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Living Under Drones and Living Under Delusions: Reflections on Faith, Evidence, Socks, and America's War against Pakistan

Sat, 09/29/2012 - 12:07 — Winter

For the first time in more than a year, I have written a post for my "main" blog. Among other things, it says:

"What would you think if I told you I was wearing red and blue striped knee-socks? Would you believe me?"

But that's not all. It actually gets better, and you can read the whole piece here.

I welcome your comments below.

Comments

Sat, 09/29/2012 - 21:36 — james

socks and jocks

Please pardon my title, Winter! Welcome back! Great piece; succinct and insightful as ever. And cutting to the bone as always.

"As Robert Higgs has written, "there are no persistent 'failed' policies." In other words, any policy which is truly counter-productive to the actual goals will be quickly modified. And any long-standing policy which appears to be counter-productive to the stated goals should be seen as a signpost, marking a spot where the stated goals and the actual goals are in direct conflict."

Exactly. This is the simple and unassailable logic of it all; 'tptb' have all the power they need to change the things they do not like. Therefore, what we have is what 'they' like.

Sun, 09/30/2012 - 07:52 — Winter

thank you, James

Kind words much appreciated.

Sun, 09/30/2012 - 15:52 — Bob Strider (not verified)

word mincing

WP! Great stuff, but please refrain from mincing words...

Sun, 09/30/2012 - 16:38 — Winter

oops

You caught me. Sorry about that, Bob.

I'll try to refrain in the future, but in the meantime perhaps you can tell me: Which words did I mince?

Sun, 09/30/2012 - 22:38 — Pablo

Living Under Drones

Good to hear from you again, WP, and another fine article, which I have circulated.

Yes, striped socks are a vivid example of 'objective' evidence. The fact is, though, that there's almost nothing we read about in the papers (or on the internet) or watch on TV that we can verify in this way for ourselves. The vast majority of everything we 'know' today is second or third or fourth hand info.. It is thus absolutely imperative that we be able to trust our authorities - those on whom we confer the power to inform us. For our elected authorities to dishonor that trust is not just cynicism, it's treason, because we have no other reliable way to tell truth from falsehood.

Sun, 09/30/2012 - 23:49 — Winter

good point

Thanks, Pablo. You make a good point.

Perhaps all the lying media types and all the lying political types should be considered equally guilty of treason (and equally hanged for it). But regardless of what we think, or say, they're not likely to start telling the truth anytime soon.

And yet, sometimes the truth is plainly visible, even though the lies are simultaneously audible. We all saw the twin towers blow up on 9/11, but at the same time we were told they had collapsed. Which did you believe? Your eyes or your ears?

I don't think it's a secret that the official story of 9/11 is bogus, nor is it secret that Obama stands by that story. It doesn't take much intellect to figure out that anything he does on such a pretext is illegitimate, but very few people want to think that thought. (Which doesn't make it any less true.)

Similarly, I don't think it's a secret that as soon as we had won World War II, we gave half of Europe to the Russians, and immediately started a military campaign in which we spent trillions of dollars and killed millions of people, while supposedly trying to save them from being ruled by Communists. What does that say about our government? Hardly anybody wants to think that thought, either.

Likewise, it's not much of a secret that the USA attacked and destroyed Iraq in search of Weapons of Mass Destruction which we already knew were not there. The fact that UN arms inspectors were looking everywhere before the war started, and couldn't find any weapons, wasn't a secret either.

Having lived through (or at least heard about) all these events, plus Vietnam, Watergate, Iran/Contra, and much more, how can anyone still believe that the government and the news media are telling us the truth? And yet we all do it. Or maybe I should say most of us do it, to varying degrees.

An essential part of learning not to do it involves becoming aware of the fact that we're doing it, when we're doing it. Perhaps this, not drone warfare, is what my article was really about. Who knows? Wink

Mon, 10/01/2012 - 15:51 — Rosemary Molloy (not verified)

Faith in Socks

This very morning, when I expressed a mild objection to our country's sytematic slaughter of anybody else on the planet they care to slaughter, my walking partner took exception, coming out with the crap about "defending our country." When I pointed out that neither Iraq nor Afghanistan were involved in 9/11, she said haughtily, "I DON'T want to discuss it--I believe what I believe." One, two, three/Over the knee!

Mon, 10/01/2012 - 15:53 — Rosemary Molloy (not verified)

Grr. I wrote out a comment,

Grr. I wrote out a comment, and saw "save" and "preview," but couldn't find a "submit." What gives?

Mon, 10/01/2012 - 17:50 — Winter

Hit "SAVE"

That's our version of "SUBMIT."

Mon, 10/01/2012 - 17:52 — Winter

Thanks, Rosemary

I believe what I believe too.

Most of the time (I hope) my beliefs are grounded in facts. That's what makes me a weirdo, I guess.

You are more than welcome to be a weirdo along with me.

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