George Bush war on Language or welcome to 1984

Discussion in 'Politics' started by smotpoker, Sep 15, 2006.

  1. smotpoker

    smotpoker Harvested Fat Sticky Bud

    By Mat Whitecross

    One of the less noted aspects of the Bush Administration's 'War on Terror' is the government's simultaneous War on Language, a calculated use of Orwellian double speak. Post 9-11, the invasion of other countries became a 'preemptive strike', the capture and torture of civilians 'extraordinary rendition'. A sign on the front of the US prison in Guantanamo Bay reads 'Honor Bound to Defend Freedom'. Small comfort to the 460 'unlawful combatants' who after four years still languish inside, without any access to basic human rights.

    A particularly shocking example of this phenomenon is the Department of Defense's attitude toward suicide attempts by Guantanamo's detainees. Officially, 41 attempts have been admitted by the US government to date. Speak to any of the prisoners who have been released, and they will tell you the figure is laughably low. The reason for this discrepancy? No doubt aware of the adverse publicity the facility was receiving in the media, those running the prison decided to re-label suicide attempts as 'manipulative self-injurious behaviour' or 'SIBs', to euphemise still further. After reclassification, predictably the rate of attempted suicides plummeted overnight. Nevertheless, the British journalist David Rose has written that in the six months after the new terminology came into practice, there were forty reported SIBs, almost two a week.>

    For our film, The Road to Guantanamo, Michael Winterbottom and I interviewed the Tipton Three, young British men who had been detained by the US in Guantanamo for over two years. The eldest, Shafiq Rasul, paints a very different picture of suicide attempts in the prison. 'People tried to kill themselves all the time,' he told us. 'I thought about suicide when I was there. You can't talk to anyone back home, not even your family. You don't know if you'll ever be released, or if you'll be executed. Eventually you just lose hope.

    This weekend, three prisoners, two Saudis and a Yemeni, finally succeeded where so many before had failed, and took their own lives. Without access to family or lawyers, after over four years in US custody, they knotted bedsheets together and hung themselves from the grills above their cells.

    Shafiq met the Saudis while being held by Northern Alliance fighters in Afghanistan. Later, he saw them again while detained in Guantanamo. He says, 'They were just like us: normal people. Who knows, if we were still there, maybe it could have been us. My only surprise is it hasn't happened before.'

    Spokesmen for the US have since called the deaths 'a good PR move' by the prisoners, and 'an act of assymetrical warfare'. The War on Language continues.

    Source: ABCnews.go.com.
     
  2. snickelfritz

    snickelfritz Weed College Hall Monitor

    Awwwwwww... 3 more dead terrorists....


    I won't lose any sleep because of their deaths. :laughing5:


    .
     
  3. Fatty JJ

    Fatty JJ Germinated

    I agree. 3 more of those shit for brains dead means 3000 Americans Stay alive.
     
  4. buddomi

    buddomi Banned

    .....
     
  5. smotpoker

    smotpoker Harvested Fat Sticky Bud

    it's not really about the terrorists commiting suicide :rolleyes2:


    i mean thats what is talked about in the article, but the true topic is more serious in that The Bush administration has fallen to calling things different things to make them sound less menacing for the general public. In my opinion alot of americans, and more everyday as the generations continue to pop out, are undereducated and more or less brianwashed by the TV and fast food. They don't have the process of mind to see things for what they really are.


    In fact i'd say that your posts here have proved my point :5headache:
     
  6. buddomi

    buddomi Banned

    ......
     
  7. smotpoker

    smotpoker Harvested Fat Sticky Bud

    man i'm just trying to let people know how shady things are getting, and that no one is really noticing it because they don't pay attention or give a shit.


    That article isn't really about suspsected terrorists killing themselves in prison. It's about how the people in charge are playing with words to get around admitting the # of suicide attempts to avoid scrutiny. It's just an example.


    If the Bush Admin. using double speak to alter the effect of their words doesn't hit a note with you, thats totally cool too. But it does for me and thats why i posted the article.


    I don't know how this article could make you stupid though? It's only words that you have the option to read or not, and with that the article isn't that complicated or does it defend terrorism.
     
  8. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    Our forefathers were considered 'terrorists'. :rolleyes:


    If these people have NOT been given a fair trial then how do we know they were what our lying government says they were? Hmmmmmm? Think about it guys. Quick to judge? Put yourself in their shoes. Until they are found guilty in a court of law they are to be considered innocent. Their deaths are not to be rejoiced if you ask me....our government's actions are to be questioned. If you can't see that for what it is then you ARE stupid.


