Bush Blackmail of Tony Blair?

I always liked Tony Blair so I was at first confused and later disgusted by his sucking up to George W. Bush. Why does he do it? Thank goodness we have Greg Palast to explain it all for us. Here is a quote from a February 2003 Buzzflash interview with Palast.

The answer is Irwin Stelzer. He is the guy who is a good friend of George Bush from the Hudson Institute, and the most powerful lobbyist in Britain representing British-American interests and, by the way, chief lobbyist for Rupert Murdoch. As soon as Bush seized the White House, Stelzer walked into Blair's office and said ‘we noticed that you were supporting Mr. Gore during the Presidential election' - even though clearly that didn't carry many states. Blair's effective endorsement of Al Gore did not go unnoticed. And there was a price to be paid. Blair was given a list of the things that would befall Britain from military subsidies and equipment, to a reduction of value in the dollar versus the pound, which would destroy England's exportability.

The interview was conducted before the Iraq War began but I think it still holds up. It also explains why Blair is giving Bush the red carpet treatment and why Blair orchestrated an interview for Bush in one of Murdoch's tabloids, The Sun. The Sun is known for topless photos of nubile young women, not hard hitting news. But if Murdoch calls the tune everyone dances.

Michael Jackson, Propaganda Tool

Like recordings from Osama and Saddam, Michael Jackson has a knack for being thrown into the fray when more important things are going on in the world. Earlier this year Jackson was in the news for baby dangling, denying more than one surgery on his nose, and giving ill-advised interviews. Well he's baaack.

Yesterday Jackson was served with a search warrant of his Neverland Ranch. Voila! Everything else disappeared from the news as if by magic. Against my better judgment I turned on the Today Show this morning and was confronted by the usual suspects of non-news stories. The Jackson saga was numero uno, complete with the "Jackson family attorney" and the ever present Gloria Allred.

The media and others among the powers that be love to keep us distracted. I think a little paranoia is always helpful when someone unimportant (Jackson, Laci Peterson's husband, J. Lo) is in the news. What are they trying to keep from us when these silly stories are always reported first? Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you.

I think the Medicare Prescription Coverage bill bears watching. Don't be fooled by the AARP seal of approval. This bill would give Republicans something they have dreamed about for years, the privatization of an entitlement program. So give more attention to your boring Congressman than to Wacko Jacko.