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Thoughts
on the Coming "Discovery" of bin Laden -- The Best Propaganda Money
Can Buy
A
BUZZFLASH GUEST COMMENTARY
by
Eric
A. Smith
Unless
preparations are made for its eventuality, the announcement of Bin
Laden's capture will be the death-knell for the 2004 Democratic campaign.
And, like the "heroic rescue" of Jessica Lynch or the toppling
of Hussein's statue by "jubilant throngs" of Iraqis, it needn't
even be real:
"Saving
Private Lynch story 'flawed,'" BBC
"Saving
Private Lynch: Take 2," Robert Scheer, L.A. Times
"A
tale of two photos," Information Clearing House
So
Democrats must have a pre-emptive strategy in place; the most obvious
being, early in the game, to accuse the White House of
sitting on Bin
Laden for political gain.
A better one is to launch an independent investigation to find
Bin Laden first and announce the discovery before Rove's political
operatives;
this would be a huge coup.
In case you haven't been paying attention, this election year,
Republicans are playing a deadly game of attrition -- death by
a thousand tiny
cuts, so to speak: extreme reprimanding in Texas, the recall
of a governor in California, the installation of inauditable,
easily "preprogrammed" DRE
e-vote machines in as many counties as will allow them to be stuffed
down their throats, relentless and bloody character assassinations
in a bought-and-paid-for Murdoch-dominated media empire, absentee ballots
counted by an untouchable firm in Saudi Arabia, stacked courts ready
to deliver decisions for which 2000's Gore vs. Bush set the precedent.
The odds look dire for Democrats (and, by extension, the majority
of Americans, though they are as yet blissfully unaware of the
slender
thread from which all our liberties hang).
But, in case you haven't connected the dots, this time the GOP
is playing for keeps.
Once the fix is in, there will be no turning back: by an invisible,
carefully planned coup, the neoconservatives will have transformed
America into an autocracy, and any remaining political opposition
will be window dressing.
And so, I challenge you: this is a battle we perhaps cannot win,
but, at all costs, MUST NOT LOSE.
The consequences of surrender will be incalculable: one by one,
like dominos, institutions we cherish will fall -- environmental
laws, social
security, independent media, healthy advocacy groups, assistance
for the unemployed, impoverished and disenfranchised -- and,
foremost,
the right to choose our leaders.
We will be left with one remaining liberty: the right to choose
which products to buy to keep the militaristic money machine
well-oiled,
and its minders well-heeled.
This year, unless YOU act -- BOLDLY, DECISIVELY, PERSISTENTLY
AND INCESSANTLY -- the dream our forefathers nurtured to life
will die.
Don't let the dream die.
Stand up and fight for America.
Stand up and fight for the vote.
This will be your last chance.
Sincerely, Eric
A. Smith
Tokyo A
BUZZFLASH GUEST COMMENTARY
*
* *
About
the author:
Eric A. Smith is a freelance journalist, editor and IT instructor
living in Tokyo, Japan. An activist for over 25 years, he has worked
with
such diverse publications as the RTP Beacon, Common Ground and
Adbusters magazine.
Smith is currently volunteering to assist Bev Harris of Blackboxvoting.org,
Attorney Phillip Berg in 9-11 widow Ellen Mariani's RICO suit against
Bush, et al, and is a charter member of the Open Voting Consortium.
Smith earned his BA at the University of North Carolina in 1992,
and holds MCP, field service technician, A+ and Network+ certifications
from Microsoft, COMPTIA and the Control Data Institute.
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