shocked when I saw the statistics. I doubted them. Most Americans do not realize that five corporations own 80 percent of the media in America according to a documentary entitled Independent Intervention.2 The chart below shows the top five corporations and illustrates the percentage of American media outlets owned by each. These top five are: News Corporation (Fox News); Viacom (CBS); General Electric (NBC); Walt Disney (ABC); and Tribune. Three corporations own 74 percent of all radio stations in the U.S. Eight others share the remaining 26 percent of the radio stations…



	Inside the Book 62 The Sixth Commandment After the Gulf War, Iraq was subjected to some of the harshest sanctions ever imposed upon a nation. The UN deployed inspectors to conduct a search for weapons of mass destruction. This search lasted more than six years. The UN was also to provide stability to Iraq, but because of the lack of funding, resources and ever-political posturing by Saddam Hussein, this became a daunting task. Containment consisted of a “No-Fly Zone.” This allowed the Allies to fly warplanes over northern and southern Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussein from using his military. Eventually, the No-Fly Zones became a means for the Allies to force Iraq to comply with UN demands.2 Comprehensive economic sanctions would devastate an already fragile war-torn country. Iraq was plunged into dire poverty as a result. Economic Sanctions against Iraq “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.” Elie Wiesel The UN reported that a battered and beaten Iraq was facing a crisis. UNICEF witnessed 200 children dying a day.3 Lack of food, water, sanitation, and health care threatened the country. Medical conditions broke down due to the shortage of clean water, waste disposal facilities, preventive medicine, and health-care services. The lack of electricity and poor transportation only exacerbated the situation. According to United Nations reports, Iraq was in a state of “imminent catastrophe” and the UN predicted epidemics and famine if massive life-support needs were not swiftly met.4 From 1991 through 2002, an estimated 500,000 Iraqi children under the age of five died as a result of the first Gulf War and the impact of the sanctions. This number is close to three times as many deaths as those caused by the U.S. atomic bombs dropped on Japan.5 By 1999, 13 percent of all Iraqi children were dying before their fifth birthday as an indirect result of contaminated water.6 The United States anticipated the collapse of the Iraqi water system early on. The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency projected in January of 1991 that under the embargo, Iraq’s ability to provide clean drinking water would fail within six months.7 Chemicals for water treatment, the agency noted, were “depleted or nearing depletion.” Chlorine... 89 Neo Caustic Project for a New American Century Disenchanted with how the first war on Iraq ended in 1992, a group of Neoconservative warhawks started an organization called a Project for a New American Century (PNAC), a spin-off from AEI and housed in the same building. Officially convened in 1997, PNAC is one of five Neoconservative think tanks that received close to a billion dollars in support from its inception in 1997 to 2003.85 PNAC provided the U.S. with a grand strategy for a new world order of American hegemony and a blueprint for world domination. Some direct quotes from their doctrine: • “The United States has for decades sought to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein.”86 • “...blueprint for maintaining global U.S. pre-eminence, precluding the rise of a great power rival, and shaping the international security order in line with American principles and interests.”87 • “American grand strategy” must be advanced “as far into the future as possible.” • The U.S. must “fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous, major theatre wars” as a “core mission.”88 • American armed forces abroad should act as “the cavalry on the new American frontier.”89 • The U.S. must “discourage advanced industrial nations from challenging our leadership or even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.”90 • Iraq, Iran, Syria, and North Korea could potentially be threatening to the U.S.91 • Preventive wars against these nations are recommended.92 Neocon Warhawks Beat their Drums “This is garbage from right-wing think tanks stuffed with chicken-hawks—men who have never seen the horror of war but are in love with the idea of war. Men like Cheney, who were draft-dodgers in the Vietnam War.” Tam Dalyell, The British House of Commons 264 Push, Push Back: Distraction, Division and Polarization The Turd Blossom Factor George W. Bush’s nickname for Karl Rove is the “Turd Blossom.” A turd blossom is a Texan term for a flower that grows out from under a pile of cow dung.32 This is most interesting. I would ask you to pause for a moment and ask