Monday, August 16, 2010

Hand Job Alert - Distraction Tactics



Something landed in my inbox this morning that warrants making an example of.  It's an article from the Wall Street Journal, WSJ, written by a Brett Arends.  Don't know him, never heard of him before, don't read the Wall Street Journal.  It was an interesting read though, quite fast paced and stuffed to the gills with scary "data" that kept the reader riveted.  The title of the article is,  "Is a Crash Coming? Ten Reasons to Be Cautious".

I guess professional writers have to earn their pay like everyone else, and there's little doubt that the most popular pastime of today is fear mongering and hystericizing how bad it all is; so what's a writer to do but go with the flow and keep that paycheck a'coming?  Right-O.

The above mentioned article has ten numbered short paragraphs plus a brief intro saying all the right things.  It begins:

"Could Wall Street be about to crash again?
This week's bone-rattlers may be making you wonder.
I don't make predictions. That's a sucker's game. And I'm certainly not doing so now.  But way too many people are way too complacent this summer. Here are 10 reasons to watch out".

Okay fine, we're supposed to perceive the writer as savvy, sober, sane and honest and not prone to push anything that ain't so.   Well, we shall see.

Each of the ten paragraphs is on a different subject but each of them shares something in common.  They all have a feel and tone that escalates an explicit bottom line message.  That message is that things are much worse than we're being told; that everything is even shakier and more horrifying than we know; and most of all that any minute it's all going to blow up and bring on horrible terrible times and suffering and panic in the streets and chaos and all that fun stuff.  So don't wait;  worry, fear and panic now to stay ahead of the crowd.

I'm hardly a proponent of this government.  I know that it lies like a dog and I know things are foul.  But I also know that we don't know dick about what's really going on.  I know that everything is being orchestrated to the letter by very powerful individuals and that nothing happens or is allowed to happen unless they want it to.  I've learned that everything we're told is more or less bullshit and that the real reasons for things that happen are never given to us. We are literally in the dark.  Go ahead and prove me wrong.  We have to take "their" word for everything unless we can get up and go check it ourselves and for most of us, we can't do that.  Which is why it is very important to be careful who you listen to and even more important to use your head to do a whole lot of critical thinking because so much of what gets past us simply does not pass the sniff test, if only you do a little sniffing.  Could it be that there is no financial crisis at all except for the one they're making up in the media and shoving down our throats in order to supply cover for all the egregious thieving and robbing being done under the watchful protective eye of our dear Unca Sam?  Who knows. Could be. But this article is a perfect masterpiece of fear 'n panic pushing bull doody, right down to the black and white photo from the day of the 1929 crash.

Here's what I mean.  This is paragraph 6:

"6. The jobs picture is much worse than they're telling you.  Forget the "official" unemployment rate of 9.5%.  Alternative measures? Try this: Just 61% of the adult population, age 20 or over, has any kind of job right now.  That's the lowest since the early 1980s—when many women stayed at home through choice, driving the numbers down. Among men today, it's 66.9%. Back in the '50s, incidentally, that figure was around 85%, though allowances should be made for the higher number of elderly people alive today. And many of those still working right now can only find part-time work, so just 59% of men age 20 or over currently have a full-time job. This is bullish?"

On a quick read through, one might be shocked by these numbers and one might believe they just read that we have a 39% unemployment rate.  That does seem to be what is being implied here, but that is not what was said.  What was said was that 61% of the population, age 20 or over has a job right now.  What was not said is that is pretty close to good old fashioned normal.  That's right, normal, and here's why.

People often think that having a population of 300 million means we have 300 million workers but that would be wrong.  Chop that roughly in half to guesstimate the working population.  Why?  Because there are things called children in America.  There are also people who go to school called college students; and there are retired people, disabled people, and people who don't work because they either don't have to, they don't want to, or they can't for various reasons like having family responsibilities and so forth.

Now that you know that roughly half or so of the adult population doesn't work in the first place,  does 61% strike you as shocking and horrible or does it strike you more like ballpark?

I wondered where the writer got his employment data because he didn't state his sources, so I emailed him and asked him where he got it. 

