Pricking the Public Psyche - a comment and suggestion

[salin]

the coverage and response to the DSM has been interesting. The slow US coverage by newspapers, we are told by ombudsmen, was because it was old news, and folks already knew it. But now it is big news and it keeps getting worse.

I actually think there is a grain of truth to the ombudsmen's (weak and pathetic) claims. I think there is a sense in the general public that we were manipulated again and again by the admin to go to war. I think that impression has finally penetrated the public psyche. What this means - is that most people, even those not paying attention, have accepted this concept as reality. Maybe not the details of what happened (and how egregiously it happened) - but the overall general sense of it.

For some they have also accepted the various other excuses for the war - and have come to some odd plane where the manipulation may be justified for the new rationale (we are better without Saddam, etc.) While this may drive us crazy (ala "where's the outrage?") - I think it is something we CAN and SHOULD work with.

If it is generally acknowledged that the admin manipulated the public - even if it is rationalized to be okay - THEN on some level it is accepted that they COULD do it again.

How to capitalize on this? This is NOT something that works from a politician level - but from an individual word of mouth/conversational level. Get folks in on the "predicting" game. "So," ask around the water cooler, "just what do you think they are trying to get us to do/believe in Iran?" or "I just heard X say Y about Syria, what do you think they are up to?" Okay they might ignore at first - but keep at it. Once you get them to play along - even if they initially give very rosey (eg nice to bushco) answers - you will suddenly have them paying attention AS stories unfold. Plant other questions - of a predicting nature... get them to follow a story or issue or two - so that they begin to be fully aware of the ongoing manipulation efforts of team bush.

Do it as a parlor game.

The end point is that eyes will be openned. Seeds of distrust per motives will be further planted in the fertile soil (fertile due to the shift in the public psyche per Bush and intel manipulation per Iraq war). And over time - some of those seeds - especially among the "nonpolitical" - will grow into outrage.

There are things that we can do - one voter, or one previous nonvoter at a time.

Feedback?

[catzies]

1. I like it. Sort of a Socratic method approach.

After all, they planted lots of little things over time that eventually got them their way, with a cowed and compliant public.

Each one teach one.

[salin]

2. gets folks watching - even if for 'sport' (ala the prediction game)

and key is getting them watching - and thinking about what is going on behind...