In 2007 German linguist Andreas Musolff published research he had done on the text of Mein Kampf. Using a database of nearly 400,000 words, he found Hitler continually repeated the scenario of the German nation under attack from illness and disease. The disease was the Jewish population. Jews were characterized as a destructive bacillus that spreads itself further and further. The enablers of this disease were leftists and the Jewish press. Musolff explains that Hitler offered himself as the protector of Germany and his purifying nationalist ideology as the cure. In transferring terms from the realm of biology on to the realm of politics, Hitler was able to tap into common human experience and fear of disease and death. By transferring that fear into the political realm, accusing his political opponents of being agents either carrying or encouraging the spread of the disease of Judaism, he manipulated normal feelings of revulsion, but directed those feelings at an innocent target. In listening to the coverage of Ebola in the right-wing media I was reminded of Musolffs research. Of course, Ebola is not a person, but it is associated with a particular group of persons, mainly the people of West Africa. I could do without the overlay of eerie music media watchdog Media Matters has added to this compilation of clips from Fox and other conservative talk programs. But listen for the phrases listed below and the tone in which they are said. Many of these hosts claim to be just entertainers. But their tone here sounds deadly serious, alarmist, even nearly hysterical with fear. And there does seem to be a concerted effort to paint the U.S. government, the Obama administration, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as agents transmitting disease to the American people and intentionally so. (See comments for a biography of Dr.Frieden, called the chief propagandist by Fox host Bill OReilly.) Glenn Beck: Dallas is being [sacrificed by the Obama administration], it is already squeezed on its southern border. Michael Savage: Sending troops into Africa with expectation that some will be infected with intent to infect all of U.S. – [this] rises to level of treason. Laura Ingraham: We are helping Africa only out of sense of guilt, white privilege, desire to transfer wealth to. If some [Americans] are exposed, so be it. Alex Jones: Elements of government want this crisis to get out of control. Rush Limbaugh: Those at the highest levels of govt. are saying “Why shouldn’t we get Ebola, too? We’re no better than they are! …. Do not doubt me. This attitude permeates much of the American left.” Savage: Now we go into the world and look for the lepers and bring them into our cities and schools and hospitals. Because that’s the way to make things fair and equitable. … So it is only fair that America have a nice epidemic or two or three or four in order to feel what it is really like be in the third world. You have to look at it from the point of view of a leftist. Dr. Ablow: Obama thinks the real plague is the plague of colonialism. Jones: This appears to be … a pretext for more medical tyranny. Bill O’Reilly: Frieden (head of the CDC) has not appeared on his show because Frieden is afraid and not being candid, spinning the situation and not being forthcoming about how the disease .. [it is] a dumb and dangerous ruse and Frieden is the chief propagandist. Fox host : repeats O’Reilly claim that Frieden is “the chief propagandist” O’Reilly: :”What do we want a puppet out there for? Resign, have a little dignity, Frieden….” (Thanks to Diane Sherman for sharing the post from Media Matters.)
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 02:46:45 +0000
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