(1) Not sure where the fuck this nation is heading?

There’s a good reason for that: Enter the neo-con cast of issue-framing geniuses, top among them, the famed Ari Fleischer, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, and Scott McClellan. Over the course of the last five years this country has undergone a radical makeover in its political ideology and rhetoric. Although states throughout history have made a practice of safe-guarding the representation of power through issue manipulation and favorable self-presentation/promotion (I mean, come on, who among us really wants to make ourselves look bad?) the current administration has taken the game of issue-spin to a dizzying new level (ahem, remember Bin Laden, Afghanistan, that whole nuclear weapons, freedom, democracy ra ra ra $157 billion dollar war thing?) Framing everything from Social Security to the recent Syria-Lebanon conflict, the neo-conservative administration has mastered the art of Orwellian mind-scrabble.

In recognition of the ever growing role such efforts play in the warped geography of U.S. politics, this article investigates the latest and greatest in the ‘neo con idea spin’ asking readers to climb inside the swampy heads of the think tanks fueling the downward spiral of this country.

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(2) How the “neo-con media monopoly" works

dissecting the parts

a) monopoly: ownership of media empire Murdoch & Fox News

b) policy shops: American Enterprise Institute, Kristol’s Project for a New American Century

c) well funded, well organized: Bradley Foundation, college campus organizers

d) focus: “They understand how to promote ideas. It’s the way they frame their arguments, and into whose hands they put those arguments. Also, while a fair number of conservatives shun the mainstream press, (neo-cons) participate

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(3) Syria-Lebanon conflict

Changing their definition of freedom to fit yet another Middle East conflict the Bush administration commented: “For years, the Lebanese people have suffered from the aftermath of a horrific civil war and occupation by Syria,� Conveniently forgetting about his own unilateral occupation effort, the Bush Administration went on to say “A Syrian withdrawal of all its military and intelligence personnel would help ensure that the Lebanese elections occur as scheduled in the spring, and that they will be free and fair.� During recent Iraqi elections the U.S. refused to pull its troops out despite the vocal protests of civilians. Funny thing how “freedom� works.

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(4) Social Security

Commissioned with convincing a hesistant and change-resistant public of their alleged better interest, the Bush Administration has spent millions in an attempt to present the issue as a ‘get-government off our backs’ effort. While we have to fault the spin doctors for the low-creativity involved in this operation,(like hi! this is such a Reagan re-run) their shameless word-hopping deserves attention. When called on his prior use of “privatized�(deemed ‘unmarketable by analysts) versus “personalized� accounts, Bush responded, “I’m surprised (I said that). Maybe I did. It’s amazing what happens when you’re tired.� Behind such seemingly slight jumps lies the question, are accurate representations being displaced for sexed up rhetoric?

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(5) From Breakup to Make up: Bush goes on EU Tour

After spending the better part of the last four years skirting the European Union (EU)’s calls for international consensus, Bush spent most of last week smiling widely and listening. But these empty-minded, foolish grins were accompanied by a hidden cost: Bush’s new found friendship was conditional on EUparticipating in“spreading democracy “around the globe – a.k.a. killing more Iraqis (addedbonus: your ocassional Italian.)

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(6)Leftie Lessons?

a) participate in loud and noisy indy media. now’s thetime to get disruptive

b) learn how the funding system works: learn how to write grants and get funds,

c) pay attention to mass media and the way issues are being spun so you can respond,

d) In the words of Angela Davis, “re-voice the narratives of oppositions and participate in cultural recoding�. This means learning how to speak the language of power; studying up on how the neo-cons are framing and presenting issues allows us to negotiate more clearly by occupying and or (better yet) challenging and re-framing issues from our own perspectives.

e) understand that in confronting conservatives with issues you are viewed as challenging a set of fundamental existential orientations. Understanding this position means approaching People Who Think Differently from the p.o.v of conversation versus confrontation. While you might not change someone’s world view in a conversation, the point is to promote a more coherent, human dialogue instead of mindlessly participating in unproductive, childish shouting matches. While I am not condoning co-optation, it is important that we recognize that these views come from Somewhere and we won’t change or understand them until we start to listen.

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(sources) Works Cited:

1. Parry; Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq.

2. Washington Post January 16th Transcript of Bush interview

3. www.mediachannel.org

4. Empire Builders: Neo Conservative Blueprint for U.S. Power www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/quiz/neoconQuiz.html

5. www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21149/

6. thisrepublic.net “Conservative News and Views�

7. batr.net/neoconwatch/

8. Check out “Dealing With Religious Terrorism� rense.com/general63/relig.htm

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“From a marketing perspective, you don’t introduce new products in August.�

-White House Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, explaining the administration’s decision to wait till after Labor Day to push for war with Iraq.

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“You can fool some of the people all of the time--and those are the ones you have to
concentrate on!�

-George W. Bush