The making of the terror myth

[CV]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1327904,00.html

The making of the terror myth

Since September 11 Britain has been warned of the 'inevitability' of catastrophic terrorist attack. But has the danger been exaggerated? A major new TV documentary claims that the perceived threat is a politically driven fantasy - and al-Qaida a dark illusion. Andy Beckett reports

[V Knid esq]

Cool. I was VERY impressed that Kerry managed to say something as sensible as to suggest that terror shouldn't cause terror on a national scale, and it should just be downgraded to 'nuisance'.

[Jonny 5]

bin laden always reminds me of the goldstein character from 1984....

[Yer_Maw]

i read that this morning, amazing. pretty much spot on.

"In an age when all the grand ideas have lost credibility, fear of a phantom enemy is all the politicians have left to maintain their power."

really want to see the documentry. damn.

[mag]

"In an age when all the grand ideas have lost credibility, fear of a phantom enemy is all the politicians have left to maintain their power."


nice line

[M H]

Originally posted by cristian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1327904,00.html

The making of the terror myth

Since September 11 Britain has been warned of the 'inevitability' of catastrophic terrorist attack. But has the danger been exaggerated? A major new TV documentary claims that the perceived threat is a politically driven fantasy - and al-Qaida a dark illusion. Andy Beckett reports

Syncronicity! I was just making a thread about this about half an hour ago, then the computer crashed and I decided I couldn't be bothered to type it all again...
want to be in front of a TV for this though, it confirms a lot of things I've suspected for a long time....

[darrell]

old news years old

[thomas hooked]

how is a the screening program that hasn't yet been on old news?

[darrell]

Originally posted by thomas hooked
how is a the screening program that hasn't yet been on old news?

ouote
"Since September 11 Britain has been warned of the 'inevitability' of catastrophic terrorist attack. But has the danger been exaggerated? A major new TV documentary claims that the perceived threat is a politically driven fantasy"
is new news to you ????????


What are you on about the content
Of the show is very old news

[thomas hooked]

the notion of using terror as social control is older than you or I Darrell. Should the BBC just shrug their shoulders and make a conjecture based doc on what the events of the last 24 hours will mean in ten years time for the 1% of the population who care yet?
I reckon good on them.

[darrell]

Originally posted by thomas hooked
Should the BBC just shrug their shoulders and make a conjecture based doc on what the events of the last24 HOURS.

"how is a the screening program that hasn't yet been on old news?"



so now are you changing your point??

as i havant its old news. if you can point out the place i sayd
they should not make the show i will under stand :)

[thomas hooked]

don't be a plonker- i'm responding to your clarified point

[darrell]

well you are the one jumpin down my neck for
just telling the truth its old news

[Lady E]

its not old news.

its current because it is still happening. especially with UK and US elections and the need to justify the Iraq war still uppermost in both of those governments.

just because this phase of it has been going on since 2001, doesnt mean that a documentary on the subject isnt relevant now.

how many documentaries on the subject have been made? how many of the british population actually realise this is happening?

should there be no more programmes about racism, sexism, homophobia, famine, disease, incest, rape, poverty - in fact anything in the whole world that has ever been discussed before - because its 'old news'?

im sorry to leap all over you darrell, but the problem is your reaction indicates that you think because YOU know all about this, everyone else does too and if they dont, well then they missed out.

the more programmes that actually dissect all this rhetoric constantly flying about and being presented as certifiable fact, the better it will be. show them daily, replace eastenders with them (not corrie though), make people question the language and 'facts' constantly being used and referred to by their news sources.

[darrell]

emma
can you show me the bit that i sayd the show should not be on the tv.or are you reading things i didnt say???

[darrell]

or are you trying to change my point?

[c s]

now that bush failed in the tv duels i wonder when they'll raise the "threat level" to red. best would be 1 day before elections.

[Lady E]

Originally posted by darrell
emma
can you show me the bit that i sayd the show should not be on the tv.or are you reading things i didnt say???

oh for god's sake.

what is the point in saying that this is old news?

a) it isnt
b) so what if it is?

there. simple enough for you?

[Spandex]

Heheh. Emma speak troo.

Sure "Bogeyman created to scare population into line" is hardly news Darrell... but a documentary like this on mainstream telly IS.. and it's pretty fucking good news IMHO.

[darrell]

Originally posted by Spandex
Heheh. Emma speak troo.

