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Divide And Conquer: The Government’s Propaganda Of Fear And Fake News By John & Nisha Whitehead May 9, 2024 Share “It is the function of mass agitation to exploit all the grievances, hopes, aspirations, prejudices, fears, and ideals of all the special groups that make up our society, social, religious, economic, racial, political. Stir them up. Set one against the other. Divide and conquer. That’s the way to soften up a democracy.”― J. Edgar Hoover, Masters of Deceit “Nothing is real,” observed John Lennon, and that’s especially true of politics. Much like the fabricated universe in Peter Weir’s 1998 film The Truman Show, in which a man’s life is the basis for an elaborately staged television show aimed at selling products and procuring ratings, the political scene in the United States has devolved over the years into a carefully calibrated exercise in how to manipulate, polarize, propagandize and control a population. Take the media circus that is the Donald Trump hush money trial, which panders to the public’s voracious appetite for titillating, soap opera drama, keeping the citizenry distracted, diverted and divided. This is the magic of the reality TV programming that passes for politics today. Everything becomes entertainment fodder. As long as we are distracted, entertained, occasionally outraged, always polarized but largely uninvolved and content to remain in the viewer’s seat, we’ll never manage to present a unified front against tyranny (or government corruption and ineptitude) in any form. Studies suggest that the more reality TV people watch—and I would posit that it’s all reality TV, entertainment news included—the more difficult it becomes to distinguish between what is real and what is carefully crafted farce. “We the people” are watching a lot of TV. On average, Americans spend five hours a day watching television. By the time we reach age 65, we’re watching more than 50 hours of television a week, and that number increases as we get older. And reality TV programming consistently captures the largest percentage of TV watchers every season by an almost 2-1 ratio. This doesn’t bode well for a citizenry able to sift through masterfully-produced propaganda in order to think critically about the issues of the day. Yet look behind the spectacles, the reality TV theatrics, the sleight-of-hand distractions and diversions, and the stomach-churning, nail-biting drama that is politics today, and you will find there is a method to the madness. We have become guinea pigs in a ruthlessly calculated, carefully orchestrated, chillingly cold-blooded experiment in how to control a population and advance a political agenda without much opposition from the citizenry. This is how you persuade a populace to voluntarily march in lockstep with a police state and police themselves (and each other): by ratcheting up the fear-factor, meted out one carefully calibrated crisis at a time, and teaching them to distrust any who diverge from the norm through elaborate propaganda campaigns. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest propagandists today is the U.S. Government. Add the government’s inclination to monitor online activity and police so-called “disinformation,” and you have the makings of a restructuring of reality straight out of Orwell’s 1984, where the Ministry of Truth polices speech and ensures that facts conform to whatever version of reality the government propagandists embrace. This “policing of the mind” is exactly the danger Author Jim Keith warned about when he predicted that “information and communication sources are gradually being linked together into a single computerized network, providing an opportunity for unheralded control of what will be broadcast, what will be said, and ultimately what will be thought.” You may not hear much about the government’s role in producing, planting and peddling propaganda-driven fake news—often with the help of the corporate news media—because the powers-that-be don’t want us skeptical of the government’s message or its corporate accomplices in the mainstream media. However, when you have Social Media giants colluding with the government in order to censor so-called disinformation, all the while the mainstream news media, which is supposed to act as a bulwark against government propaganda, has instead become the mouthpiece of the world’s largest corporation (the U.S. Government), the Deep State has grown dangerously out-of-control. This has been in the works for a long time. Veteran Journalist Carl Bernstein, in his expansive 1977 Rolling Stone piece “The CIA and the Media,” reported on Operation Mockingbird, a CIA campaign started in the 1950’s to plant intelligence reports among reporters at more than 25 major newspapers and wire agencies, who would then regurgitate them for a public oblivious to the fact that they were being fed government propaganda. In some instances, as Bernstein showed, members of the media also served as extensions of the surveillance state, with reporters actually carrying out assignments for the CIA. Executives with CBS, the New York Times and Time Magazine also worked closely with the CIA to vet the news. If it was happening then, you can bet it’s still happening today, only this collusion has been reclassified, renamed and hidden behind layers of government secrecy, obfuscation and spin. In its article, “How the American government is trying to control what you think,” the Washington Post points out “Government agencies historically