When it comes to government and media, I don't know whom to trust anymore. I certainly don't trust ours - that's for sure.

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By Timo Cerantola

When it comes to government and media, I don't know whom to trust anymore. I certainly don't trust ours - that's for sure.

I'll never understand or underestimate the public's ability to mindlessly buy into government/media spin. Whether it's about the economic crisis, America's war against all things un-American or a healthcare system that treats everyone equally bad, why haven't we collectively figured out that our politicians and their shilling corporate monkey media men are totally full of (insert appropriate foul word here)?

The "stolen" Iran election debacle for example, is very likely just another propaganda campaign directed from the highest levels to demonize, destabilize and eventually create a case for war against Iran.

As with any over-hyped media frenzy surrounding a political or social issue, my "BS meter" goes off the scale and I immediately suspect I'm being served up a healthy helping of misinformation and blatant lies.

...news bulletin: This just in, Michael Jackson is still dead. More to follow...and now back to our regularly scheduled column...

Whether it's about Iran's building nuclear weapons (Iran is building a nuclear power station) or the supposedly "stolen" Iranian election, the message from on high is that, we the people are supposed to be very, very afraid.

To me, it merely appears to be the next chapter in a series of dubious claims designed to set up Iran and prepare the population for a "military solution" to the serious "Iranian problem" we face.

I imagine any day now, the Ahmadinejad/Hitler comparisons will be made, followed by a call for war to fight for freedom, democracy and to save Iran (bomb their cities) from that evil dictatorial miscreant Ahmadinejad - who isn't even the guy in charge. (Ahmadinejad is just the face America's public is being taught to hate).

Over the years, the names of the countries change, but it's a tired old story that imperial America has spun for the last 60 or so years. And, with a dumbed-down, knuckle-dragging public that is greatly lacking in critical thinking skills (not to mention memory) it's an easy sell.

Next will come the "you're either with us or against us crowd" a sleazy group of flag waving "media patriots" who demand you send your sons and daughters off to fight the good war, whilst they cheer the troops, tie the yellow ribbons and stoke the fires of war from a safe distance. Patriotic media people who prefer to remain inside their TV studios where it's safe, next to their groupies, toupees and tele-prompters.

"One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting."
-George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia, 1938

Sadly, the majority, a corpulent bunch of wallymart loving McSupersizemyass types who voted for George Bush twice, will fall for the usual lies. But what should we expect from people who are basically skin sacks covering digested donut material with IQ's slightly lower than a can of spray cheese.

OK, one more time. Let's remember history and review the facts.

Remember.

The US has 737 military bases around the world and continues to build even more.

Remember.

The US, despite its present dire economic if not nearly bankrupt situation, continues to spend as much on weapons and military as the rest of the world combined.

Remember.

The US has been in a perpetual state of war for the last 7 decades. Since WWII, America has invaded Iraq (twice), Haiti, Panama, Grenada, Laos, Cambodia, North Korea, Viet Nam, Nicaragua, Lebanon, Somalia, Dominican Republic and a bunch of other Latin American countries whose names escape me right now. The US has bombed civilian populations in Sudan, Iraq, Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya, Lebanon (actually, naval shelling), North Vietnam, Afghanistan and now Pakistan. I probably missed a few.

Remember.

The US has had direct involvement in coups, against democratically elected governments in Iran (1953), Guatemala, Venezuela, Haiti and Chile (just to name a few) research it for yourselves.

Iran's first attempt at democracy in 1953 was toppled by freedom loving America because Iran's democratically elected (but socialist leaning Mossadegh government) had this crazy idea that Iran's resources should benefit Iranians as opposed to the corporate oil interests in the US and Britain.

Remember.

In 2007, George W. Bush asked Congress to fund an ESCALATION of covert operations against Iran. Congress approved $400 million for a destabilization plan designed to undermine Iran's religious leadership by way of active support of the minority Baluchi, Ahwazi Arab and other dissident organizations.

(Do you think there might be a connection between this destabilization plan and events presently occurring in Iran?)

Remember.

Electoral defeats of pro-US candidates, whether they are dictators or democracy lovers, are usually labeled as "stolen" by our mainstream media.

Seriously, I was totally amused (but not surprised) that within a day after the Iranian election, Satan's little helper's (the mainstream media) unanimously declared (without citing any evidence) Iran's election as fraudulent. Funny, they had so little to say about George Bush's dubious election numbers in Florida.

Seriously, most Americans would find it a challenge to find the US on a map let alone Iran. But now, thanks to the frenzied media coverage and hyperbole, the average American (who doesn't give a rat's ass about American elections) is supposed to be very, very concerned about Iran's?

That's right! Mr. & Mrs. Average "let's buy more cheap plastic crap from China" American is now very, very afraid of Iran(?).

...news bulletin: Paris Hilton, not wearing underpants. More to follow on this breaking story later...back to our regularly scheduled column...

Until recently, other than a few political hacks and incurable news junkies such as myself, no one even remotely cared about Iran's elections. But now that our western media does a daily hatchet job on Iran, it has become very apparent that our ownership, by turning public sentiment against Iran, is inventing a case for war.

As I see it, love him or hate him, agree or disagree, Ahmadinejad's political support comes from the far more numerous poor peasant classes. Iran's liberal, relatively wealthy urban middleclass is a relatively smaller group. It's wouldn't surprise me if Ahmadinejad won fair and square. Prior to the election, several reputable independent polling companies found he had 60% support.

This trend seems to be catching on in many third world countries and it makes sense.

You see, in true democratic fashion, when the impoverished poor (if their votes are actually counted) greatly outnumber the privileged rich, they usually win the day. Seriously, it shouldn't surprise anyone if extremely poor people vote for the candidate promising social welfare, healthcare, education and an improved living standard.

Poor majorities likely voted for Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and for Evo Morales in Bolivia and for Lula da Silva in Brazil (and Zelaya in Honduras?). I suspect the same is probably true for Ahmadinejad in Iran. Whether you agree or not with their socialist politics is immaterial.

And, while the heated protests in Tehran may well be the real article, with a little extra fuel tossed on the fire by western intelligence and media (who are more or less the same people lately), the protesters likely do not represent the majority of the Iranian populace.

Of course, from a western point of view, we're blinded by our own myopic, middleclass sensibilities that are constantly re-enforced by mainstream media as the only opinions we hear expressed in our media seem to come from angry Iranian exiles or pro-Israeli/anti Iranian "experts."

This is very similar to the slanted western reporting we get from Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan as our media consistently gives more weight and airtime to the opinions of "anonymous" military sources than named, eyewitness local reporters on the ground.

So while Obama "the man of change" and part-time superhero may rightfully condemn the Iranian government for the violent clamp down on election protests, his own government, without much media attention, continues to incarcerate in Guantanamo, Bagram and launch drone strikes at Pakistan (which have killed hundreds of innocent civilians).

As is typical of recent American presidents, Barack Obama is a fraud and his words are empty.

But never fear Uncle Sam, your power and dominance are still safe for, as that great comedian and philosopher George Carlin would say, "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups."

Authors Bio:
Tim Cerantola's humour and political satire has been published in over 25 magazines and newspapers. When he is not pretending to be a writer, he works at a real job working with autistic and special needs children.