How misleading can a “news” article get? Try this headline: “Federal Reserve bombing plot foiled in NYC” (see here). There never was a plot to foil. There never was an independent plot to foil. The plot was of the FBI’s own devising and instigation. What? Did the FBI foil its own plot? This makes no sense. The FBI simply terminated a procedure to entrap some naive would-be bomber. The FBI even helped him select his imaginary target. “FBI arrests dupe” is more like it, or “FBI stings dupe”, or “FBI concludes bombing sting with an arrest”.
A sting operation like this doesn’t foil anything. It SETS UP someone for a fall. It’s an enhanced frame-up done with the FBI-encouraged participation of the person framed. The FBI agents literally become criminals, conspire as criminals, further the planned crime, and create the crime. They should arrest themselves.
The big negative from this is its propaganda value. It keeps alive the myth that America is under constant terrorist threats. It keeps alive the myth that massive resources must be allocated to federal agencies to counter these threats. It keeps alive the myth that the U.S. needs to remake the Muslim world in order to keep America safe. It keeps alive the myth that Americans must abandon the Bill of Rights or their natural rights in order to be secure from these threats.
These stings are ways to create a big bad BOGEYMAN that really doesn’t exist.
5:46 am on October 18, 2012
