ZNet |Iraq | Fallujah: The "Frontlines Of Empire"

ZNet |Iraq | Fallujah: The Frontlines Of Empire: "Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind...And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded with patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader, and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar." -William Shakespeare

“You see, I’ve built up capital…and now I intend to spend it.” George Bush

The siege of Falluja has begun with the all-to-familiar drumbeat from the establishment press, only the language has been slightly modified to accommodate the new situation on the ground. The overall purpose remains the same. The press is expected to reinforce the rationale for conflict by invoking carefully crafted euphemisms minted by public relations teams working in synch with the Pentagon. Keep that in mind when sound-bytes like “terrorist safe house” or “insurgent stronghold” appear in the morning paper. They are the precursors of aggression. The American public is more apt to accept the “necessity” of using overwhelming force when it is concealed behind catchy buzzwords or war mongering jargon. This is how a murderous attack on a civilian population is sold as a “humanitarian intervention” or, even worse, as liberation.

Are there WMD’s in Falluja?

Is Saddam holed up in Falluja?

Do the people of Falluja represent a clear and present danger to the national security of the US or a tangible threat to its people?

by Mike Whitney