One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It is simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been so credulous: Carl Sagan
There is no more dramatic evidence of Sagan's BAMBOOZLE EFFECT on America that what is happening right now in the Caucasus between The Republic of Georgia and Russia.
Here are the facts: It was started by a brazen assault and ethnic cleansing of Russian civilians in South Ossetia by American and Israeli trained and equipped Georgian troops ~ to which the Russians rightfully responded with lightning force.
Here is the Bamboozle: Russia preemptively attacked Georgia with the hope of restoring it to Soviet rule along with the risk of rekindling the Cold War. This is the Bush, Cheney, McCain and Rice line of neocon propaganda which the American Mainstream press has swallowed and supported hook, line and sinker.
But all of Europe as well as the mainstream internet alternative free press, including myself, have uncovered the truth ~ a truth that the majority of Americans still find too painful to acknowledge. That truth is that Cheney and Bush are open liars and hypocrites and will say and do anything to protect their global empire neocon agenda ~ and that includes knowingly lying to Americans and the world about our role in this blatant preemptive attack.
As such, the Cheney/Bush administration has created their own reality which they defend with patriotic fervor ~ while credulous Americans remain apathetic and the rest of the world scratch their heads in bewilderment.
But behind that American credulousness is a strain of right wing Anti-Intellectualism which somehow equates itself with ignorant pride ~ where intelligence becomes a political liability.George W Bush is a great example of this prevailing consciousness.
Terrence McNally, AlterNet, writes about this phenomenon on August 15th: "'It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant.' Barack Obama finally said it. Though a successful political and electoral strategy, the Right's stand against intelligence has steered them far off course, leaving them - and us - unable to deal successfully with the complex and dynamic circumstances we face as a nation and a society." http://www.truthout.org/article/how-anti-intellectualism-is-destroying-america
Paul Reynolds of BBC News, reflectingthe consensusEuropean view on the Georgian/ Russian conflict, comments that "The Bush administration appears to be trying to turn a failed military operation by Georgia into a successful diplomatic operation against Russia ~ and it is doing so by presenting the Russian actions as aggression and playing down the Georgian attack into South Ossetia on 7 August, which triggered the Russian operation."http://www.ufppc.org/content/view/7832/
Afshin Rattansi, Press TV, interviewed former US treasury official Paul Craig Roberts on August 16th on how badly the Bush Administration is separated from reality.
Press TV:Paul Craig Roberts, you served with the US government. Tell us a little bit about the National Endowment for Democracy. Because I understand that, you believe they had a lot to do with the relations between these two former Soviet states and the United States.
Roberts:The National Endowment for Democracy is a neoconservative organization funded by the United States government and its purpose is to buy and rig elections in the former constituent parts of the Soviet empire.
It is the tool of the neoconservatives for establishing American puppet states in Eastern Europe, in the Caucuses, and of course, its money and election rigging was instrumental in what they call 'the Rose Revolution' in Georgia.
And of course they interfere in the Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The neoconservatives who have controlled the Bush regime in Washington their plan is to bring Russia along with the entire Middle East and Iran under American hegemony so that whatever happens in the world is dictated from Washington.
And so these puppet states such as Georgia are part of the surrounding of Russia with American military bases and American missile systems such as the one they are going to put up in Poland. They hope the Czech Republic and Kosovo.
So this is all part of the expanding American empire, the neoconservatives say the American empire is much more powerful than the Roman one. So the American's have the power to dominate the entire world. That is what this is about.
The assault on South Ossetia by the American and the Israeli trained Georgian army, both trained and equipped by the Americans and the Israelis the purpose of that assault was to ethnically cleanse that province of Russians.
So that there would be an end to the separation movement the separatists would simply be driven out or killed. That was the main purpose of this whole exercise.
Press TV:What cards has the Bush administration got left to play with? You said every state in the world is tired of war and perhaps the United States is not. However, with the Bush administration facing economic problems at home, do you really think the Bush administration thinks it can outplay Russia in the Caucuses?
Roberts:Yes, the neoconservatives are insane. They certainly think they can outplay Russia and they certainly think they can outplay Iran. They have two more naval armadas steaming there.
People in the world need to understand that the regime in Washington is the most dangerous regime that has ever existed, it is capable of anything. Here we have a regime who has invaded two countries, a regime that has been bullying Iran and the President of the United States announcing that bullying and using intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century.
What has he been doing all these years? We had Condi Rice say the same stupid things and John McCain the Republican nominee for president say that in the 21st century nations do not invade other nations.
Well the United States has just invaded two nations and has oppressed them for six years and they talk this way. This has got to be insanity, this is disconnected from all reality. What they mean is that no one but the United States can invade other nations.
Press TV:What should we be expecting in the next couple of days with Condoleezza Rice going to Brussels? Paul Craig Roberts from your view if neocons in such power earlier we talked to Bill Christison a former senior CIA official who said there are placement in all institutions after six years or more of the Bush presidency. What, is it going to go nuclear?
Roberts:Yes, I think there is a great danger. I did not say anything about the Republicans, I said the neoconservatives. They controlled the Clinton administration too. That is why you had all those bombings of Serbia.
I think your correspondent in New York is correct this is American foreign policy. It is not going to go away. I think it is most dangerous with Bush because he is essentially a moron. Cheney is too.
It is more dangerous in their hands but I agree its American foreign policy and yes, they are capable of going nuclear, because they are full of hubris.
Press TV:So you think they are ready to go for a war with Iran, with Russia. Some people are saying that Defense Secretary, Robert Gates does not answer to those neoconservatives that you were talking about.
Roberts:No he tries to resist it and I also know that many senior officers in the American military have put their foot down.
Nevertheless, there is a very powerful movement, the fact that they thought that Russia would sit there and do nothing while Russian citizens, people with Russian passports, were murdered, the capital destroyed and 30 or 40 thousand of them, which must be pretty close to half the population of South Ossetia, driven out into Russia and people thought Russia would do nothing.
How can you make such a miscalculation? Anyone who could make that miscalculation can make far more dangerous miscalculations. They are perfectly capable of attacking Iran.
The next point of trouble would be the Ukraine. The Americans would rush in there, stir all that up and cause another crisis."
Wake up, America ~ we have been blatantly Bamboozled for eight years by the Cheney/Bush administration and we can no longer deny this obvious truth ~ as painful as that may be to acknowledge.
Freelance Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and privateconsultations( allen@allenroland.com )
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Where there is a weakness, you can bet that there is a Republican crook trying to make money or gain power from it. It is all about rackets and advantage. It is easy to pull off when there is nothing but crook media to hide everything.
by
John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1760 comments [39 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008 at 2:42:56 PM
Where there is a weakness, you can bet that there is a Republican crook trying to make money or gain power from it. It is all about rackets and advantage.
Well said, John ~ it's becoming increasingly obvious that the Cheney/Bush administration is nothing more than a crime syndicate.
Allen L Roland
by
Allen L Roland (1045 articles, 7 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 420 comments [15 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008 at 3:11:57 PM
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