June 2006 (II): 666

That is, calendar date 06-06-06. pennypostcards.com

Which soon was followed by an anti-climactic 06-07-06.

Perhaps some fundies were quietly raptured away, or at least went into hiding on the 6th. As far as I can tell, though, it was just another day in another month and year, here in the world Cheneybush hath wrought.

Responding to the suicides of three Guantanamo detainees, camp commander Rear Admiral Harry Harris

...said he did not believe the men had killed themselves out of despair.

"They are smart. They are creative, they are committed," he said.

"They have no regard for life, either ours or their own. I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."

A Tiny Revolution notes Other Ways They Are Waging Asymmetrical Warfare Against Us. Including such clever subterfuges as, Not Being A Terrorist, and, Being [a civilian] 4 Years Old.

The Homeland's Leader has been plagued by asymetrical terroristic disrespect from people like the wheelchair-bound man who did not rise in Dear Leader's presence.

This month, it's terroristic wearing of sunglasses, by a blind reporter.

Digby last month, after the wheelchair incident—

There's an interesting simple psychology involved in such things. If someone can coerce those in a group to help him attack a single member they become his accomplices. For instance, getting everybody in the press corps to laugh at a reporter's baldness makes those reporters part of the president's gang. And, of course, it intimidates them. If they stray, they too will be subject to that kind of public humiliation. It's the evil fratboy theory of social relations, very primitive stuff. That Bush may be reduced to plying this unconsciously with senior citizens in wheelchairs is not surprising, given his poll numbers.

Back on 666 day, Dave Neiwert pointed to "The targets of the psy war"—the targets being the American public. The media serving to "catapult" the administration's propaganda.

Neiwert quotes Craig Unger—

For more than two years it has been widely reported that the U.S. invaded Iraq because of intelligence failures. But in fact it is far more likely that the Iraq war started because of an extraordinary intelligence success—specifically, an astoundingly effective campaign of disinformation, or black propaganda, which led the White House, the Pentagon, Britain’s M.I.6 intelligence service, and thousands of outlets in the American media to promote the falsehood that Saddam Hussein’s nuclear-weapons program posed a grave risk to the United States.

Unger interviewed former intelligence and military analysts who had worked in a variety of agencies, and "at least nine of these officials believe that the Niger documents were part of a covert operation to deliberately mislead the American public."

Unger's sources, says Neiwert, confirm "from the inside [what] some of us observed from the outside fairly early on," that—

...The entire meaning of the Iraq war -- and by extension, the "war on terrorism" -- is inextricably bound up in the psychological manipulation of the voting public through a relentless barrage of propaganda.

This is why the both the runup to the war and its subsequent mishandling have been so replete with highly symbolic media events -- many of them played repeatedly on nightly newscasts -- that have proven so hollow at their core, from the declarations of imminent threat from Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction, to phony images of Saddam's statue being torn down, to flyboy antics aboard airline carriers, to meaningless "handovers" of power. It also explains why certain important and humanizing symbols of wartime -- civilian casualties, the returning flag-draped coffins -- have been so notably absent from our views of the war.

The role of the media in this manipulation cannot be understated. The abdication of the media's role as an independent watchdog and its whole subsumation as a propaganda organ bodes ill for any democracy, because a well-informed public is vital to its functioning.

Hell being co-workers, no special date is needed. For that matter, the fundies at work don't talk specifically about the EndTimes™ stuff, although they no doubt fall for it. Instead, what I generally have to hear is inane conversation about whatever comes up in the course of the work day.

Jesus' Best Administrative Assistant phoned the faculty secretaries to ask what each of their bosses wants to drink with a lunch she's planning. When one of the faculty happened to walk in, she asked him directly. The answer: "A sweet German white would be good!"

Jesus' BAA waits for him to leave, takes a deep breath, then asks Cruella: "What's a sweet German white?"

Cruella—unhesitating expert on all subjects—shoots back, "A coffee drink!" A fraction of a second later: "No! It's a beer!"

It must be painful for Jesus' BAA to be Cruella's subordinate, rather than being the ordained authority herself. And Cruella is never more sure of herself than when she's inventing a snap answer to something she knows nothing about. Jesus' BAA has her peculiar mentality of aspiring to reach the top of the Administrative Assistant heap,while also being so unacquainted with ungodly, worldly things that she cannot understand a mild joke from a faculty guy. Yet, she does so want to Improve Herself into understanding what faculty are talking about. On the other hand, who knows if she wants to understand such talk mainly to learn what forces in need of conversion she is up against.

Getting started on this topic leads to another notable date this month: 6/16, when a non-faculty staffer stopped by on some business or other.

His usual topic of discussion with Cruella and Jesus' BAA is American Idol, but that's over for the season. Now, this guy is so completely deadpan that I can't know for certain about what follows. Though it's possible he's genuinely reaching for a topic, he sure seems to be baiting the most unlikely of persons. Either way, he asks Jesus' BAA if she realizes that today is Bloomsday? And—cherry on top!—has she ever read Ulysses?

That line cannot be topped for this month. Anyway, in another week Jesus' BAA is at away at Camp Su-Mo-Fo. In her absence, there's a surrogate provider of daily annoyance.

Red State Girl is forever trying to browbeat secretaries into crowning her Social Director. This time around, it's this e-mail—

Thursday June 29th GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!! Please let me know if you are going so I can make reservations at Olive Garden right after work or 5:00 pm. For anyone interested I still have not seen The Breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston so perhaps a movie after.

Hope to see you all!

Clever sister responds:

Yuummmm!
Olive Garden!!!!!!
Eyetalyan food!!!!
Can we go ?

Sure—to CS it might be a bit of amusing tourism, but I'm stuck spending my days with these people. Anyhow, GIRLS NIGHT OUT soon is cancelled, due to lack of interest.

Later the same day...(the demands never end). From the subject line, I thought Red State Girl was going into competition with Jesus' BAA and her camp crafts—

Date: 6/22/2006 1:33 PM
Subject: Egg Cartons

My nephews are raising Rhode Island Red and another variety of laying hens, 20 in all and will be selling brown eggs for 4H. They will need lots of egg cartons because these hens can lay 2 or more eggs a day each...

So I have been asked if I could collect egg cartons...Just drop them on my desk if I am not there.

Thank you in advance!

Clever Sister:

it will cost her if she wants any damm egg cartons from me!