Here's a pdf and some quotes of a White House guideline for ensuring that no public dissent disturbs any of our Glorious Leader's appearances. Nothing too surprising here, as most leaders travel in something of a bubble. But reading this document further confirms how this imperious President is packaged and isolated from the public he swore to serve, employing tactics more typical of the bygone Soviet Union than they are of our Constitutional rights to freedom of expression. Even though it should be no big surprise, it is significant to have official documents and procedures confirming that things are not what they seem in American political life. Goebbels would be proud.
yes indeed. gone are the days when the common man, such as you and i, can stroll right in and have a good heart to heart. what do you suggest we do? waltz right up there with an AK-47 and demand change? yes indeed, blame mary what's er name in oregon for not doing anything. you wouldn't happen to have any brass on ya would you?
*Sorry for the deletion- I've reverted the post that went before leopold's last here*: It's a creepy irony, like we're living in a Vonnegut novel. The "Rally Squads" are creepy too, and popular indifference to them even moreso- So creepy I can't even find it funny. I remember faintly hearing the "USA! USA! USA!" chant in the background of Presidential appearances, completely out of context with the President's words. It was puzzling to me at the time, because I never realized what was going on in those episodes until I read this manual. It's sad that our government has been devolving to the level we would expect in places like North Korea, where public appearances by the Great Leader are so contrived. Even sadder is the realization that in moments when the curtain blows aside like this most Americans just don't give a shit. I can pity victims of tyrants like Kim Jong Il much more than I will pity my countrymen if we continue on this trajectory- We were handed down a more genuine government, and we should know better than to accept what is revealed here as accountable representation, faithful to our supposed patriotic American values.
leopold99: "gone are the days when the common man, such as you and i, can stroll right in and have a good heart to heart." I'm not so naïve as to think that Presidents may be routinely approached by crowds. That does not mean that a President must be categorically unapproachable by citizens. My point is instead that a Presidential puppet-show policed by goon-squads is not in the spirit of the ideals we espouse as a nation. "what do you suggest we do? waltz right up there with an AK-47 and demand change?" No, it would be more efficient, more predictable, and less disruptive if we would hold our leadership accountable under the present Constitutional system. Additionally, I believe it would be healthy for Presidents to face direct questioning and even heckling (if that is the public mood) from the public on a routine basis. "blame mary what's er name in oregon for not doing anything." She is to blame. As are you and I, if we allow our republic to fall into complete fakery. You don't find it insulting that "public" appearances are carefully cast and stage-managed in order to distort what is recorded by the press? "you wouldn't happen to have any brass on ya would you?" I'm not sure what you mean by that question. Spent ammunition? Courage? Rank? Ya lost me.
puppet show and goon squads. JFK was murdered because his "goon squads" was unavailable. these are just "choice of words" on your part, i see nothing sinister. i was about to say "yeah right", but this might not be as impossible as it seems. this is one area where the internet can be invaluable. as a matter of fact we could, with the net, turn the entire nation into the senate floor. this would involve a little reprogramming but still it's workable. uh, i write to my senator hype, on a regular basis. and no i don't find it "insulting" about your perceived fakery. i see it in a different light. nevermind hype, it's sarcasm.
I wish the mainstream media would make a big deal out of this. Each time send in some undercover reporters carrying home made signs and show how they are handled.
leopold99: "JFK was murdered because his "goon squads" was unavailable." You're confusing security with accessibility, probably deliberately. I think you understand that Presidents can be held more accountable without compromising their physical security. "i see nothing sinister." Then you must admire Kim Joh Il's pageants, with even a little envy that we don't have such productions in Washington. "we could, with the net, turn the entire nation into the senate floor. this would involve a little reprogramming but still it's workable." Hey, you've almost gotten my point! Cheers!
yes, i do believe presidents can be held accountable. but more accessible? what exactly do you want hype? your own private session? what happened when bush took office hype? and you expect them to be more accessible? and i still don't. there is hardly any doubt that the people must wield the power of this nation.
"what exactly do you want hype?" I want tought questions directly asked to our leadership. I want for evasive answers from our leaders to be immediately followed up with an admonishment and re-statement of the question. I want it expected and understood that our leaders are to be held accountable, especially in public. "[Do you want] your own private session?" I would enjoy that, but I don't consider it a national priority. "what happened when bush took office hype?" Nothing. Deception only took a towering surge after 9-11. "and you expect them to be more accessible?" Yes I do. I believe the best character of our country demands it. "and i still don't [admire North Korean propaganda-pageants]" Why be so selective? President Bush's public appearances are also stage-managed, and are officially allowed to be policed by unofficial political goons. These "compassionate"-conservative brownshirts may not stomp faces in, but they do trample on American notions of an open government. "there is hardly any doubt that the people must wield the power of this nation." Then why can you not see that phony public appearances compromise our access to power.
this is where investigative journalism shines. the media is becoming nothing more than a 3 ring circus with sources that say "i've heard", and, "some say". yes indeed hype. i think you can see that kind of reporting effectively squelches any semblance of a "chain of evidence". it also goes a long way to eliminating any consequences for polititians abusing their power. so, who's behind this? watch the documentary "outfoxed" and find out. i have no idea what kind of clout you have so i really can't comment on this. my mistake. the inaugural parade. he's a busy man, the demands on his time are formidible. so? and? there is nothing to see here. Eisenhower was also "stage managed". i don't see anything that says the common man doesn't have access to power. or, what we are talking about, the white house, and more specifically the president. to be honest hype i have no idea what you are driving at or what you expect. whether i send emails or snail mail i always get a followup letter saying that my input is appreciated. furthermore this isn't a "form letter" because it lists the concerns i voiced. you and i are just one each, nobodies in the grand scheme of things.
leopold99: "you and i are just one each, nobodies in the grand scheme of things." But when enough nobodies take a political stand, we are Constitutionally empowered to turn this country around on any issue. We are in dire need of the antiseptic power of daylight in government, and nobody in Washington is going to bestow it until we start acting like a nation of somebodies, and demand accountability.