yourself what would cause your boss to give you such a nickname. Karl Rove is a college dropout and a political consultant who is frequently referred to as Bush’s brain and the architect behind his political wins. Rove has a long history of employing dirty politics and has freely admitted to engaging in foul tactics. He once used a false identity in 1970 to get into the office of Illinois Democrat Alan Dixon. Dixon was running for state treasurer. Rove stole Mr. Dixon’s letterhead stationery and sent out 1,000 bogus invitations to the opening of the candidate’s headquarters promising “free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing.”33 Rove laughs at this early account. However, with time and experience, Rove’s tactics have grown in malice and intensity. Rove’s alleged use of “whisper campaigns” against his opponents has proven to be highly damaging. A whisper campaign is a covert method of influencing voters by initiating false and extremely damaging rumors or innuendo about the opposing candidate. The initiator of the rumors works anonymously while still spreading the innuendo. It is a exceptionally unscrupulous practice. There are more than fifty allegations against Karl Rove, the Turd Blossom. These allegations represent unethical, corrupt and disgusting tactics used by Rove against his opponents. Here are a few examples: According to Marissa, a hair stylist and former Texan, Karl Rove was well known in Texas for taking his opponents’ best attributes and turning them against them with “mean-spirited” and “hateful rumors.” Marissa said with the George W. Bush versus Ann Richards 1994 gubernatorial race in mind, “Everyone knew Ann Richards was a tolerant person, so when George W. Bush was down in the polls, Rove started a false lesbian rumor. “In the race for governor against Ann Richards, Rove was accused of using pollsters to call voters to ask if they would be ‘more or less likely to vote for Governor Richards if they knew her staff was dominated by lesbians.’” During the race, a regional chairman of the Bush campaign was quoted criticizing Richards for “appointing avowed homosexual activists” to state jobs.34 Only circumstantial evidence would link Rove to these tactics. They were designed to destroy Richards’ creditability. And this rumor worked well, especially in a place as conservative as Texas.” Marissa said, “We just watched as Governor Richards kept drop-… 382 When Watchdogs Become Lap Dogs Until 1996, the U.S. government provided safeguards against the formation of media monopolies. In fact, the Supreme Court ruled in 1945 that any media mergers narrowing the dissemination of information were unconstitutional. A change demanded by a Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton deregulated the media industry in 1996. It was supposed to result in more media options for the American public but instead what the U.S. witnessed was the beginning of mass media mergers and consolidations. With the 2001 arrival of George W. Bush and his appointees to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began the largest erosion of free speech in the U.S. media ever observed. The Bush appointed FCC has shown its contempt for the American public. The FCC continually sides with the industry it is supposed to be regulating and providing oversight upon. In 2003, FCC Chairman Michael Powell (son of former Secretary of State Colin Powell) approved a proposal to further deregulate the telecommunications industry, giving the media greater opportunities for additional consolidation. The proposal was blocked only because of the incredible public outcry of three million consumers who disagreed with the ruling. This public response did not change the initial vote by the FCC. Rather, it influenced Congress, who ultimately stopped the FCC proposal.1 A whole host of rule changes by the FCC has resulted in public fury and bipartisan congressional battles. The congressional debate related to media ownership in 2004 amended the frequency of periodic ownership reviews from once every two years to once every four years. Some FCC changes have been legally overturned, but only because of public awareness and demand from Congress to intervene on behalf of the American people. Lap Dog Number Two: The Media, Television and Radio Monopolies There is a media monopoly in America. I was shocked when I saw the statistics. I doubted them. Most Americans do not realize that five corporations own 80 percent of the media in America according to a documentary entitled Independent Intervention.2 The chart below shows the top five corporations and illustrates the percentage of American media outlets owned by each. These top five are: News Corporation (Fox News); Viacom (CBS); General Electric (NBC); Walt Disney (ABC); and Tribune. Three corporations own 74 percent of all radio stations in the U.S. Eight others share the remaining 26 percent of the radio stations…
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