    Just my opinion. :sign13:
     
  9. Mermaid

    Mermaid ~Sea Of Green~

    Word

    ^^^^WORD^^^^^^


    .........not stupid at all smotpoker IMO and like we are told as children>>if you do not ask why or ask a question (lots of them too) > then how will we ever learn or better yet form an opinion. Reading all side's of the coin is being smart.....to just listen to what other's tell you (such as media) is being ignorant IMHO. ;) There is always 2 side's to a pancake as my daddy alway's told me. Now do I trust what our goverment tells us?? Hell no....but then again I do not trust the 'terrorists' either for that matter.


    Just my 2 cent's ;)


    Peace~jersey :animbong:
     
  10. smotpoker

    smotpoker Harvested Fat Sticky Bud

    I agree herbs, I have no idea who's locked in those CIA prisons, nor do I think anyone else but a handful of people in the entire world. To be locked away for 4 years with no rights or due process is no way to treat a human being. These prisons sound more along the lines of concentration camps.


    jersygirl, excellent point about two sides to every pancake, I just wish these being served up by our government i could eat in one meal. They give me a fucking headache trying to figure out. whatever happend to true and just honesty?
     
  11. LowRydr

    LowRydr Veggy Stage

    that a huge bullshit statement. they were "freedom fighters" perhaps, but not "terrorists". can you cite one example of their use of terror?

    fair trials are reserved from criminals. terrorists are waging war against the US, therefore they are not treated with civil criminal status. they are either enemy combatant or non-combatants.


    if they want to wage war on the US, be prepared to get caught and spend a lot of time in guantanamo. legally, the US can hold them there indefinitely, until the war is over.
     
  12. Mr. Wakenbake

    Mr. Wakenbake Latae Sententiae Excommunication

    if you people didn't know the 90% of the folks being held there have not even been charged with a crime????wow now if i held you in jail and never charged you would you think about suicide??


    Oh and they don't mention most of these terrorists they have in there were thrown in AFTER THE IRAQ WAR STARTED!!!!!


    So they shouldn't be in there in the first place, it's not thier fault we invaded their country and took over their oil wells.......it's ours, and Bush one day will stand trial for war crimes..due to guantanamo...they are fighting with the president as we speak about guantanamo and trying to get the US outta paying for war crimes..... that the geneva convention set in place for ALL countries even us. but bush don't want to have to follow rules, he never has and never will..


    HE thinks he is above the law, but when the shoe changes this november in the state elections....soon after we will see the lies start to unravel that our conservative, crooked so called christians have told the country for 8 years now....


    november comes closer everyday and i can't wait till i am able to log my vote !
     
  13. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    You are looking at things from YOUR perspective....I said 'considered' as in by the British monachy. Go read some history if you don't believe it. One man's 'freedom fighter' is another man's 'terrorist'. All a matter of perspective really. They incited much terror to the British. What exactly IS terror if not fear? Our forefathers incited great fear in their use of guerrilla warfare. Up until that time wars were fought out in the open with 'lines', but our FOREFATHERS didn't fight the British on THEIR terms...they used fear tactics and hit them from the shaddows....the ONLY way to beat a supierior force BTW. I see no difference in what Imperial America is doing than what Imperial Britian did back then. So no...it's NOT a bullshit statement...you just don't know your history very well. :iamwithstupid:

    I wonder if you'd feel the same way if it was YOU in that prison. What proof do YOU have that these people are terrotists waging war on the US besides the government saying they are? I'm willing to bet not a whole hell of a lot...am I right? Talk about bullshit statements. :rolleyes:
     
  14. Mermaid

    Mermaid ~Sea Of Green~

     
  15. trillions of atoms

    trillions of atoms Latae Sententiae Excommunication

    good thread ppl......but the fact of the matter is-


    in the real world.....you are guilty until proven innocent. or at least thats how the judicial system sees it.


    its sad but true..... and this thread is just the smallest tip of the iceburg.


    just imagine what we DONT know!
     
  16. danke

    danke Hermaphrodite

    Yes our forefathers were considered terrorists using guerilla war tactics. You are absolutely correct sparky.


