Iraqi Train Wreck
and American Imperialism
By Shaun Knapp

I am stunned at the gullibility of the American Populace. Good people, many of whom call themselves "conservative" are guilty of being duped by the massive propaganda machine that is the United States mainstream media.

In the mainstream we don't usually get the real facts, just the propaganda. Thank goodness for availability of alternative news reporting and information that can be had through other channels besides the main networks of "global socialist" infested media who 'lie in wait to decieve." Do you know anyone who lives abroad? Ask them about the disparity of reporting that is seen in Europe, Asia, or elsewhere on the Iraqi issue as opposed to what we see here in the US. A very distant relation of mine (through marriage) recently returned home after living abroad as a foreign diplomat. He was in Belgrade during our invasion of Iraq. Last spring he forwarded this observation of his friend Russ Baker, who is a journalist also living in Belgrade. Baker's column for The Nation observes:

Here in Belgrade, along just about every street, satellite dishes sprout. Many residents are watching and comparing American and British coverage of the Iraq war, as are untold millions around the world. And so am I. From my position, embedded in the Third Couch Division, I see news organizations placing themselves on a spectrum of objectivity, from a great deal to absolutely none at all."

Click. BBC: "Shells are falling within two kilometers of a port where ships arrived with humanitarian aid...the port was believed secure."... "[Citizens of Basra] are not really welcoming them. They're more weary than anything. [Coalition troops] are still men with guns in a foreign country." Click. Fox News: "What should people be thinking about as we head into the weekend?" the anchor asks a Fox military consultant, who replies: "That, aside from what the media says, the American people--people in the heartland--support our troops--except for a few nuts." Anchor (laughing in agreement): "Thanks. Always a pleasure to talk to you."

In general, for the Brits, war coverage offers an opportunity to corral facts and to ask tough questions about hugely consequential events. For the Americans, it is a chance to present an "exciting" story within narrow limits. Compared with the BBC's studied neutrality, Fox (broadcasting globally its original stateside programming, complete with Brit Hume, Mort Kondracke et al.) comes across as a kind of Gong Show of propaganda. The result is a myopic vision of war that proves alternatively nerve-racking, boring or uplifting, but in the aggregate effectively sanitizes events and numbs the audience. Watching Fox, Serbs see a striking similarity to something in their own recent past: "Why, it's just like TV here under Milosevic!"

Baker goes on in splendid detail comparing the coverage that can be had on European networks as opposed to that found on American networks. Is there any reason to doubt that Europe was against the war in strong numbers, yet the United states was not? Most American's would attribute this to the Europeans being stupid--we've heard plenty about "freedom fries." (You tell me who's stupid?) Many believe that other nations and peoples just don't have the "enlightenment" that we do here in the grand old US of A. Those of you who profess belief in the Book of Mormon (given the demographics of this campus I think I'll go ahead and quote a passage) remember how prophesy fortells the state of our nation at some point in our future :

Do we seriously question whether or not this passage could speak of our time? Is there any doubt that we are lifted up in the pride of our hearts above all nations? We scorn those who don't "stand with us" and if they seem to differ in their perspective on war than us we condemn saying: "they are against us." Well, the world was against us in our Invasion of Iraq. Even European governments who supported us had populaces who by majority did not. I had to look to Al-Jazeera to get information on the political rift in Spain against it's Prime Minister who many in his government claimed violated Spanish Law in supporting the Allied invasion. It seems that Tony Blair is not the only European Prime minister paying a high price for unifying himself with the US.

I believe that God is inspiring technology such as the interenet for the benefit of mankind. One great beneficial effect this advancement gives us lies in the area of news transfer, the ability for one to go on-line and find trusted sources of truth that have not been filtered and edited by corrupt and elite decievers. It's true that many try to discredit the internet and cast "suspicion" on anything that is found thereon as being lacking in credibility. That is a fool argument. Everything that can be had in print is almost always available in it's digital form on-line. Because one accesses information via the interenet in a digital form does not somehow make it "less credible" than it would be if it were printed on paper. Truth is truth and lies are lies, irregardless of where they are found. When people look on-line for information they have a powerhouse at thier disposal. Certainly there is much sifting and sorting out that must occur, however some in power don't want you and me to have that option, a choice as to what we read.

The advent of more media outlets is stiffling the Global Elitists and helps truth get out about their dirty villainy and intentions. Their hidden works of darkness are are increasingly coming to light. This being the case however does not seem to help the majority who are beholden to their nightly news anchors to whom they look as austere objective truth tellers.

The renouned J. Reuben Clark Jr., whom the BYU school of law is named after, knew well what was going on. He saw threats to freedom in his time which remain with us today. He also was privy to the falseness of the wars we go forth to fight in patriotic fervor. In 1916 J. Reuben Clark was offered one of the best positions that any lawyer could dream of by Willard Strait, one of the most wealthy men in the country at the time. I will quote some from author W.Cleon Skousen who enlightens us as to the story.

