by Michel Chossudovsky
September 16, 2010
from
GlobalResearch Website
We have reached a turning point in our history.
The US and its allies are preparing to launch a nuclear war with devastating
consequences.
During the Cold War, the concept of "mutual assured destruction" (MAD) was
put forth. An understanding of the consequences of nuclear war largely
contributed to avoiding the outbreak of war between the US and the Soviet
Union.
Today, in the post-Cold war era, no such understanding prevails.
The spectre of a nuclear holocaust, which haunted the world for half a
century has been relegated to the status of "collateral damage".
This military adventure in the real sense of the word threatens the future
of humanity.
While one can conceptualize the loss of life and destruction resulting from
present-day wars including Iraq and Afghanistan, it is impossible to assess
or fully comprehend the devastation which would result from a Third World
War, using "new technologies" and advanced weapons systems, until it
actually occurs and becomes a reality.
A sequence of US sponsored wars characterizes a period of our history
euphemistically referred to as "the post-War era". The US led war in
Afghanistan has been ongoing, in various stages, for thirty-one years. Iraq
has been under US and allied military occupation for more than seven years.
We are living history but at the same time we are unable to comprehend the
events which shape our future and which are currently unfolding in front of
our very eyes.
The details of ongoing war preparations in relation to Iran have been
withheld from the public eye.
(See Michel Chossudovsky,
Preparing for
World War III, Targeting Iran,
Towards a
World War III Scenario? The Role of Israel in Triggering an Attack on Iran)
The media is involved in acts of camouflage. The devastating impacts of a
nuclear war are either trivialized or not mentioned. Meanwhile, public
opinion has its eyes riveted on what might be described as "fake crises".
A Third World War is no longer a hypothetical scenario.
Already in 2007,
president
Bush had hinted in no uncertain terms that if Iran did not comply
with US demands, we might "reluctantly" be forced into in a World War III
situation:
" We got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel.
So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it
seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the
knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. I take the threat of Iran with
a nuclear weapon very seriously..."
(George W. Bush, 17 October 2007)
Grin and Laugh:
"Here's Bush's expression while saying the words "World War
Three"
(Huffington Post, 17 October 2007)
Real versus Fake Crises
In an utterly twisted logic, World War III is presented as a means to
preserving World Peace.
Iran is blamed for refusing to abide by the "reasonable demands" of "the
international community".
Realities are twisted and turned upside down. Iran is being accused of
wanting to start World War III. Inherent in US military doctrine, the
victims of war are often heralded as the aggressor.
World War III is upheld as a bona fide humanitarian undertaking which
contributes to global security. In a bitter irony, those who decide on the
use of nuclear weapons believe their own propaganda.
President and Commander
in Chief
Barack Obama believes his own lies.
Neither the War nor the worldwide economic depression are understood as part
of an unprecedented crisis in World history. Ironically, the dangers to
humanity of an all out nuclear war do not instill fear and public concern.
Instead, fake "crises" - e.g.,
...are
fabricated by the
media, the governments, the intelligence apparatus and the Washington
think
tanks.
An understanding of fundamental social and political events is replaced by a
World of sheer fantasy, where "evil folks" are lurking.
The purpose of these
"fake crises" is to obfuscate the real crisis as well as instill fear and
insecurity among the population:
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed... by
menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary...
The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to
rule it."
(H. L. Mencken)
While the real danger of nuclear war is barely acknowledged, these "fake
crises" are invariably front page news.
-
Mass unemployment, foreclosures and poverty are not characteristic of a
(social) crisis.
-
The legalization of torture and targeted political assassinations is not
part of a (constitutional) crisis.
-
Torturing and killing potential
terrorists are intended to "make the world safer".
-
War waged on humanitarian grounds is considered a "solution" to a crisis
rather than its cause.
Economic Depression is not mentioned because the economic recession is said
to be over.
In other words there is no
economic crisis.
Three Types of Fake Crises
1. A Nuclear Attack on America by 'Al Qaeda'
"Sooner or later there will be a nuclear 9/11 [by Islamic terrorists] in an
American city or that of a US ally... A terrorist nuclear attack against an
American city could take many forms. A worst case scenario would be the
detonation of a nuclear device within a city. Depending upon the size and
sophistication of the weapon, it could kill hundreds of thousands or even
millions of people."
David Krieger
Is a Nuclear 9/11 in Our Future?,
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, October 6, 2003
The nuclear threat comes from "non-State" organizations, with limited
advanced weapons' capabilities rather than from
known nuclear powers
(nuclear States).
2. A Global Public Health Emergency
- A Global 'Flu Pandemic'
"As many as 2 billion people could become infected [H1N1] over the next two
years - nearly one-third of the world population."
(World Health
Organization as reported by the Western media, July 2009)
"Swine flu could strike up to 40 percent of Americans over the next two
years and as many as several hundred thousand could die if a vaccine
campaign and other measures aren't successful."
(Official Statement of the US
Administration, Associated Press, 24 July 2009)
"The U.S. expects to have 160 million doses of swine flu vaccine available
sometime in October".
(Associated Press, 23 July 2009)
"Vaccine makers could produce 4.9 billion pandemic flu shots per year in the
best-case scenario".
(Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health
Organization (WHO), quoted by Reuters, 21 July 2009)
3. The 'Perils' of Global Warming
"The headline figures are: 300,000 deaths and 300 million people affected
every year [by global warming]"
(Greenpeace,
Deaths and displacement due to
climate change set to grow. June 5, 2009)
"Climate change is life or death. It is the new global battlefield."
(Wangari
Maathai, Nobel Peace Laureate)
"Two thousand scientists, in a hundred countries, engaged in the most
elaborate, well organized scientific collaboration in the history of
humankind, have produced long-since a consensus that we will face a string
of terrible catastrophes unless we act to prepare ourselves and deal with
the underlying causes of global warming."
(Al Gore, speech at National Sierra
Club Convention, Sept. 9, 2005)
"The ultimate concern is that if runaway global warming occurred,
temperatures could spiral out of control and make our planet
uninhabitable... this is the first time that a species has been at risk of
generating its own demise... The dinosaurs dominated the earth for 160
million years. We are in danger of putting our future at risk after a mere
quarter of a million years."
(Michael Meacher, Former UK Minister for the
Environment, quoted in the The Guardian, 14 February 2003, emphasis added)
The American Inquisition
Heralded as the "real threat", these fake crises constitute a cover-up of
the "real crisis".
The objective is to distort the facts, create an atmosphere of fear and
intimidation as well as quell popular dissent and resistance against the
established political and economic order.
We are dealing with an
inquisitorial environment.
In the words of Monty Python:
“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! [read the
American inquisition]
Our
chief weapon is surprise [read insecurity]... surprise and fear... fear and
surprise... Our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency... Our
'three' weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency... and
an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope [read the US government]...
Our 'four'... no... 'Amongst' our weapons... Amongst our weaponry... are such
elements as fear, surprise... I'll come in again.”
The fear campaign underlying a fake crisis is intended to obfuscate the real
crisis - including the danger of nuclear war - as well as disarm all forms
of meaningful resistance and opposition.