"Labor Department. I dig through the numbers."

That was his reply, in full.  Alrighty, I said to myself, I'll just go there and see what they have to say about it.  I did this with a strong idea about what I thought the numbers should be because I went through this subject more in depth a year or so ago and what I learned stuck with me. It didn't take long to locate the numbers that verified that I'm correct and that this isn't shocking or even unusual for that matter.  It's all pretty status quo.

Don't get me wrong, there are most definitely a whole lot of people out of work as corporations pull up and move offshore with American jobs leaving workers precisely squat for options.  But that picture can only be revealed if you look at the data over time, say since dear Ronald Reagan was in office.  He's the great president who opened the doors for corporations to have their way with the world and exit the country with Americas jobs and prosperity and to screw the American people as much as they like.  Bless his heart.  I'm glad he's dead now.

The thing of it is, a number like that 61%  doesn't mean squat by itself, that's what's insidious about it.   It's not until you compare data over a period of time in order to gauge  increases and decreases, spikes and drops, that you can glean anything meaningful or pertinent from all those numbers.  Just throwing out a single number like that is pretty much pointless because it doesn't tell you anything about anything.

And because that's true the best that can happen is that people will believe things that are not true or real at all.  Repeat that process over and over as the corporate media tends to do, and pretty soon you've got a nation of worked up, hopped up people blowing off steam about idiotic nonsense like Obama's birth certificate or believing that all Muslims are crazed terrorists hell bent on killing us all in our beds.  That's how it happens.  That's the simple process that  has gotten us to where we are today.  Obama is just another pez head prez and I promise you,  it's not all him doing all that's wrong with the country.  Most of that ground was well laid long before he got on the scene.  And for those who have already forgotten that george w bush was and is the most hated man in the whole wide world, then you need to do a reality check.  The bush regime used the constitution for toilet paper, it was long gone before Obama's name was even on the ballot.

But I digress.  Back to the article.

I interpret this to be a case of preying on the ignorance of the public with the aim to inflame and upset people and get them even more wound up and worried and angry than they already are.   I just don't respect that.  I think it's low and seedy and unhelpful at best and one wonders what would possess any honest decent person to imply such horse crap knowing how much damage it will do to so many people who will take to heart what they think he said because that's exactly what he was going for.   The WSJ obviously caught the News Flu, the kind that makes you lie about everything and forget about
informing people about what they need to know.  No real surprise there.

The fact of the matter is that there really are extremely serious threats coming down on us right now but the establishment media is the last place you'd hear about any of those things.  The establishment media is there to distract you from those things with other things that go nowhere and mean nothing and just get everyone's panties all in a wad.  That's their
simple formula for keeping the masses at bay and out of their hair so they can go about doing their criminal thing uninterrupted.  When will the public ever figure this out?  Hard to say.  Maybe never.

I didn't check the facts of the other nine paragraphs but excuse me for assuming they're probably filled with similar falsely implied non-specific, unsubstantiated, over generalized data with the aim of freaking people out for fun and profit.  I get to make that assumption based on my first hand checking his "facts" out and finding out there's a game being played.   You can't say he's lying, but he's not exactly giving anyone an honest picture either.  Know what I mean?

If you want to read the rest of his piece, here's the link.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703723504575425723973560744.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Question authority.   Question everything.
Doubt whatever they're selling whenever it's being pushed hard and wide.
And that's all I have to say about that.

Carry on.





14 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:17 PM

    Well done! I like the way you dissect the bullshit and come out smelling like roses! I mean that in all sincerity, Ang. I can imagine with your skill of ferreting out the real deal, you probably haven't endeared yourself to those who would just as soon see you go away rather than mess up their pre-conceived notions of how life "really" works. I have an excruciating honest/truth "flaw" that gets me into more trouble than not. Again you have outdone yourself. Thank you, Ang.

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  2. Anonymous,

    Thanks! I know what you mean about honesty getting you into trouble. Happens to me all the time. Oh well, what are you gonna do? Become a scumbag? Not.

