by Karen De Coster and Brad Edmonds

The LewRockwell.com "Truth Translator" (LRCTT) recently employed by Karen De Coster revealed the true meanings of statements made by George W. Bush in a November 8 speech at the Georgia World Congress Center. But Bush wasn’t alone in the room - there was an audience. Looking at the same speech from a different perspective, and with the help of the LRCTT, the points at which the crowd burst into applause provide insight into popular sheeplethink about the rapidly self-inflating state.

Bush: What we couldn't be sure of then and what the terrorists never expected was that America would emerge stronger with a renewed spirit of pride and patriotism. (APPLAUSE) During the last two months, we have shown the world, America is a great nation. (APPLAUSE)

Here, the audience expresses its confidence and joy in the government, because since 9/11, "patriotism" means "support of the government" and "nation" means "one nation under Government." (And certainly, that nation must be "indivisible".)

Bush: We have gained new heroes, those who ran into burning buildings to save others: our police and our firefighters. (APPLAUSE) Those who battle their own fears to keep children calm and safe: America's teachers. (APPLAUSE) Those who voluntarily place themselves in harm's way to defend our freedom: the men and women of the armed forces. (APPLAUSE) And tonight we join in thanking a whole new group of public servants who never enlisted to fight a war, but find themselves on the front lines of a battle nonetheless: those who deliver the mail, America's postal workers. (APPLAUSE)

The audience agrees that only government employees can be heroes, and now this includes postal workers(!). Note that capitalists aren’t public servants, though they serve the public better than government workers. And teachers on the public dole are now the safety providers for our children. Ol’ George W. is expressing the tenets of Hillary’s Village, and the dummies don’t even realize it.

Bush: We've seen that type of hate before, and the only possible response is to confront it and to defeat it. (APPLAUSE)

"Kill!" The audience has no idea that all previous government attempts to defeat hate and terrorism have only made hate and terrorism stronger and more focused.

Bush: This enemy tries to hide behind a peaceful faith. But those who celebrate the murder of innocent men, women and children have no religion, have no conscience and have no mercy. (APPLAUSE)

The masses adore the vilification of whomever we’re bombing; they don’t notice the fine political line Bush has to walk when calling some Muslims good and some evil.

Bush: We wage a war to save civilization itself. We did not seek it, but we will fight it and we will prevail. (APPLAUSE)

"Kill!" Perhaps more revealing than the sheepplause is the lack of a "gasp" after the first sentence. Then there’s the usual gross ignorance of the government’s foreign interventionist policies actually playing a role in the Muslims’ targeting of the U.S.

Bush: I call on Congress to quickly send me legislation that makes cockpits more secure, baggage screening more thorough, and puts the federal government in charge of all airport screening and security. (APPLAUSE)

The enthusiastic audience fails to remember that government security has never secured anyone but government workers, and it has never failed to reduce the security of civilians.

Bush: I'm proud of the way our health care and postal workers and the American people are responding with calm in the face of this deadly new threat. (APPLAUSE)

The audience accepts the "deadly" line and the implication that civilization itself is at risk, yet the same audience will swallow "go about your business as usual" lines in a few minutes. Sheeplethink roils with cognitive dissonance.

Bush: We've passed a new anti-terrorism law, which gives our law enforcement officers the necessary tools to track terrorists before they harm Americans. A new terrorism task force is tightening immigration controls to make sure no one enters or stays in our country who would harm us. (APPLAUSE)

The audience didn’t know at this date that government now has the tools to track and imprison them, too. But it sure sounds good to them, for more anti-terrorism measures certainly should mean just that, if the government says that‘s what is so.

Bush: We are a welcoming country. We will always value freedom, yet we will not allow those who plot against our country to abuse our freedoms and our protections. (APPLAUSE)

The audience doesn’t understand that government protection and individual freedom are mutually exclusive. The LRCTT has uncovered a cognitive sheeplegap.

