Stories like this one from Fox News fascinate me. The story is about how Israel has plans to attack Iran without U.S. consent. What’s fascinating about it is not what’s written in the story, in fact, it has nothing to do with the content of the story at all. It has to do with the reason the article exists in the first place.
This is a great example of the military using the Press to accomplish it’s goals. If Israel was planning a secret attack on Iran, do you think Israeli defense officials would be talking about it to the media? Strategically, this is a no-brainer. Of course they wouldn’t. So why the article?
The article serves at least two purposes. First, It gives Israel an opportunity to observe the Iranian defenses. You can bet that after an article like this appears in the media Iran is going to bolster their defenses and, in particular, their air defenses. All Israel wants to do at this point is observe. They want to see how the Iranians respond militarily and politically. They will be looking for any weakness they can exploit.
The second purpose of the article, and perhaps the real reason for the piece, is to gauge the response from the incoming Obama administration. The Israelis want to know if the new administration is going to be a friend or foe to Israel. If the Obama administration responds with condemnation, Israel can bet that the new administration will not be very friendly. If the Obama administration responds with statements like “Israel has the right to defend itself against possible aggression,” then Israel will know they have a friend in the new administration.
So keep your eyes and ears open! The next few weeks will be very telling with respect to U.S.-Israeli relations. And when it comes to stories like this, always remember to read between the lines.
I ran across this video of a 1985 interview with Yuri Bezmenov, a former KGB agent who worked in the KGB offices in India. I have to say that I generally don’t believe in grand conspiracy theories lest I start sounding like the disturbed General Ripper in the cult classic film Dr. Strangelove. I believe conspiracy theories are rationalizations people ascribe to when they encounter information they do not understand. However, after listening to this interview and reflecting on world events over the last 23 years I have to give this idea some credence and serious thought.
In the interview, Bezmenov discusses the Soviet system of “ideological subversion”. He defines ideological subversion as “changing the perceptions of reality to such an extent that despite an abundance of information you can not come to any logical conclusions.” Essentially he is saying that it is a system set up by the Soviets to corrupt or overthrow the ideas, doctrines, and opinions of another nation, in this case, the United States.
I want to comment more on this but you should first watch the interview so you can understand what I’m talking about. The video is about 15 minutes long but it’s important to watch if you are interested in the rest of this article. Like Bezmenov says in the video, “If you are not scared by now, nothing can scare you.”
In his interview, Bezmenov talks about the four stages of ideological subversion:
Demoralization
Destabilization
Crisis
Normalization
Demoralization
Demoralization is the process of exposing generation after generation of young people to Marxist-Leninist ideas. This process takes a minimum of 15 to 20 years because that is how long it takes to educate a new generation of Americans. The idea is to “pump” into the minds of young people Marxist-Leninist ideas that go unchallenged. This is done by gaining influence over people who shape public opinion like politicians, members of the mass media, and educators.
Destabilization
Destabilization is when Marxist-Leninist ideas start influencing the economy, foreign policy, and defense. This is a result of individuals coming into power who are tainted with this ideology. Bezmenov claims this process takes only 2 to 5 years, however I believe this is a very slow process and can take considerably longer.
Crisis
In the crisis stage, events (either natural or man-made) take place that allow for government intervention and eventually government takeover. We saw in this country after 9/11 the takeover of airport security (TSA) and the creation of new government entities such as the Department of Homeland Security. After Hurricane Katrina, government was called upon to provide for every need of individuals affected by that tragedy. Even more recent than that is the current economic crisis involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac where the proposed solutions call for massive government intervention and a socialization of parts of the banking industry.
Normalization
After crisis comes normalization. Once the government have taken over, people begin to accept that way of life as normal. This is also a very slow process which takes years and even generations to complete, but once done it is totally irreversible without a revolution.
So where do we stand today in America? I believe we are at a point between crisis and normalization. As events occur, we cycle between the two surrendering liberty on each iteration; gradually becoming accustomed to the mindset of socialism. Over generations, the ideas, concepts, and beliefs of individuality, liberty, and freedom start to fade and soon fall victim to the *new* normal.
“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.” — John Adams