Sure "Bogeyman created to scare population into line" is hardly news Darrell... but a documentary like this on mainstream telly IS.. and it's pretty fucking good news IMHO.


Who said it wasn’t I am looking at the
Posts but still cant see any one saying
That.

[TimB]

Pedantry aside for one minute, this story is totally relevant for the reasons that Emma has already cited.

The use of fear as a political tool however, is as old as civilisation itself.

[Sheridan]

Originally posted by TimB
The use of fear as a political tool however, is as old as civilisation itself.

no doubt. I was watching 'frontline' on pbs last night. they had a great show talking about where bush ad kerry were at the same times in their life. one scene in particular showed bush running for governor of texas. the bush team kept saying how the crime rate was at a staggering 57%. but what they failed to say was that it was going down under then governor ann richards. people just saw the number 57% and thought they weren't safe. ruling people by fear.

[river]

Brilliant post, Emma. You pretty much summed up my entire feeling on the matter...

[pongoid]

It's quite simple, really. The tactic is as old as humanity itself, and yet we so blindly fall for it still. At least most humans do. Create fear, give people a common enemy, a banner or symbol to focus on, a slogan, and let the power of myth do its work to spellbind people into blindly serving your cause as zealots. The quickest way to undo it is to show the ruse for what it really is. Seems like a good move to me. Fair fuckin play to BBC2.


Ape

[Hagbard]

Just a reminder that the TV show mentioned above starts tonight, the synopsis sounds excellent:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=today&service_id=4224&filename=20041020/20041020_2100_4224_40078_60

Did anyone see William Kristol on Newsnight last night? He is the chairman
and co-founder of the Project for the New American Century, one of the major Neo-conservative influences on US politics. He said he thought Tony Blair was a good neo-con.. bet that caused some red faces at Labour HQ ;)

[notorious J.I.M]

Shit, i'm working till 9! Will need to run home for this. Looks unmissable stuff.

[Loz]

@Steev - ha, wish I'd seen that.

But do Labour HQ even bother trying to hide the fact that Tony's the new Maggie? He's even said words to the effect of "this lady's not for turning"

[Loz]

ok

scary fucking programme

in practically every sentence in that programme you could replace timeframes with the past 3 years, and all mentions of Russia and USSR with Iraq.

Even the same names, Cheney, Rumsfield, Wolfowitz. Been controlling the US since the 70s. Bunch of gangsters, one and all.

Watching Rummie from 1975 saying that Russia was building stockpiles of weapons, hiding them from everyone. The only thing that stopped me thinking it was recent footage from the Iraq propaganda was the fact that he had black hair.

Scary programme. Can't wait until next week.

[V Knid esq]

That kicked arse. Illuminati are go!

[mag]

yep, great show

islamic fundalism = neo-conservativism

[invisibleplanet]

Originally posted by mag
islamic fundalism = neo-conservativism

not really,

perhaps more accurately expressed:

neo conservative american foreign aid (esp. the in the form of export of cia disruptor training/torture training) has had a direct corrrelation on the rise of islamic fundamentalism and is seen by some to be directly responsible for the rise of islamic fundamentalism, namely those leaders who practise islamic fundamentalism who fear the replacement of their religious values etc..

[schlongfingers]

You've left two open brackets there - the rest of the thread is now fucked and will not compute!!

Cheers IP;


..sorry :D

[mag]

Originally posted by invisibleplanet


not really,

perhaps more accurately expressed:

neo conservative american foreign aid (esp. the in the form of export of cia disruptor training/torture training (has had a direct corrrelation on the rise of islamic fundamentalism and is seen by some to be directly responsible for the rise of islamic fundamentalism, namely those leaders who practise islamic fundamentalism who fear the replacement of their religious values etc..

no

islamic fundalism = neo-conservativism

[schlongfingers]

or, perhaps more accurately expressed

fundamentalism=fundamentalism

[bitch one]

fundamentalism/apathy=a mess

[mag]

Originally posted by schlongfingers
or, perhaps more accurately expressed

fundamentalism=fundamentalism

correct

[invisibleplanet]

Originally posted by schlongfingers
You've left two open brackets there - the rest of the thread is now fucked and will not compute!!

Cheers IP;


..sorry :D

sorry schlong. i edited. :!

[schlongfingers]

Phew. Thank you, I can't stand untidy code!!

[darrell]

Did any one wonder why these type of
shows and story’s are getting made and
now coming out and coming to light ????