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I am confused -- you warn against offensive writing but then present only a clear, concise statement of fact. After hearing a California Congressman say those who opposed the war were "hand-wringing cowards", among the many other epithets (not to mention rude gestures), I get the impression that the neo-cons and hawks are as fond of being offensive as many who argue for sanity are shy of stating plain truth. It is a situation which needs to be corrected. "Liar", "thief", "murderer", "facist" -- these are not offensive words, but descriptions of offensive individals and actions. Let the fascists roar, feign being indignant, and protest their outrage -- it is all part of their propaganda: merely an attempt to control the linguisitic and cognitive context. They call Palestinians "terrorists" but occupying Israelis "defenders of democracy"; they call the USUK forces "liberators" but the resistence "terrorists"; they call peace marchers "traitors", and those who support empire building "patriots". As much as a war of bombs and bullets this is a war of information, propaganda, and politics. That is the very point of creating the "deluded American people" and the skewing of the facts about and from Iraq in the news and speeches. This is at the core of the war we must wage -- and the new US "information" department and psi-ops strategies. This very list is one of the battlefields. I was struck yesterday in the post: "Subject: [casi] Blair ignored CIA warning over forged "documents "The Independent (UK) "June 13, 2003 [...] Which Anai Rhoads sent. There was much about unnamed intelligence sources, and retired diplomats, and senior government officials, and darned few actual names, dates, and facts. This is common in newspapers now, this *blur* of innuendo, which is far worse from the government and the right wing. Someone on the radio the other day said (approx.): A confidental or unnamed source is a source which can't be corroborated. When a FOX report (about "discovering" the waste dump at Tuwaitha) says: "U.S. defense officials on Friday "confirmed that preliminary field tests did in "fact indicate the material could be plutonium." We have to wonder who the officials are and just what 'confirming preliminary indications of could' might possible mean, except that we are supposed to believe in smoke. As for WMD intelligence, the invaders didn't didn't misinterpret, overstate, misstate, emphasize, suggest, indicate, have confidence in, be satisfied that, or believe -- they lied. They lied to the UN and to the people of the world. They are liars and thieves. They are murderers. We all know it, and we owe a debt to Mr. Pinter for sharing his wisdom on the matter of saying it. Ari Fleischer said we should "watch what we say". I must agree: Let's hear it for plain speech and truth!! It's the weapon of choice in a war for "hearts and minds". >Now here's Harold Pinter again. He's 72, and (once again) >very clear in his opinions. No "half-hearted" statements. >He's using language I understand. > >Don't be offended. It wasn't me who wrote this article. [...] >The US population had to accept responsibility for >allowing an unelected president to take power and the >British were exhausted from protesting and being ignored >by Tony Blair, a "deluded idiot" Pinter hoped would >resign. [...] >The playwright said: "The US is really beyond reason now. >It is beyond our imagining to know what they are going to >do next and what they are prepared to do. There is only >one comparison: Nazi Germany. [...] >Pinter blamed "millions of totally deluded American >people" for not staging a mass revolt. ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk