Thoughts on the coming 'discovery' of Bin Laden: the best propaganda a campaign can buy

[Eric Smith]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Eric A. Smith
Hot Damn! Design
81-03-3959-5371
address@hidden

OPINION: THOUGHTS ON THE COMING "DISCOVERY" OF BIN LADEN 
--The Best Propaganda Money can Buy

Unless preparations are made for its eventuality, the announcement of Bin 
Laden's capture will be the death-knell for the 2004 Democratic campaign. And, 
like the "heroic rescue" of Jessica Lynch or the toppling of Hussein's statue 
by "jubilant throngs" of Iraqis, it needn't even be real:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/correspondent/3028585.stm
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-scheer20may20,1,2187120.column
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1762/3907255.html

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2838.htm
 
So Democrats must have a pre-emptive strategy in place; the most obvious being, 
early in the game, to accuse the White House of sitting on Bin Laden for 
political gain. 

A better one is to launch an independent investigation to find Bin Laden first 
and announce the discovery before Rove's political operatives; this would be a 
huge coup.

In case you haven't been paying attention, this election year, Republicans are 
playing a deadly game of attrition -- death by a thousand tiny cuts, so to 
speak: extreme reprimanding in Texas, the recall of a governor in California, 
the installation of inauditable, easily "preprogrammed" DRE e-vote machines in 
as many counties as will allow them to be stuffed down their throats, 
relentless and bloody character assassinations in a bought-and-paid-for 
Murdoch-dominated media empire, absentee ballots counted by an untouchable firm 
in Kuwait, stacked courts ready to deliver decisions for which 2000's Gore vs. 
Bush set the precedent.

The odds look dire for Democrats (and, by extension, the majority of Americans, 
though they are as yet blissfully unaware of the slender thread from which all 
our liberties hang). 

But, in case you haven't connected the dots, this time the GOP is playing for 
keeps. 

Once the fix is in, there will be no turning back: by an invisible, carefully 
planned coup, the neoconservatives will have transformed America into an 
autocracy, and any remaining political opposition will be window dressing.

And so, I challenge you: this is a battle we perhaps cannot win, but, at all 
costs, MUST NOT LOSE.

The consequences of surrender will be incalculable: one by one, like dominos, 
institutions we cherish will fall -- environmental laws, social security, 
independent media, healthy advocacy groups, assistance for the unemployed, 
impoverished and disenfranchised  -- and, foremost, the right to choose our 
leaders.

We will be left with one remaining liberty: the right to choose which products 
to buy to keep the militaristic money machine well-oiled, and its minders 
well-heeled.

This year, unless YOU act -- BOLDLY, DECISIVELY, PERSISTENTLY AND INCESSANTLY 
-- the dream our forefathers nurtured to life will die.

Don't let the dream die.

Stand up and fight for America.

Stand up and fight for the vote.

This will be your last chance.

sincerely,
Eric A. Smith
Tokyo

About the author:

Eric A. Smith is a freelance journalist, editor and IT instructor living in 
Tokyo, Japan. An activist for over 25 years, he has worked with such diverse 
publications as the RTP Beacon, Common Ground and Adbusters magazine. 

Smith is currently volunteering to assist Bev Harris of Blackboxvoting.org, 
Attorney Phillip Berg in 9-11 widow Ellen Mariani's RICO suit against Bush, et 
al, and is a charter member of the Open Voting Consortium.

Smith earned his BA at the University of North Carolina in 1992, and holds MCP, 
field service technician, A+ and Network+ certifications from Microsoft, 
COMPTIA and the Control Data Institute.

He can be reached for comment at 81-03-3959-5371 or address@hidden