Neo-patriotism, Media Manipulation, and Ron Paul

Michael Ross, Contributing Writer, New Liberty USA

“Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or 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 danger. It works the same in any country.”

The above quote is from Hermann Goering, Nazi party official and commander of the German Luftwaffe. His control over military and political policy in Nazi Germany was exceeded only by Hitler himself. While these words were spoken over a half a century ago, it is shocking how the ominous truth and relevance of the testimony continues on to this day.

Our country now confronts the greatest threat it has yet faced in its short history. The lessons of the past are knocking on our door, and it seems we are hell-bent on repeating the mistakes of past generations

Today’s mass media – depending on one’s political affiliation and understanding of power relationships – can be seen anywhere from simply biased or primarily profit-driven, to downright evil. Aside from the nuances of one’s view of the media, we can conclude that when working in tandem in the way described by Goering, the mass media and the state are a menacing alliance.

For a good many years (how far back we go is arguable), the mass media has either been manipulated by the state or willingly participated as a catalyst to propagate neo-patriotism in our society. In this context, neo-patriotism is defined as hyper-nationalism or the devotion to one’s state above all else. This form of adulterated nationalism is used as a blindfold for the people. The leaders of a state capitalize on this to more effectively and with less resistance, wield the fervor and energy of the hoi polloi. The strategy is not simply to encourage a healthy love of country – patriotism is a virtue. Rather, fear as an instrument of policy is a natural partner to this understanding of nationalism, and this irrational fear is exploited to weaken or eradicate traditional barriers to destructive policies that some of our leaders would have us pursue.

Neo-Patriotism in most apparent in regards to the “War on Terror.” One of the first and most unfortunate examples of this phenomenon is the Patriot Act. The fear of the people was abused when the Patriot Act was written and adopted – pushed through Congress with great alacrity, absent the careful deliberation warranted by such a radical piece of legislation. Those who actually took the time to read it and voice their grave concerns about the threats posed by the new law, were dubbed unpatriotic or weak on terrorism. Many who under normal circumstances would reject much of the content of the Patriot Act, buckled under the pressure of an anticipated backlash from the powerful politicians promoting the legislation and their pliant back scratchers in the mass media

Many years into our “multi-generational” war, the definition of “terrorist” used by some of our vigilant guardians has evolved and been expanded to subtly include many having nothing to do with those who attacked us on September 11th. One of the results is that over 15,000 people are now currently in a battle with the government to be removed from the No Fly List, a highly secretive list held by the U.S. government that has been released to no one. Naomi Wolfe, prestigious author and critic of the Bush Administration, and a middle-aged Jewish woman with an above average education and no criminal record, somehow found herself on the No Fly List. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – designed as a check on government secrecy – has been severely weakened in the name of this War on Terrorism, and mountains of documents, including the No Fly List, have been exempted from the FOIA for national security reasons. Having gone far beyond the point of absurdity with these fear-inducing policies, we are no longer able to bring simple household items such as toothpaste or soda on to our airplanes. My 85 year old grandmother, who has lived in this country for almost half her life and does not speak a lick of English, has been strip searched twice while trying to board airplanes in the last few years. This is all done in the name of fighting the War on Terrorism.

The media have also factored in to this expanding definition of terrorism. On November 12th of this year, Glenn Back, in a segment about the $4.3 million raised by Ron Paul in 24 hours, implied that some supporters of Ron Paul are terrorists. A guest on the program, David Horowitz, made the point that libertarian websites that support Congressman Paul, including LewRockwell.com, are “totally in bed with the Islamofascists, and in turn against this country.” Considering that the “Islamofascists” are the people we are supposedly killing in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, this is a very threatening statement intended to chill any honest political debate on civil liberties, foreign policy and the War on Terrorism.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MuM5ZSqet1s

I believe that it is in fact the mass media that are in bed with the fascist elements of our society by marginalizing and vilifying level-headed dissent to destructive policies. They are facilitating the biggest loss of our civil liberties under the most authoritarian administration in recent history, and they are doing so all in the name of patriotism.

The people’s fear should increasingly shift its gaze away from the terrorists and toward the policies that dismantle the very principles we are supposed to be fighting to protect. Our Bill of Rights is under attack, and the rule of law has been supplanted by warrantless wiretaps, a disregard for habeas corpus, and bizarrely constructed no fly lists where citizens are guilty until proven innocent. Foreign policy is no better. Some estimate that 660,000 Iraqis have become casualties of our unconstitutional war in Iraq. It is a troubling enough that our own government admits to 25,000 dead innocents during our occupation. The large discrepancy indicates that no one really knows the total cost of this war in terms of blood and treasure, but everyone agrees that tens of thousands have died, and millions have been displaced. We have been there for four years and have lost over 3,800 of our proud young men and women, not to mention the tens of thousands of severely wounded. We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on a war of aggression we cannot manage or afford, borrowing from the Chinese and other foreigners in the process. Certainly we ourselves will suffer from this fiscal negligence, but it is future generations that will suffer most. Make no mistake, this out of control spending can not go on forever, and in the end it will be middle class Americans who will foot the bill. Meanwhile, well-known government big wigs and their cronies in the private sector are winning big via war profiteering, while our boys and girls are dying in an unknown land.

But do not dare to speak about these matters above a whisper, for in doing so you may be labeled unpatriotic, a nutcase, or a liar. If you get really worked up about the Constitution, our waning civil liberties, or our disastrous foreign policy, you may end up on the No Fly List, and good luck fighting the bureaucracy to get yourself off that dreaded list. Finally, people like Glenn Beck and David Horowitz may accuse you of being on the same side as the “Islamofascists,” and if this changing definition of “terrorist” continues its momentum, you are in big trouble, and so is the country you love.

Yet it is all in the name of patriotism. Not real patriotism of course, an ethic that extols principles of justice and liberty, but the neo-patriotism discussed above, that deems virtuous every action of the state regardless of its intrinsic merit.

Our only defense left is the Constitution and the rule of law, and it is imperative that people understand how tenuous this defense has become. But we can effect real change by supporting candidates who stand resolute in the face of corruption and the manipulations of those who would use patriotism and fear to impose wars, debts and oppressions on the American people. Ron Paul wants to restore liberty and fiscal sanity in this country. He will work to end the Patriot Act, shed light on government secrecy, stop unconstitutional domestic spying programs, bring our troops home as soon as possible, get spending under control in Washington, bring strength back to our economy and put the War on Terrorism back into its proper perspective – to bring to justice those who attacked us. His record in Congress speaks for itself, and there is a good reason why he is called the “Champion of the Constitution.” Please support the good doctor Ron Paul in 2008. We must not let the neo-patriotism propaganda machine continue to scare us towards the perpetual march to more war and eventual bankruptcy. Fight back while you still can.

After all, all we have to fear, is fear itself.
Ron Paul 2008

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