Category Archives: Propaganda

Update II: Swine Flu "Patient Zero" (The Swines Are AWOL)

Constitution, Drug War, Government, Healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Homeland Security, IMMIGRATION, Propaganda, War on Drugs

By the dictionary’s telling, epidemiology is “the branch of medicine that deals with the study of the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations.” During an outbreak, that necessitates tracing “Patient Zero,” the “single individual who bears the unknowing responsibility for having introduced the disease” to a certain population.

The AIDS outbreak in North American, as documented in the late Randy Shilts’ And the Band Played On, was traced to Gaetan Dugas, a dashing, promiscuous Canadian flight attendant. Dugas had had approximately 1000 sexual partners.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have posted a preliminary update as to the status of the investigation into “Human Swine Influenza.”

We are assured that, “Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with similar swine influenza viruses.”

Will the Gaetan Dugas of the Mexican swine flu outbreak be identified to the public? Somehow I doubt it.

Just the other day, passive American tokers and dopers were blamed for the fact that Mexican murderers were killing one another over drugs. Like Bush before him, Barack and Madam Hildebeest, will find a way to saddle the US for the spread of another disease.

Updated I (April 26): The Swines Are AWOL. I said it in my latest column, “To Bug Or Not To Bug Abu Zubaydah’s Cage.” You can trust the government’s untrustworthiness–always. Whether the enemy is a human or a viral invader, “America’s deracinated elites [will never fail] to elevate the interests of the enemy above those of the people.”

We accuse China of not looking out for its people, but as Drudge reports, “in Hong Kong, health officials said checks at border crossings had been stepped up and that airlines had been asked to broadcast messages on all flights coming direct from affected areas.”

“In Japan, airports tightened checks on passengers arriving from Mexico, with quarantine officials giving out face masks and using thermography imaging cameras to screen for passengers with a fever.”

Bloomberg: “Russia suspended imports of all meat from Mexico and the U.S. states of Texas, California and Kansas.”

Reuters: Even Guatemalan mask-wearing health officials “interview passengers arriving from Mexico.”

Drum Roll: “US says not testing travelers from Mexico for flu.”

Enforcing the borders and preventing a foreign invasion is perfectly within the purview of the “night-watchman state of classical-liberal theory,” in the words of the late philosopher, Robert Nozick.

Constitutionally, that is the most basic role of government.

Updated: CNN On Tea Protest: ‘Not Really Family Viewing’

Journalism, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Liberty, Media, Propaganda, Race, Taxation

How far has the level of “news” fallen when a reporter doesn’t know that her role is to report, not editorialize.

The following is an irate display of ignorance and arrogance by a CNN anchor (via Glenn Beck). Following a rude “exchange”–it was certainly not an interview–with a clean-cut patriot carrying a toddler, who addressed the vile woman respectfully as “Ma’am,” Madam resorted to this rant:

“I think you get the general tenor of this. It’s anti-government, anti-CNN, since this is highly promoted by the rightwing conservative network Fox. And since I can’t really hear much more and I think this is not really family viewing, toss it back to you.”

Note the tone “Susan Roesgen” adopts; it drips contempt. Roesgen ought to be fired, simply because this is not journalism; it’s activism.

Update I (April 18): CNN defended Roesgen: “She was doing her job, and called it like she saw it.” From oral-sex jokes to red neck and racist insults: there has been not a vestige of honest reporting about tea party protests from mainstream malpractitioners.

Updated: CNN On Tea Protest: 'Not Really Family Viewing'

Journalism, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Liberty, Media, Propaganda, Race, Taxation

How far has the level of “news” fallen when a reporter doesn’t know that her role is to report, not editorialize.

The following is an irate display of ignorance and arrogance by a CNN anchor (via Glenn Beck). Following a rude “exchange”–it was certainly not an interview–with a clean-cut patriot carrying a toddler, who addressed the vile woman respectfully as “Ma’am,” Madam resorted to this rant:

“I think you get the general tenor of this. It’s anti-government, anti-CNN, since this is highly promoted by the rightwing conservative network Fox. And since I can’t really hear much more and I think this is not really family viewing, toss it back to you.”

Note the tone “Susan Roesgen” adopts; it drips contempt. Roesgen ought to be fired, simply because this is not journalism; it’s activism.

Update I (April 18): CNN defended Roesgen: “She was doing her job, and called it like she saw it.” From oral-sex jokes to red neck and racist insults: there has been not a vestige of honest reporting about tea party protests from mainstream malpractitioners.

Top House Democrat Dumbfounded By Report On ‘Right-Wing Extremism’

Fascism, Homeland Security, Intelligence, Military, Propaganda, Terrorism

By now most of you will have heard that, as the Washington Times divulged, the Department of Homeland Security, headed by Janet Napolitano, “issued April 7 a nine-page document titled ‘Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment.'”

Rightwing extremism,” the report said in a footnote on Page 2, goes beyond religious and racial hate groups and extends to “those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely.”

“It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” said the report, which also listed gun owners and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as potential risks.

To one Democrat’s credit, he protested. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top House Democrat with oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, demanded that “Homeland Security officials explain how and why they wrote the report and whether it poses any threat to civil liberties.”

“As I am certain you agree, freedom of association and freedom of speech are guaranteed to all Americans – whether a person’s beliefs, whatever their political orientation, are ‘extremist’ or not,” Mr. Thompson said.

Everyone is up in arms about the libel this is to army men. What about to immigration patriots? Second Amendment defenders? Limited government crusaders? Tax protesters?

Every time, someone cries “the children; we’re saddling our children with debt, ” I cringe. F-ck the children. What about We the Workings Stiffs? I’m beginning to feel the same about “our men and women in the military” mantra. The military is not more deserving than the rest of us.

One more thing: The report was commissioned during the administration of President George W. Bush and completed by his worthy successor.