We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Venezuela Blitz – Part 1 [of ? parts]: Tyrants Don’t Have Free Elections

Click here to access article by an editor of Media Lens.

If you are like me, I don't follow news and commentary by media corporations. To do so requires one to wade knee-deep in the filth of self-serving propaganda and disinformation. Our ruling masters currently appear to having gone off the deep end by their ridiculous framing of events in Venezuela following the Empire's recognition of an unknown right-wing Venezuelan political figure who has dreams of political power. I keep wondering how long ordinary people residing in the areas of Empire control can stomach such obvious propaganda.

This article features corporate coverage from the British part of the Empire, but I think it is probably representative of all coverage from the various parts of the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire.
In our new book, we describe a 'Propaganda Blitz' as a fast-moving campaign to persuade the public of the need for 'action' or 'intervention' furthering elite interests. Affecting great moral outrage, corporate media line up to insist that a watershed moment has arrived – something must be done!

A classic propaganda blitz was triggered on January 23, when Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself 'interim President'. This was presented as dramatic new evidence that the people of Venezuela had finally had enough of Nicolas Maduro's 'regime'.