Skousen tells us that Willard Strait was "one of the J. P. Morgan people." J. Reuben Clark accepted this prestigeous position as lawyer and partner in the New York based law firm who's client, Strait told him, was "The American International Corporation, the first international conglomerate of industrial power that was ever organized in the United States." It was big. Clark learned much from his years working as lawyer for that conglomerate, a conglomerate which he later learned was corrupt, having planned the US involvement into WWI. Once accomplished, they (the Financiers, Bankers, and Big Corporations of the "conglomerate") reaped a windfall of profits as they had monopolized whole industries prior to the war and thus profited immensely in this international blood bath, wherein was sacrificed thousands of men in needless and useless conflict. Clark only began to awaken to the wicked deeds of those who employed him in 1923, after the war was well over. He then began to agitate them about things, resulting in his being fired. Skousen continues with the story.

Clark knew much from being an international and renowned lawyer who was employed by the heaviest consort of "Iternatianlists" of his day. Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox said of him:

His career continued on as Undersecretary of State in the Coolidge administration and later he served as Ambassador to Mexico. Back in his day he stated: "We are in the midst of the greatest exhibition of propaganda that the world has ever seen."

Ezra Taft Benson, President Eisenhower's Secretary of Agriculture, restated on numerous occasions this bold declaration of fact, that we are indeed "currently undergoing the greatest propaganda campaign of all time." I submit that propaganda has only intensified in our day, and is more sophisticated than ever.

So, thus far I've decried the falseness of the big media and what I consider to be an organized network of propagandists. I've cited one amazing man whom I like to study. I realize he knew much more of what was going on in this country and continues to go on in the same manner than most people would dare to dream about. Clark knew propaganda, he was well aware of it's influence in bringing us into war after war. What does that have to do with Iraq? Much. Fortunately there are some little bits of truth that can be found on TV here and there, even American Television.

John Mclaughlin on his "The Mclaughlin Group" PBS show (recorded and aired Friday, Sept. 5, 2003) quoted the former US head of the Central Command in the Middle East on the Iraq issue. Zinni endorsed Bush in 2000. General Anthony Zinni said:

A repeat of Vietnam? Who is this guy? A left wing liberal? Draft Dodger? No! Again, he's a Retired Marine General, the predecessor to General Tommy Franks who now has the task to help defend actions resulting in the train wreck that was engineered by the Bush Administration in Iraq. It's unbeleivable to me that the majority of the people of this nation continually follow the call of "all aboard," as they load up at yet another stop on the Bush Foreign Policy train of doom. This last stop called for us to load up our even more of our children's future prosperity and ship it off to the tune of $87 Billion. That will not be near enough, as government spending always grows, as do lucritive deals for Halliburton.

The Foreign Policy Train has veared off course and now travels out of control in the opposite direction that it was headed at the nations founding. The Nations first President plead in his farewell address that we would steer clear of foreign entaglements and alliances. Propaganda has convinced American's that the ideals of Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Monroe are outmoded and not possibly applicable in today's "complex political world" where terrorism runs wild. I say BULL!

Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations just recently said this:

John Mclaughlin quotes military analyst Anthony Cordesman:

After quoting this startling statement, Mr. Mclaughlin asks his first TV show panelist Pat Buchanan:

Question: What does Cordesman mean when he says, in effect, that it is a long shot that the
U.S. can win an asymmetric war? What is asymmetric about it, Pat Buchanan?

MR. BUCHANAN: Well, what is asymmetric about it, John, it's what's called fourth-generation
warfare, where you go back, in effect, to one-on-one warfare, the pre-mechanized warfare, pre-
cavalry units and all that. And that's a theory of warfare, which is exactly what we face there. I
think Cordesman is right.

But John, the key thing is, the president, I believe, has made a decision. When he goes back to
the U.N., it is a humiliation, it is a climb down, it is the beginning of a retreat. But what George
Bush is saying, in effect: "I'm not going to fight a third Gulf War, guerrilla terrorist war, to pacify
and democratize Iraq."

I think we are seeing the beginning of the retreat of American empire from Mesopotamia. I
think he's going to turn over -- it over politically to the U.N. Militarily, we will control it until we
can turn it over to the Iraqis and foreign troops. The United States is beginning its pullout from
Iraq.

I hope it's true. I hope we get this train wreck behind us and move foreward, perhaps maybe even with the masses recognizing the need to return to implementation on the Monroe Doctrine. Sinking endless billions more into a military occupation does not seem to be the answer. I hope the President realizes the massive mistake that was the Invasion of Iraq and, as Mr. Buchanan predicts, truly begins to put in motion the end of our military involvement in that region. Send those troops home. If, however, we stay and begin a "war against the Iraqi people" who for the most part view us as "occupiers" and "infidels," then we may enter an Apocalyptic mode, standing guilty before a just God who holds nations accountable for their evil deeds. If that happens, the propaganda and sweet sounding news bites from sincere looking polititians professing interest in establishing "democracy" will turn as foul and false in our eyes than any ever Vietnam did.

Note: The preceeding column has not been screened or approved of by the Department of Homeland Security.