    Ang

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  3. Jerry7:52 AM

    Interesting observation. I was just reading a letter in my small hometown paper from a guy asking "Where's the rage?" concerning America's lack of interest about things like the treasury being looted for God-only-knows how much to finance "bailouts" for Wall St. high rollers and such. I think you're on target here. The proles don't know which end is up anymore...should they freak out about that OR the terrorists wanting to build a mosque at Ground Zero OR Michelle O. and the kids taking a taxpayer funded vacation to France OR etc., etc., etc... They play us like a violin! And judging from the 500 or so American flags I can count from my porch swing, things aren't about to change anytime soon. (I'll bet the Mafia would love to learn how to extort people every day and then have them wave THEIR flag out in front of the sucker's houses!) Sometimes you've got to give credit where credit it due. When's the next flight outta here?

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  4. I'm sorry, but checking with official sources is likely to be about as reliable as this WSJ piece. The numbers given out were changed, the way they count unemployed changed, back a couple decades ago. According to most of the sources I check in with, actual unemployment, the way it was always counted before the change, it's 22% and rising [find ShadowStats for a start on that]. Then you add in the big percentage of radically UNDER-employed and maybe that guy's numbers were not so far off the mark.

    I don't like the doomsaying either. It doesn't help the courage when people are terrified of losing their jobs. But I also don't like denial, even if in the name of vitality-enhancing equanimity. A big part of the problem is that everyone knows the MSM are LYING and so is the government. This tends to make people fear it's actually worse, and that is a LUCID notion.

    I'm sweating it out to find how to help people feel their own power, help them pull out of the paralysis from all this horror, and think I'm failing, but you can't exactly coddle them this way either. SINCE none in the mainstream will act in good faith over what serves anymore, and not so many out of the mainstream either, WE ARE ALL LEFT HAVING TO DISCERN EACH BIT alone. You quite rightly point out that's not exactly doable for most people, but you also didn't accomplish much more than say relax, relax, relax, the world will blow up tomorrow or it won't.

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  5. 99,

    Thanks for your comment. I don't know what the "real" unemployment numbers are, like you said, how can you know? So much of what folks believe depends on who they're listening to, and there are many sources offering their two cents on the subject. The point I was making was that here was an example of fireball to the brain fear tactics based on info that was not an outright lie but that was presented in a way to provoke more fear and more worry. That's what I had a problem with. I try to avoid listening to the doom-sayers because the fact is, they don't know the future any more than anyone else. It boils down to using your head and your own common sense and not leaping to conclusions. Fear makes a lot of people stop thinking and I know this much, that is exactly what the media is trying to accomplish.
    I am also sure we don't know the truth about this or about much of anything else unless we have direct first hand experience. It's pretty creepy once you realize how much faith we've put into a system of control and lies. Things might be as bad as they're saying but then again, they may not. Considering this whole financial scandal is contrived and controlled, it could be stopped anytime. Anytime some lawmakers grew some balls that is.

    Ang

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  6. Hi from another Silicon Valley blogger! :)

    I feel like the WSJ does this kind of thing often. Most notably--for me anyway--was an article they wrote about the 'new white flight' at my (Silicon Valley) high school several years ago-completely, completely irresponsible journalism. Sigh. Honestly, of COURSE there are more people than that who don't have jobs because they're in college!

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  7. Anonymous1:15 PM

    great writing........

    did wsj tell anyone about the crash coming??

    warren buffett knew...billy gates knew+others of course

    oh these are the good guys whom are going to give away their money!!!!!!more mindbending bs for thepeople.

    who knows why wsj wrote that piece

    i do know for a fact we are being screwed with on all fronts

    here is one,,tip of the iceburg for sure..tiny tip
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101001/us_yblog_upshot/u-s-army-embeds-active-duty-psyops-soldiers-at-local-tv-stations

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  8. Anonymous2:02 PM

    not related to wsj article...

    the dope growers have been placated....money

    the gays are being played....dangleing the marrige rights and military.

    harry reid hugging the asian gay west point protester whom resigned???what is that...a hug...

    head of the senate..whos wife was in a car accident???

