‘Muchrakers’ is the term used for those looking through garbage for dirt on others. Generally, muckrakers are looked down upon by others in the news media. But, sometimes a muckraker does turn up something of real importance. Several of the more seedy Washington, DC area newspaper reporters employ others to literally look through the garbage bins of prominent personages in the hopes of turning up an important nugget of importance.
Suppose such a find appeared today in print in one of the more ‘yellow’ yellowsheets found around the city.? A muckraker strikes pure gold hunting through cans of rubbish left for pickup outside the Karl Rove residence. Rove is normally very careful about leaving incriminating written evidence lying around so the find was a surprise. Speculation is that perhaps Rove was distracted by the possibility of molesting a teenage boy or some other similar neocon joy. Nonetheless there it was, scrawled in longhand on yellow legal paper. We quote it here in it’s imagined entirety (spelling & syntax corrected of course!) :
“Towards a More Perfect Fascist State:
I. Convince the masses - any means that works. (First, you must get your man in office!).
A. Use any group that is easily convinced - like rednecks, simpleminded, militia groups, gun owners associations, etc.
B. Get the religious crazies working for you.
(Reward groups with taxpayer grants, educational funding, etc.)
II. Use fear. Fear is a great weapon. It causes people to stop thinking rationally. If you can convince people there’s something to be afraid of and you can ‘protect’ them, you are 3/4 of the way home.
A. A common threat is good.
B. Fabricate information to introduce fear. It is helpful to ‘doctor’ intelligence information if it doesn’t fit your view.
C. Shout down opposition - slam anyone who tries to get the actual truth out.
III. Use dirty tricks. A. Blame the opposition for exactly what you are doing yourself.
(Example: say they are in control of the media!)
B. Use malicious propaganda. The truth won’t matter when you’ve won.
(See control the media below)
C. Fabricate outrageous stories about the opposition. (See the ‘truth doesn’t matter above)
D. Employ personal attacks on any opposition possible - these need not be based on fact as rumor and insinuation are often as good and sometimes even better.
E. Control the blogosphere for your side. Set up multiple ‘dummy’ sites staffed and controlled by your own operatives.
F. (For 'frig 'em!) - masquerade as the other side playing dirty tricks back on your side - insuring that they are found out of course! (This is a great, time proven tactic!)
IV. Gain control the media. A. Encourage consolidation of media outlets under a few large companies under your control. (Not a big deal if you are in a position to dispense legislative favors!)
B. Control the media with threats against individuals - imprisonment if need be.
(Order actual imprisonment when needed - hold victim incommunicado, identity as ‘terrorist threat’, etc. This has the distinct advantage of silencing that entity.)
C. Encourage large corporations to pressure the media on your behalf.
(Use tax breaks, grants as rewards when needed. It's only taxpayers’ money after all)
D. Introduce misinformation to support your view whenever possible. Use your controlled blogosphere freely. Be lavish with the funding for this as it will pay off handsomely.
V. Guarantee continuity or your side. A. “Dumb down” the constituency by reducing funds for public schools.
(Works hand in hand with funding religious crazies who will be promoting for your side!)
B. Control the vote counting apparatus.
(If called to account, throw up smoke screens, lay blame, excuses, etc., but importantly, accept zero responsibility. It helps to have a controllable court system!)
C. Cover up any unpleasant news for your side.
D. Blow out of proportion anything against the opposition possible. Manufacture bad news for the opposition if none available.
D. Claim the reverse of fact - i.e., ‘black is white’ tactics.
E. Constantly reiterate the threats to ‘public’ & ‘National Security’.
(Create out of whole clothe when needed)
Properly employed, the tactics above will guarantee success for your Fascist programs - even to the point of the 'huddled masses' cheering for your side!
