http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/evil-i-dont-think-so/ Reflections of a working writer and reader Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:06:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/evil-i-dont-think-so/comment-page-1/#comment-96588 Pearl Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:41:39 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/evil-i-dont-think-so/#comment-96588 That last paragraph sums up exactly the whole issue. There is no plausible accountability in the politics and/of journalism when it comes to terrorist boogie-men. I can't understand why it still sells copy. That last paragraph sums up exactly the whole issue. There is no plausible accountability in the politics and/of journalism when it comes to terrorist boogie-men. I can’t understand why it still sells copy.

]]> http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/evil-i-dont-think-so/comment-page-1/#comment-96586 Andrew Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:04:35 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/evil-i-dont-think-so/#comment-96586 <p>"Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear — kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor — with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it...." <em>General Douglas MacArthur</em> (1957)<br /> While the subject has been broached:<br /> "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed — and hence clamorous to be led to safety — by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."<br /> — H. L. Mencken<br /> Or Richard Perle, leading neo-con helpfully elucidates the worth of a projected evil ememy-"Dictators must have enemies. They must have internal enemies to justify their secret police and external enemies to justify their military forces."<br /> Or Hermann Goering-it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."</p> “Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear — kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor — with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it….” General Douglas MacArthur (1957)
While the subject has been broached:
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed — and hence clamorous to be led to safety — by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”
— H. L. Mencken
Or Richard Perle, leading neo-con helpfully elucidates the worth of a projected evil ememy-”Dictators must have enemies. They must have internal enemies to justify their secret police and external enemies to justify their military forces.”
Or Hermann Goering-it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.”

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