"Well, the Bush administration isn't unusual in doing that"
It is unusual in the extent to which it's done it and continues to do it, and also there's a qualitative difference, I think: where Campbell might (allegedly) spin something so that the original information was barely recognizable, that original information was still there, somewhere. There was still enough of it left that there could always be the desperate defence of: "No, I'm not lying -- technically I'm not lying. See here . . ."
With Il Buce and his fuckwit fascist crew, though, not the slightest thought has been spared for the truth. The CIA reports that there's nothing in the Niger yellowcake story? We keep telling it and we smear the people involved to the length of committing treason by outing a person whose job is, oops, trying to keep track of and curtail the spread of WMDs. Oh, the intelligence services say those aluminum tubes are inoccuous? We'll say their sole use must be in the making of nuclear missiles. Scientists are essentially united about humanity's contribution to global warming? We'll call Michael Crichton a climatologist and say there's still widespread debate. And on and on and on and fucking on . . .
One of the big tasks, whatever Administration takes over from this one, will be sorting through all the officially instituted lies, big and little, to re-establish the reality on which politicians and public can start basing sensible decisions.
Mercury poisoning? Not that much of a worry, really. We don't need NASA's atmosphere studying satellite program. It's good for the National Parks and their wildlife if we open them up for oil drilling and other development. Add more at will.
no subject
It is unusual in the extent to which it's done it and continues to do it, and also there's a qualitative difference, I think: where Campbell might (allegedly) spin something so that the original information was barely recognizable, that original information was still there, somewhere. There was still enough of it left that there could always be the desperate defence of: "No, I'm not lying -- technically I'm not lying. See here . . ."
With Il Buce and his fuckwit fascist crew, though, not the slightest thought has been spared for the truth. The CIA reports that there's nothing in the Niger yellowcake story? We keep telling it and we smear the people involved to the length of committing treason by outing a person whose job is, oops, trying to keep track of and curtail the spread of WMDs. Oh, the intelligence services say those aluminum tubes are inoccuous? We'll say their sole use must be in the making of nuclear missiles. Scientists are essentially united about humanity's contribution to global warming? We'll call Michael Crichton a climatologist and say there's still widespread debate. And on and on and on and fucking on . . .
One of the big tasks, whatever Administration takes over from this one, will be sorting through all the officially instituted lies, big and little, to re-establish the reality on which politicians and public can start basing sensible decisions.
Mercury poisoning? Not that much of a worry, really. We don't need NASA's atmosphere studying satellite program. It's good for the National Parks and their wildlife if we open them up for oil drilling and other development. Add more at will.