Party Like It's 1984

George Orwell wrote:

"WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

Memo to the Bush administration-- "1984" was a dystopic novel- a warning. It was not supposed to be a user's manual.

"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows"

Well...

Remember Prince? Party like it's 1999? Well, big brother wants to party like it's 1984...so does Anais Mitchell.

Anais is on Ani Difranco's Righteous Babe Records label out of Buffalo, NY. We saw them a few months back in SF. Great show until lil Molly called and we had to run home ;)

Ani's new Canon is a retrospective treat. So is this one...Cheers.

Anais Mitchell-- Listen

1984

down at headquarters, there’s a big database
with black and white photos of the side of your beautiful face
and your library record, and all your test scores
and an invitation to party like it’s 1984

baby, don’t look so nervous, they just want the facts
and it’s all written out in the usa patriot act
cause we don’t take no chances in a nation at war
so tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1984

oh, honey, what did i tell you about the house being bugged?
they can hear us making breakfast, they can hear us making love
but excuse me a minute- big brother’s at the door
and he’s ready to party like it’s 1984

you know you’re my one and only; you always have been
sure is gonna be lonely after i turn you in
so i’ll wait till tomorrow to file my report
and tonight we can party like it’s 1984

And Ani's poem about 9/11... Self Evident

So much to consider in our present state of affairs...these are significant reminders and celebrations of possibility through the lyricism of music...

Silence is the death of liberty.

We should consider some of the evidence of demonstrable democratic decay around us and spring to action before it's too late...

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

9/11 Six Years Later

Six years on...SF Bay Area event demands a real independent investigation for the crime of the century.

Got Truth?

Shine some light on the issues for a broader spectrum of ideas...

911 Research

Environmental Fallout

There are many unanswered questions about 9/11 as was pointed out by Project Censored a couple years back.

And recall that 9/11 is what launched the so-called "War on Terror." How's that going over in Iraq? And Iraq had what do do with 9/11? Hmmm. Nothing.

But public opinion has been consistently manipulated to connect the two. See Retropoll's work here and here.

See the link below for the critical thinking resources that challenge the official narrative of 9/11. Absent the ususal ad hominems, red herrings, straw persons, false dilemmas, appeals to emotion, and other fallacious attacks, the following alternatives may hold up better than you think.

Think for yourself and be as critical of the official views as you are of the alternatives. Also, recall my past interviews with the We the People Radio Network in previous entries (August 13th and September 4th of this year) for more history of false flags and propaganda in U.S. history. The common response to 9/11 discussions about U.S. Government complicity is usually a dismissive, "They would never do that kind of thing." But "they" have before. So we should consider what happens to us now in light of any possibility based upon reason and where the facts lead us, not blind obedience, jingoistic patriotism, or lemming-like follies.

In fact, many in the progressive community are among the loudest of the dismissive voices. However, it is interesting to note that these are the same people that say, and often prove, that the Bush administration has stolen elections (Greg Palast), lied about WMD's and security threats (Terry Allen), started illegal wars of aggression (Alexander Cockburn), chose countries to invade on the basis of their resources (James Ridgeway), used tragedy and hysteria to further their ends with relentless propaganda (Norman Soloman), suspended constitutional rights (Matthew Rothchild), and so on.

Yet on 9/11, the administration and government as a whole are to be trusted and believed as these same progressives suspend their judgement for that one issue and claim these "independent investigations" are fool proof. Even the commissions themselves, like FEMA and NIST, have stated their studies were inconclusive or yielded improbable results. NIST will not engage in public debate as they stated there would be no winning such things. These progressives also will not engage in public debate over the official dubious findings on 9/11 issues. These otherwise skeptical progressives say on 9/11, the administration and the governement at large are somehow credible, even though they are not at all credible in their behavior patterns on almost every other front.

Seems a bit peculiar to the thinking mind. That's some fine fantasy and wishful thinking at work. If 9/11 alternative thoeries are so ridiculous, why not have a debate and prove once and for all how silly anyone that challenges the offical view really is? The reality is we need more debate and open discussion on this critical issue, not more dismissiveness, avoidance, and ignorance. We need to choose truth as a process of being detatched from outcomes and find where the facts lead, regardless of what they end up telling us. We owe it to ourselves and our future as a nation so we can be prepared to answer to history for our complicit silence.

Manifest Tyranny: 9/11 Propaganda, Grand Historical Narrative, and Teaching Critical Thinking in Post Sinclair Lewis' America

PSA for my recent happenings...

"When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag carrying a cross." Sinclair Lewis, 1935

Welcome to a discussion on the state of American fascism and 9/11. Our working title...

