From: [m--iw--r] at [f326.n3603.z1.FIDONET.ORG] (Matt Giwer) Newsgroups: alt.activism Subject: How to tell a big lie 1/2 Date: Tue, 14 Sep 93 00:49:00 PDT How to Tell the Big Lie by Matt Giwer copyright 1993 We might as well learn something from the Branch Davidian episode regarding people and the press and the government. The incident first came to light with the headlines of four BATF people killed serving a search warrant. It took some time before people were noting the warrant was served with a hand grenade thrown through a window. The government originally told us they were fired on by a .50 caliber machinegun, we now know there was none. The government originally told us they tried to arange a cease fire, we now know they refused to answer their radio and continued firing for an hour and that the Branch Davidians were the first to attempt to obtain a cease fire. The government originally predicted a quick ending after a radio broadcast and after they announced he had agreed. He apparently did not agree or did not trust them or whatever, we may never know. About a week passed before it became a topic of interest to the media rather interestingly also in that when the media became bored and were giving it minimum coverage there was the final assault. The media responded with a bare minimum of facts and a lot of imagery to fill in the air time. In a search for material the term cult was used to suggest sinister things and make references to the Jamestown mass suicide. Example. Prime Time Live on 18 March 93 ran the same BATF footage at least three times while talking about subjects that only matched up in the words and not the actions. They ran interviews with ex-members who frankly had very little damaging to say. The government was actually the organization feeding this hysterical misrepresentation of events. Example. The gov sent in their hostage team for the only reason I can see as the nearest equivalent they had. The government then refered to people as "being released" rather than "deciding to leave." Since then I have read here allegations the children were begin held hostage and that husbands were holding their wives hostage at gun point. Where did this come from? People took the lead and began talking on their own. Example. Noting there has been no public statement by Koresh since the Wendsday after the start, people here are talking about Koresh based upon the cult leader image not based upon Koresh. The idea of cult conjured was of something evil and sinister ignoring the literally hundreds of "cults" and "cult leaders" that have been named since Jim Jones. We are heard people making claims as to his motivations and those of his followers. We are heard regular insights into the mind of Koresh. Statements are being made where no supporting information exists. There are many others. Example. We read implicitely and explicitely that the BDs were armed with the intention of insurrection and over throw of the government when when no evidence of that ever had any such intention. This made them the object of hate for those who fear revolution. Example. We read the constant implication that the mere posession of guns was a crime. The government from Clinton on down has refused to identify which laws they were suspected of violating. Example. We heard the constant use of the term "assault weapon" which, under any definition used in common parlance in this country are completely legal under Federal Law and under the laws of most states including Texas. This made them an object of hate for those who fear guns. Example. We heard the ridiculously high figure of the Waco operation costing one million dollars a day (which works to about one thousand men per shift. Thus providing a crutch for those who put a price tag on human life. Example. We heard they were manufacturing methamphetamines without the slightest evidence of it, connecting them with all the evils of drugs. This made them an object of hate for those who fear drugs. Example. We heard "concerns" over child abuse of which there was absolutely no evidence but that tear- and knee- jerking allegation has been made over and over from the President on down without the slightest reason to believe it. This made them the object of hate for those who fear child abuse. Example. We heard the Branch Davidians blamed for conditions (lack of food, sanitation) that were caused by the government. This made them the object of hate for those who fear child abuse. Example. We heard the constant allegation of illegal weapons without the slightest evidence of any illegal weapons existing and have been treated to a display of burned, legal weapons by the government. Again inspiring fear among those who fear guns. Example. We heard them blamed for responding to a deadly government attack with deadly force. Example. We heard they shot people wanting to leave when there are no signs of anyone having been shot. Example. They had enough rations to hold out for years; the children were starving. Example and perhaps the most onerous one. The Government accused them of using the children as shields and then excused its final attack with a concern for the condition under which the children were living. The government was in fact using the concerns of the parents for their children having to live under the conditions the government imposed. Cold, callous, cruel use of children and their parents' concern for them. Here we have seven weeks, 51 days, of allegation and innuendo none of which has substantiation and we have the majority of the country agreeing with the government. We had constant new rumors all of which were instigated by the government. Now watching carefully we have the anatomy of the Big Lie and it is not what we sort of imagine it to be. It is not the repetition of the same lie over and over in some clumsy manner. It is varying statements and images around many existing themes. It is not one huge lie but rather constant insinuation and half statements letting people's imagination fill in the missing parts. It is not creating new lies but rather connecting the target with what is already considered evil. Confusion was first sown with conflicting statements, conflicting only over which type of bad it was they were guilty of. Then the imagery of terrorism, messiah, allusions to what others have done started. (It is interesting to hear the government reassure everyone over and over this was not a Jim Jones situation with no evidence anyone had ever asked the question.) What has happened is the imagination pump has been primed. In absense of coherent information people are filling in the blanks with what they believe to be parallel matters and attributing them to this incident. There is nothing new about people filling in the blanks when information is missing. It is the classic psych eval of "tell me about the situation in this picture." If you ever need to start a big lie don't ever get the idea you need a mustache and ten thousand cheering listeners to do it. The Koresh incident is a great blue print. Is it any wonder the Jews were easy picking for the Nazis? * SPEED 1.30 >01< * Sleeping one mat; awake half a mat; three bowls for ric -- Fidonet: 1:3603/326 Internet: [m--iw--r] at [mechanic.fidonet.org] Note: These are only my own opinions...but others may agree!