Warning Signs

NEW YORK, MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1938


We can learn a lot from these headlines. Let's start in the middle, with the one about Martians.
That was to be the focus of this rant- to use the War of the Worlds debacle as an example of just how willing people are to believe almost anything- as long as it's on ( insert media here), but I wasn't ready for that next headline. To the right . We'll get back to it.

As you know, that radio broadcast caused a national panic. Ha Ha! Isn't it funny to think that people would actually believe a bunch of horse- hooey about "Gas Attacks From Mars"- who would fall for that?

That was what I thought back in 2002 -when I first heard Bush mention Iraq in the same breath as WMD and 9/11. Surely nobody would take such blatant bullshit seriously- I mean, the Iraqis are gonna do what?
Build a giant balsawood glider, fill it with nasty stuff and fly it halfway across the globe to the USA? Hilarious!
Excuse me? You aren't kidding?
Remember - most of Iraq was a 'no-fly' zone at the time and had the most closely scrutinized airspace in the world. You couldn't fly a fucking kite in Iraq without lighting up a dozen radar screens and we're supposed to believe that they're getting ready to send unmanned planes across the world?
I was hated in the office for pointing this out.
9/11!
Really, there's no way a Scud missile can rea...
9/11!
Honestly, it's even on the CIA's site ( it was at the time-it really was)- Iraq is a secular dictatorship and is considered "hostile" to al-Queda and similar Islamic terror organizations. If we attack, we'll just create more terrorists.
9/11!
But North Korea...
9/11! 9/11! 9/11!



I never believed this war was just and was never afraid to say so. I had many arguments at home and work during the pre-war days- I was crazy- how dare I question the President, why don't I move to Afghanistan etc--one patriot actually yelled at me at a stoplight because I did NOT have a flag decal on my car. Crazy times.

But no one wants to believe that a President could betray America, no matter how obvious it is.
And it is obvious.
It has been all along.

Back to the newspaper-

To the right , there's a chilling headline about "Ousted Jews" fleeing to Poland. There's a horrifying mention of "Camps Maintained By Distribution Committee". Less than eleven months later, Hitler invaded Poland, bringing the camps with him. We know the rest.

It's strange that millions of Americans were willing to believe in phony Martians, yet were oblivious or uncaring to real death camps and the looming Nazi Menace. Hell, a number of Americans were getting rich dealing with the new German regime.


How did the 1938 American feel about the German camps? Did anyone imagine what was to come? The nation had just been brought to it's knees by a freeking radio broadcast- who would have thought we'd be dropping atomic bombs inside of seven years time?

In 1938 "Arbeit Macht Frei" lacked the meaning it carries today.

People haven't changed much since then. I'd like to think that history could serve as some form of warning ( I'm pretty sure this is not an original idea) but it never seems to get noticed by the right people. Our Glorious Leader is well known for his arrogant incuriousity toward things historical. Appallingly, it's exactly this fake "home-style" disdain for intellectualism that endeared Glorious Leader to the rubes that voted for him.

Sadly, all that history seems to do is remind us that we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. The human evil changes name and form , but it's part of our energy- it can't be destroyed. Sometimes, like in Sept. 1939 or Sept. 2001, or (unknown date to come) , it cannot even be contained. It has to be beaten, hurled kicking and screaming back into void- until the next time.
There is always a next time.

Now that I think about it, it's probably a good thing that most people lack any sense of history- it helps them to be happy.

I suggest Zoloft and an iPod with lots of happy songs on it. Download some illegal Mp3s if you need to feel like a rebel.
And think about puppies. Puppies don't get depressed by history.