About seventy-five years ago (October 30, 1938), Orson Welles created a national panic with his radio show depicting the invasion of Earth by Martians. The simulated "live" broadcasts convinced many that the end of the world was unfolding in real time right before their eyes.
People packed the roads, hid in cellars, loaded guns, even wrapped their heads in wet towels as protection from Martian poison gas, in an attempt to defend themselves against aliens, oblivious to the fact that they were acting out the role of the panic-stricken public that actually belonged in a radio play. -- source
The lesson was not lost on the ruling sociopaths of the United States or the world.
In a prescient column, in the New York Tribune, Dorothy Thompson foresaw that the broadcast revealed the way politicians could use the power of mass communications to create theatrical illusions, to manipulate the public.
"All unwittingly, Mr. Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater of the Air have made one of the most fascinating and important demonstrations of all time," she wrote. "They have proved that a few effective voices, accompanied by sound effects, can convince masses of people of a totally unreasonable, completely fantastic proposition as to create a nation-wide panic."
"They have demonstrated more potently than any argument, demonstrated beyond a question of a doubt, the appalling dangers and enormous effectiveness of popular and theatrical demagoguery...."
"Hitler managed to scare all of Europe to its knees a month ago, but he at least had an army and an air force to back up his shrieking words."
"But Mr. Welles scared thousands into demoralization with nothing at all." -- source
It is no coincidence that in the last 75 ears, the media outlets of the nation and the world have been bought up and consolidated into a few hands. It is no coincidence that false-flag events like 9/11 (1 2 3) and the 7/7 London Tube bombings steer entire nations. It is no coincidence that in the last week, the information about the Boston Marathon bombings presented to the public via the mainstream media differs markedly from the information available from citizens reporting via the Internet.
"You think that's air you're breathing?" -- Morpheus, in the movie "The Matrix".
No comments:
Post a Comment