Bush: A lot of people are working really hard to protect America, but in the long run, the best way to defend our homeland, the best way to make sure our children can live in peace, is to take the battle to the enemy and to stop them. (APPLAUSE)

The audience agrees that this must surely be a multi-purpose war, so they welcome the marketing of U.S. bombing toward the needs of the moment. The "for the children" angle always works on an audience, and "homeland" – now a thriving word in the American vernacular – is a great new angle for instant acceptance. It apparently doesn’t remind them of Nazi propaganda.

Bush: I am so proud of our military. (APPLAUSE) We are destroying training camps, disrupting communications and dismantling air defenses. We are now bombing Taliban front lines. We are deliberately and systematically hunting down these murderers and we will bring them to justice. (APPLAUSE)

Sappy audiences love the concept of "justice". It sounds all-American, and it sounds really Constitutional, so therefore, it has to be something that is good for us, whatever this "justice" is. Government mouthpieces never define their vision of justice; they just propagate its notion.

Bush: I recently received a letter from a fourth grade girl that seemed to say it all. "I don't know how to feel," she said. "Sad, mad, angry. It has been different lately. I know the people in New York are scared because of the World Trade Center and all, but if we're scared, we are giving the terrorists all the power." In the face of this great tragedy, Americans are refusing to give terrorists the power. (APPLAUSE)

Uh huh, this stilted audience is ready and willing to believe the pro-war, go-get-’em philosophy of a ten-year-old girl. Fabricate anything that is remotely heart-tugging, and they slurp it up.

Bush: Since September the 11th, many Americans, especially young Americans, are rethinking their career choices. They are being drawn to careers of service as police or firemen, emergency health workers, teachers, counselors or in the military. And this is good for America. (APPLAUSE)

The audience has become enamored of federal workers due to the WTC ordeal. They have been propagandized through pictures and media fables stressing that we all must necessarily worship them as heroes, but this only applies to government workers. They are entirely unaware that they are being sold on the concept of "bigger government is better government", and they cannot visualize a world where private concerns perform these functions. After all, that would entail self-study, deep thought, and a break from the accepted norm, which is: let government do it for us, because they can do it better.

Bush: Our great nation – national challenge is to hunt down the terrorists and strengthen our protection against future attacks. Our great national opportunity is to preserve forever the good that has resulted. Through this tragedy, we are renewing and reclaiming our strong American values. (APPLAUSE)

"We don’t know what he means by American values, since freedom is disappearing faster than legislation through a goose, but what a great line!"

Bush: I made some proposals to stimulate economic growth, which will create new jobs and make America less dependent on foreign oil. (APPLAUSE)

The audience doesn’t know its Econ 101. There’s a whole history out there of government "stimulation" of the economy; never before has it proved successful. Another example of folks wanting everything taken care of for them.

Bush: And I ask Congress to work hard and put a stimulus plan into law to help the American people. (APPLAUSE)

We don’t know what the definition of "helping us" is, but it sounds darn good. Remember, the folks in the audience rely on their elected members of Congress to keep them knee-deep in goodies. They’re like little pigs lined up at the trough.

Bush: We will not judge fellow Americans by appearance, ethnic background or religious faith. (APPLAUSE)

More cognitive dissonance; how are we going to keep Moslem fundamentalists out without judging based on demographics? But the sheeple love multiculturalism.

Bush: We will defend the values of our country, and we will live by them. We will persevere in this struggle no matter how long it takes to prevail. (APPLAUSE)

The audience likes the notion of the war being fought over the protection of their "values"; one of those multi-faceted marketing angles previously mentioned.

Bush: Ours is the cause of freedom. We've defeated freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them again. (APPLAUSE)

Freedom is always a winning tactic. We slaughter the citizens of Iraq and cut off their lifeline of supplies for 10+ years, but it’s in the name of "freedom" for U.S. citizens. Occupation of Saudi Arabia is a freedom affair, too. If only the government could oust Hussein from Iraq, then we’d all really be free.

November 26, 2001

Karen De Coster, CPA, [send her mail] is a freelance writer and graduate student in economics, and works as a business consultant in the Midwest.

Brad Edmonds [send him mail], MS in Industrial Psychology, Doctor of Musical Arts, is a banker in Alabama.

Copyright © 2001 Karen De Coster

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