    accident????..it is divide and rule...24hr fitness own by private equity /who/introducting biometric ids

    but the real part that you could help maybe is get out the word....people cracking can not take it...
    being ostrzied and somehow pushed intetional.
    being profilled ect...

    people need to know they are not alone somehow..

    and powers that be want the free thinkers to crack...

    gays siting waiting forgeting all iother ssuses,,like why is there a war and rights....

    dopers money....thinkers crazy..get it

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  9. Anonymous,

    Yeah, I get it and you're exactly right. They are trying to drive us literally crazy, to crack us. People can only take so much and then they either tune out into abject apathy and depression and darkness or they mentally if not literally associate themselves with some kind of agressive movement that talks big talk about fighting back. (Though nothing ever happens). It's all just a way of keeping us chasing our tails forever so we don't start chasing theirs. None of this stuff is urgent in the sense of priority. The things that affect all of us are the first priority, and that goes directly to us getting screwed out of house and home and job and prosperity, oh and country too since this is no longer America but a place signed up to the UN vision and game plan. I keep wondering when they're going to make a formal announcement, but they're not. They never announce their plans to undermine us. It's kind of like date rape but the knock out drug they use is the corporate propaganda media.

    Ang

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  10. hi jerry wrote about michell obamas holiday in france...

    no offense jerry in was in spain,,,,,,,,,,

    now i have not read in any newspaper or any source...

    why did she visit ..marbaya..sorry misspelling...

    well fact..it is famous for saudi kings+princes have big

    palace or villas they call them.

    why do the saudis have villas there/??

    the moors ruled for a long time spain....it is an old

    moslem ruling family connection place....

    anyway i sure she met with many royalites there

    and received gifts.

    now what was spoken...and with whom???and i am

    sure there where other player besides moslems present....funny no newspapers print this

    i bet the local english newspaper there may have some info...i mean if it is a big deal to you i could try to confirm this but its a fact the royals..saudis and lots of gulf sheiks hang there...

    why else would a first lady go on holiday..to marbayia..again mis spelling i am to tired..

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  11. hi ang..i really like viz voice...good man

    here a another tip of another iceberg

    http://blog.yourkeytospain.co.uk/lifestyle/saudi-yacht-marbella-true-spectacle.htm

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  12. i really belive we have been checkmated..we lost the last chance .bush gave us the finger..he was very honest...in a way...how is it possible that the sanfransico people , are responsible for give up the chance to get newspaper and tv news re rgulated.

    and to get us some privacy laws..and some biometric id laws.....instead they got zero and played..just wait just wait....one year talking health care bs..they got and we got screwd by a politican...nancy pelosi she knew excatly what she was doing.....she is not a liberal
    i am sick of this..first black..first white woman speaker of house..they are politicans...

    i will never forgive the gays and the san fran people for selling us out....what a joke.....obama will stay nancy will stay,,we will lose a few senate seats and they can all say ohwe dont have the votes...what the hell happened...it is overman....that was it...how they did it/?????just put evryone to sleep???how there is something more going on than just media control

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  13. Anonymous4:30 AM

    ang...i guess you know gates whom runs the pentagon

    worked in cia under bush senior whom was head of cia under j carter...mr gates flew to paris met with iranian mullahs. 1970s made deal ect..
    i guess this is theraphy for me to write this,why did all the cia employees resign after 911..???protest??

    where are they...well ang ..i do not know what to say no one has our back,it is bisarre to watch citzens,go threw the day,in the dark,i wouldnot fight for them, no way....

    there must be a way to brake the spell, i am broke and must find away to make some cash and go to a beach and live out my life..this has helped me a bit writeing because i have been almost haveing a break down......

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  14. Anonymous7:23 AM

    ang..i looked up the anti gay preacher..just a very quick

    scan..seems he has been around awhile..

    my gut ..he is closely related to one of those tv car commerical guys ,who says cmon down.

    well...i get some red flags,warnings inside saying he is slippery.

    can go one way or the other and not really,,
    interested.need to move on...i am not gay but if i was i would know what this guy eats for breakfast.

    slippery

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