    The thing is, they are still considered terrorists and criminals. Take Thomas Jefferson for example. He grew marijuana. He told everyone he could to plant that seed everywhere. He said it was the most valuble seed on earth. HE would be ARRESTED if he were our president right now! He would be considered a criminal and mabye even a terrorist. Cause if I remember correctly, if I buy weed or promote it thereof, I am supporting terrorists, therefore I am a terrorist. Our constitution no longer exists. We are a police state. Our forefathers dreams have been crushed by the greed of man.


    The prison thing... Look even if this war was legitimit, It wouldn't be our governments fault. Its our own people that are enslaving these people and treating them like shit.. The thing that they are fighting AGAINST they are doing. They think this country is the only one with this right.


    Its the soldiers and the commanders of our country that think they have the RIGHT to be over there. Killing the people, abusing and torturing them. They don't know what to many has been obvious. Just recently it has been uncovered that we are actually breeding more terrorists than we actually kill. And the reason is that we do not belong in Iraq.


    Yeah our buildings got flown into and many people died... its gut wrenching. But its a TERRORIST organization thats doing it. Not the fucking country. Hell I woulda told Bush to blow it up his hole if I were Iraq. Why didn't we just send in our secret fly navy SEAL badass mother fuckers in there and pop these groups out of existence? We have done it plenty of times. Why this time do we make it this big deal with Iraq?


    Why? Because "they" decided, "Hell its a big deal for the American people, they want some kind of action.. why dont we just fucking invade Iraq, pick up some oil on the way. Hell we'll call it 'Operation Iraq Freedom.'" We don't want to free those people.. We want to own that country. We want world domination. Bow to the USA. We are so good at what we do and our constitution, we can push it on other people.. and if you dont agree we'll invade your country and enforce our "constitution."


    Seriously... look at the facts people. This isn't a war on terror. This is big business stuff. If you want a good video to download (hopefully its still there) go to google video and search for "Uncovered The Whole Truth About The Iraq War"


    But luckly all big empires have crumbed in the past.. this one will be no exception.


    Im really high.. so if some of this doesn't make sense I'll fix it tomorrow and expound on a few things.
     
  17. Administrator

    Administrator Administrator

    Makes perfect sense to me Danke.
     
  18. matthew barrack

    matthew barrack Latae Sententiae Excommunication

    amen brother...theres only 1 way to unite 2 enemies...give them a comman enemy...i.e global warming ..ice age ..giant earthquakes..its gonna take a huga catastrophe 4 man 2 unite...i think its funny we even have government it only shows that man is so ignorant it has 2 be policed to control r actions..we cant even live in harmony has to be hatred..lol ..but what can we do???:5headache:


    late matt
     
  19. Dazechain

    Dazechain Cured Fat Sticky Bud

    Ignorance rules...apparently...


    ...Memo to Fatty JJ n' Buddomi...


    Stupid is watt stupid does...of course yer' ringleader Gumpee...coulda told you two ignoramuses that...duh.



    ...Face facts, nitwits...



    ...The evil empire(USA) has overstep'd...step'd on...sidestep'd...and 'basically force-fed their neo-con agenda onto the world's stage...and for every step forward...this current bUSh regime has taken three steps backwards...



    ...Human rights...out the window...and you can take this enemy combatant BS and blow it out yer' ignorant smokescreen...cuz' that is exactly watt smotpokers piece is tryin' to relay...how the current word games being bandied about have reach'd crisis levels...



    ...Collateral damage... for instance...since when did human life get minimalized to this...reference the bUSh regime...for the not so clear answers...they'll sidestep that question...and say...war is hell...duh.



    ...Ya' know sumthin'...if you or I took the bUSh regime's brand of retaliation to the streets...ya' wanna know where we would be...in jail, mister...in fuckin' jail...no questions...no bail...no tv...no fast food...so watt does that tell you...I know watt it tells me...there is a culture war alive n' well in the good ol' US of A...Asmearica...for lack of eloquence...and the elitist have lost their way...their intoxication derived from supreme wealth and control issues have led them down a snake's path...these fucks are call'd our "leaders"...puh-leeze...spare me the details...I can cope without...suffice to say...some of you warmongers perhaps should consider wakin' up n' smellin' the concrete...before yer' ignorant asses are led to slaughter with all the other sheeple...good luck pullin' yer' head out of yer' ass...ewe'll kneed it.



    DC:punk:
     
  20. bubblegump

    bubblegump Latae Sententiae Excommunication

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