From the Washington Post in 1999. Think WETA or Industrial Light and Magic has the best technology?
I've been worried about this new power to literally create totally convincing audiovisual reality since Lord of the Rings came out. If it's not happening now; it inevitably will, and will not be detectable. That's a relativistic, postmodern threat to civilization for ya, not the pointless meanderings of some French "philosopher."
Juan Cole reports that the audio track may be from a prior audio tape...but he doesn't think it's a fake.
Anyway, here's the full video and transcript. I can't vouch for the translation, of course. Or the authenticity.
But, as with the 9/11 Truth Movement, the real possibility of fakery or deception misses the larger point.* Whether or not the tape is real, whether or not Bin Laden is what he's been presented to be (i.e., not a CIA agent, etc.), the function of Bin Laden's periodic tapes are the same: to ensure that the US stays on its current course in the Middle East. Assuming Bin Laden is a stooge of the US (or some faction within the government, etc.), that follows. Assuming Bin Laden is a homegrown jihadist, that follows just as strongly.
The best thing for Al Qaida is for the Americans not only to stay in the Middle East, but to increase our military presence there. Obviously.
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*In a very real sense, it doesn't matter whether 9/11 was "as presented," or a false-flag op ("they made it happen"), or was simply allowed to happen ("they let it happen"). The result is the same: what we have seen since 9/11 in this country and around the world.
In a country that lets 1500 of its citizens drown in NOLA, denies healthcare to millions, etc., etc. -- why would anyone be surprised if 9/11 was allowed to occur? Only if you have some lingering sense of "innocence" (i.e., "willful stupidity") about human nature, power, and the United States (i.e., "American exceptionalism"), would you be at all shocked by such an occurrence.
Furthermore, it's already known that "they let it happen." For years -- decades -- it's been known that American policy in the Middle East would lead to terror at home. (Um, in 1993, the Twin Towers were almost taken out, remember?) Since making the necessary -- and morally correct -- changes to our foreign policy was as unthinkable to either party then as it is now, the inevitable occurred. That's the real "they-let-it-happen" -- and the "they" is "all of us."
Finally, for thirty years (I'm 37), it has been common knowledge -- and totally obvious, even to a 7-year-old -- that nuclear proliferation would inevitably lead to either a state-to-state war or to a nuclear terror attack, either of which would be followed by a fascist crackdown, a crackdown most likely widely welcomed, if not begged for.
This has been obvious to me since I was 7 years old, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. As with a major earthquake in California, it's only a matter of when. Unlike a major earthquake in California, it is preventable.
We still live in a very free country. For the moment, no doubt, but it's still the case. If we, the most privileged people in the history of the human race, do not put a stop to our government's suicidal policies by forcing a full pullout from Iraq, paying massive reparations, dismantling the bases, reining in Israel (or, if that doesn't work, cutting it loose to fight its own nationalistic wars), massively investing in green energy, putting all fission under international control (as per the IAEA and non-proliferation treaty), among other things, well, then we're finished as a civilization (such as it is), if not as a species.
No, there's no guarantee that doing all of those things would save us (meaning, the species). Other nations may still muck things up. But we can do our part, and it's much the largest part, given we are obviously the reigning superpower. And if we don't do all of things I (and many, many others) suggest above (it's an incomplete list, of course), we are guaranteed to self-destruct. Maybe not tomorrow; maybe not in five years; maybe not even in fifty -- but soon, and inevitably.
But those new iPhones are so shiny and pretty! Head; sand.
I've been worried about this new power to literally create totally convincing audiovisual reality since Lord of the Rings came out. If it's not happening now; it inevitably will, and will not be detectable. That's a relativistic, postmodern threat to civilization for ya, not the pointless meanderings of some French "philosopher."
Juan Cole reports that the audio track may be from a prior audio tape...but he doesn't think it's a fake.
Anyway, here's the full video and transcript. I can't vouch for the translation, of course. Or the authenticity.
But, as with the 9/11 Truth Movement, the real possibility of fakery or deception misses the larger point.* Whether or not the tape is real, whether or not Bin Laden is what he's been presented to be (i.e., not a CIA agent, etc.), the function of Bin Laden's periodic tapes are the same: to ensure that the US stays on its current course in the Middle East. Assuming Bin Laden is a stooge of the US (or some faction within the government, etc.), that follows. Assuming Bin Laden is a homegrown jihadist, that follows just as strongly.
The best thing for Al Qaida is for the Americans not only to stay in the Middle East, but to increase our military presence there. Obviously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*In a very real sense, it doesn't matter whether 9/11 was "as presented," or a false-flag op ("they made it happen"), or was simply allowed to happen ("they let it happen"). The result is the same: what we have seen since 9/11 in this country and around the world.
In a country that lets 1500 of its citizens drown in NOLA, denies healthcare to millions, etc., etc. -- why would anyone be surprised if 9/11 was allowed to occur? Only if you have some lingering sense of "innocence" (i.e., "willful stupidity") about human nature, power, and the United States (i.e., "American exceptionalism"), would you be at all shocked by such an occurrence.
Furthermore, it's already known that "they let it happen." For years -- decades -- it's been known that American policy in the Middle East would lead to terror at home. (Um, in 1993, the Twin Towers were almost taken out, remember?) Since making the necessary -- and morally correct -- changes to our foreign policy was as unthinkable to either party then as it is now, the inevitable occurred. That's the real "they-let-it-happen" -- and the "they" is "all of us."
Finally, for thirty years (I'm 37), it has been common knowledge -- and totally obvious, even to a 7-year-old -- that nuclear proliferation would inevitably lead to either a state-to-state war or to a nuclear terror attack, either of which would be followed by a fascist crackdown, a crackdown most likely widely welcomed, if not begged for.
This has been obvious to me since I was 7 years old, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. As with a major earthquake in California, it's only a matter of when. Unlike a major earthquake in California, it is preventable.
We still live in a very free country. For the moment, no doubt, but it's still the case. If we, the most privileged people in the history of the human race, do not put a stop to our government's suicidal policies by forcing a full pullout from Iraq, paying massive reparations, dismantling the bases, reining in Israel (or, if that doesn't work, cutting it loose to fight its own nationalistic wars), massively investing in green energy, putting all fission under international control (as per the IAEA and non-proliferation treaty), among other things, well, then we're finished as a civilization (such as it is), if not as a species.
No, there's no guarantee that doing all of those things would save us (meaning, the species). Other nations may still muck things up. But we can do our part, and it's much the largest part, given we are obviously the reigning superpower. And if we don't do all of things I (and many, many others) suggest above (it's an incomplete list, of course), we are guaranteed to self-destruct. Maybe not tomorrow; maybe not in five years; maybe not even in fifty -- but soon, and inevitably.
But those new iPhones are so shiny and pretty! Head; sand.