"Manifest Tyranny: Propaganda, Grand Historical Narrative, Critical Thinking, and Teaching 9/11 in post Sinclair Lewis' America"

This is just a note that I'm on internet radio again-- this time with Dr. Kevin Barrett, the Islam scholar at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Barrett is the editor of the second volume of the 9/11 scholars work. We're on the We the People Radio Network out of Austin, TX, Tuesday, 9/4 at 7pm Pacific time (show will be archived). This is a continuation of the discussion I had with activist, congressional candidate, Carol Brouilett's show on August 13th, on the We the People Radio Network.

Topics include-- 9/11 and Critical Thinking Courses in Higher Education; 9/11 and Academic Freedom; Propaganda and the Road to 9/11; Manifest Tyranny: Grand Narratives of U.S National Mythology, Interfaith Alliance, and Historical Truths; plus more on American fascism! See....

Dr. Barrett's site.

The show.

And pomo fun-- Grand Narrative Wiki background...just for splashing around.

For more resources and ideas, please see...

Historical Views

American Conservative

Chris Hedges

Populist Response

Reclaiming Issues

And the necessary embrace of Conspiracy.

While I may not agree with all the guests that have been on Dr. Barrett's show, nor all of his views, it is still a splendid chance to respectfully talk about important issues in an open forum that celebrates freedom of speech and inquiry. Dr. Barrett has kindly invited me on his program with Dr. Paul Rea and we look forward to a lively discussion. We thank Dr. Barrett for the courage to continue with these dialogues despite the pressures he has witnessed. I hope you can join us...or check the archive.

Extended fyi-- Also, those of you in the SF Bay area, hope you can join us at the Grand Lake Theater for the 9/11 film festival and "Blueprint for Truth" with architect Richard Gage as I'll be speaking after "Hijacking Catastrophe" on Monday the 10th in the afternoon. Peter Dale Scott wil be at the Black Ok Book in Berkeley the eve of 9/11 talking about his new work on the road to 9/11. And, I'll be at the Fremont library on 9/22 in the afternoon as we discuss media critic Norman Soloman's "War Made Easy" and how the Left has ignored, denied, or refused to address 9/11 truth issues.

For Dr. Barrett's show, a quick bio on myself and Dr. Paul Rea.

Mickey S. Huff holds a graduate degree in history, is a musician/composer, and a long time civic activist. He is currently adjunct faculty in history and critical thinking at Berkeley City College, Chabot College, and Diablo Valley College where he has taught over 100 courses in the past 6 years. He was co-director of the alternative polling group Retropoll (http://www.retropoll.org/) and is a Community Evaluator for Project Censored at Sonoma State University (www.projectcensored.org). He has been teaching the course "America, 9/11, and the War on Terror: Foreign/Domestic Policy, Media, and Propaganda" as part of critical thinking in history classes for the past 4 years as well as "History of U.S. Media" and other U.S. History courses.

Most recently, he has organized and participated at a number of conferences on 9/11 issues including "Deconstructing Deceit: 9/11, the Media, and Misinformation" at Berkeley City College, where he gave a lecture entitled "Weaponization of Information: A Brief History of American Propaganda in Foreign Policy;" "Lifting the Fog: The Scientific Method applied to the World Trade Center Disaster" at UC Berkeley; the Project Censored Annual Media Accountability Conference on "Suppression of Information and Post-9/11 Invasions;" the ACME Coalition Conference, Champlain College in Burlington, VT, "Facing the Media Crisis: Media Education for Reform, Justice, and Democracy" on "9/11 and Media Literacy in Critical Thinking Courses;" and at St. Mary's College public lecture series on "9/11, Propaganda, and the Culture of Fear." He also was on the National Committee for the Shopping Boycott for Impeachment at www.wearenotbuyingit.org/.

Mickey is currently planning a 9/11 lecture and debate series as part of his course at Berkeley City College this fall as well as working on an article on 9/11, collective memory, and the propaganda of grand historical narrative. He is also participating in a number of conferences and public speaking events through the end of the year, including a national conference on the crisis of contemporary journalism at the Univerisity of California, Santa Cruz.

Dr. Paul W. Rea, long a professor of humanities and teacher of writing, is now a full-time 9/11 researcher and writer. Paul has participated in events such as Lifting the Fog Conference held in Berkeley. His first short book, Still Seeking the Truth about 9/11, became a well-received textbook and effective fund raiser for the movement. His next book, Fingerprints All Over The Crime, will provide a comprehensive overview of current research on 9/11. Another readable popularization, this new book is due in early 2008.

Vox Populi!