The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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> The DEBKA problem runs much deeper. > They have perfected the art of organised > disinformation and have brought it to a novel > level of "self-disinformation". > But why in spite of that all am I posting some of > their material here? > > Cause it's quite useful and very important to > study such stuff for exploring trends - existing ones > as well as those to be engineered.... Dear Andreas, I must confess that I had never heard of Debka. Nor should I have been able to recognize - had I read the article - the sophistication of "organised disinformation" brought to the level of "'self-disinformation"'. My little mind can't grasp that. But I am glad you answered your question. And thank you to Peggy for asking you about it. Now at least I know what disinformation surprises to expect from you. :) It did occur to me that you might want to stimulate CASI's collective mind. Still, pieces about the elusive WMDs - in tunnels or in cuckoos nests - at the level of "'self-disinformation"' could be quite a challenge, at least to me. > (Please see also the article "Break up Iraq" I > posted earlier today.) I only skimmed that article but the title alone made we wonder why it was posted on CASI. It's an opinion piece by a retired US army officer, published in the Washington Post, a right-wing (Moony) paper - a Bushie mouthpiece. Still, the Wash Post and the author might appreciate the exposure. But here is another point you may want to consider: There are Iraqis living in Iraq reading this list. CASI was originally created to help Iraqis. And what Iraqis don't need now is fantasies about further harm to Iraq. Things are bad enough as it is. I found the mere title "Break up Iraq" depressing. And I should find it even more so if I were an Iraqi. Besides, all of this is speculation. Why expose people who have suffered so much to such negative, hateful fantasies? (Please forgive me for saying this.) If you are at rock bottom, there is only one way you can go, and that's up, a friend of mine used to say. The thought helps. And we want to help Iraqis to come through this, don't we? I think we can help them a little with expressions of solidarity, encouragement... and hope. Something to hang on to, however shaky, in a situation that has hit rock bottom. Another thing Iraqis clearly need is practical help. And there are many things that can be done. > Reading the signs on the propaganda/psy ops > wall could help avoid crashing into it. Rising to the bait is just what propagandists want you to do - keeping people occupied with red herrings. That way they won't have time to notice the injustice that's going on. Or think of solutions. Besides, anyone who wants to recognize propaganda, will recognize it when he sees it - without prior preparation, I think. > Hoping I did not sound too harsh ... or too > enigmatic. And I hope I am not sounding too critical. It's a comment on our times, not on your postings. We get so much propaganda and disinformation, and little else it seems. Just the same negative ideas bouncing back and forth... Negative ideas create negative moods. It's happening to me. And how can the fragile flower of hope grow in such a climate? What the world needs is positive thoughts. Creative thoughts. Ambitious thoughts. Compassionate thoughts. Satirical thoughts... Or just plain facts. But not propaganda of any stripe. That's how I feel, anyhow. Best, Elga _______________________________________________ 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