The River

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

GWOT the hell were you thinking?

NPR was full of casual racism today.

It’s the blindness of the tribe.

First, I noticed it in a reporter talking about the fact that they are now saying the London bombers were of Pakistani origin living in Britain. He said they grew up in England, went to local schools, etc., just like the British do. He said this as if it were incredible, with the underlying assumption being that they actually couldn’t be British, because they aren’t white and because they pulled a terrorist bombing. As if an unprovoked attack on a foreign country killing thousands of civillians isn't an example of terrorism.

Later, another report mentioned that Britains need to be vigilant about extremism, which was implied only to exist in Muslims. As if an unprovoked attack on a foreign country isn’t an example of extremism.

But then questioning assumptions you are constantly fed is the one thing you are never supposed to do, especially if you want to work in the corporate media.

If you did that, you might not find it so incredible that white-skinned, socially accepted people within the U.S. would plan and execute a terrorist attack on their own country in order to begin a war with the Middle East.

UPDATE: The Happy Tutor points to The Third Wave, a tale of an experiment in fascist groupthink conducted by a high school teacher more than 30 years ago.

"You thought that you were the elect. That you were better than those outside this room. You bargained your freedom for the comfort of discipline and superiority. You chose to accept that group's will and the big lie over your own conviction."

(you didn't notice that the corporate media constantly reinforces the big lie...)

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