Connecting Dots

First, why won't any news organization, local or otherwise, tell this story?




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To summarize the piece...

The surge is working despite countless news stories telling us the exact opposite over the last two weeks. So what could be the reason for this? Why would US Military success be stifled?

Instead, the local networks, took the time to inform us about Cindy -arrest-Cheney-first- Sheehan's visit to Philadelphia today. She is here to announce her candidacy to oust Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and to enlighten us about her plans to impeach Bush.

If it weren't so blatant an attempt by the hit-n-run-locals to tell half of the story, one might confuse it with journalism. But it follows a very familiar pattern to anyone who has studied news coverage of the Vietnam War.

First, you stifle any military success by our guys. Next, make sure you cover any anti-war opinion poll, statement, or activity so it appears the public is against the war effort. Throw in the opinions of politicians who call for withdrawal; claiming we've lost.

The final piece of the puzzle during Nixon's years, of course was Watergate. The break-in and cover-up distracted Nixon at a time when some Vietnam historians think the war had turned in our favor. So far, Bush hasn't had his "I'm not a crook" moment. Not that there hasn't been several attempts to find one.

This is why Democrats (and hopeful Dems like Sheehan) tried to tell us that Bush lied about WMD's; why they blew the terrorist surveillance program out of proportion; and why they called the surge a failure, one month after it was at full strength.

However, the real attempt to find the Watergate moment, was what turned into the Scooter Libby case. Here, CIA non-covert agent Valerie Plame, sent her husband (Joe Wilson) over to Africa to dispute claims Bush made that Iraq sought uranium from North Africa. When the connection between the couple was told to Robert Novak (by Richard Armitage), the Bush White House (Cheney, Rove, et al) was accused for outing a covert agent. Had that actually been the case, the final piece of the Vietnam media template would have been complete.

So it starts with selective news coverage which distorts what's happening. The goal is to create the perception that we are failing, again. It repeats the predictable emotional responses of uninformed (isn't that convenient?) news viewers. It aims to build a consensus that wouldn't exist if the entire story were told. It's déjà vu all over.

Hey Philly, wake up, your being force-fed propaganda, again.