have made a habit of crossing the blurry line between informing the public and propagandizing.” This is mind-control in its most sinister form. The end goal of these mind-control campaigns—packaged in the guise of the greater good—is to see how far the American people will allow the government to go in re-shaping the country in the image of a totalitarian police state. The government’s fear-mongering is a key element in its mind-control programming. It’s a simple enough formula. National crises, global pandemics, reported terrorist attacks, and sporadic shootings leave us in a constant state of fear. The emotional panic that accompanies fear actually shuts down the prefrontal cortex or the rational thinking part of our brains. In other words, when we are consumed by fear, we stop thinking. A populace that stops thinking for themselves is a populace that is easily led, easily manipulated and easily controlled whether through propaganda, brainwashing, mind control, or just plain fear-mongering. Fear not only increases the power of government, but it also divides the people into factions, persuades them to see each other as the enemy and keeps them screaming at each other so that they drown out all other sounds. In this way, they will never reach consensus about anything and will be too distracted to notice the police state closing in on them until the final crushing curtain falls. This Machiavellian scheme has so ensnared the nation that few Americans even realize they are being brainwashed—manipulated—into adopting an “us” against “them” mindset. All the while, those in power—bought and paid for by lobbyists and corporations—move their costly agendas forward. This unseen mechanism of society that manipulates us through fear into compliance is what American Theorist Edward L. Bernays referred to as “an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.” It was almost 100 years ago when Bernays wrote his seminal work Propaganda: “We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of... In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” To this invisible government of rulers who operate behind the scenes—the architects of the Deep State—we are mere puppets on a string, to be brainwashed, manipulated and controlled. All of the distracting, disheartening, disorienting news you are bombarded with daily is being driven by propaganda churned out by one corporate machine (the corporate-controlled government) and fed to the American people by way of yet another corporate machine (the corporate-controlled media). “For the first time in human history, there is a concerted strategy to manipulate global perception. And the mass media are operating as its compliant assistants, failing both to resist it and to expose it,” writes Investigative Journalist Nick Davies. So where does that leave us? Americans should beware of letting others—whether they be television news hosts, political commentators or media corporations—do their thinking for them. A populace that cannot think for themselves is a populace with its backs to the walls: mute in the face of elected officials who refuse to represent us, helpless in the face of police brutality, powerless in the face of militarized tactics and technology that treat us like enemy combatants on a battlefield, and naked in the face of government surveillance that sees and hears all. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, it’s time to change the channel, tune out the reality TV show, and push back against the real menace of the police state. If not, if we continue to sit back and lose ourselves in political programming, we will remain a captive audience to a farce that grows more absurd by the minute. Editor’s Note: John Whitehead is an Attorney and Author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Popular Culture. John Whitehead's Commentary are his views and he is open for discussion, he can be contacted at: johnw@rutherford.org . Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at: www.rutherford.org . Carl Bernstein's 25,000-word cover story, published in Rolling Stone on October 20, 1977 can be found online at: https://www.carlbernstein.com/the-cia-and-the-media-rolling-stone-10-20-1977 < Previous News Next News >

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Drink God’s Water, Help Save Haiti By Austin Torres - Aventura Digest September 16, 2021 Share Local Entrepreneur Creates Charity to Help Victims of the Earthquake in Haiti On August 14th 2021 Haiti was stricken by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, claiming the lives of 2,248 people and injuring over 12,000 others. Homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods have all taken a brutal hit, leaving thousands of citizens to pick up the broken pieces. This event marks yet another moment in history of tragedy for Haiti. Paul-B Carré, a local citizen, real estate guru and auction bidding specialist, and ambassador to the Diaspora Power– an organization whose goal it is to rally Haitians across the globe to help support causes that could improve the conditions of their home country– saw in this tragedy a God-given chance to give back to his community. Upon receiving a pallet of water from Syllas food store, a supporter of the Diaspora Power, Paul had an epiphany. The cost of shipping the pallet of water (60 cases of 40 bottles, 2400 in total) to Haiti, is more than the price of the water itself. Realizing this, Paul decided that it would be more effective to give the water away in exchange for donations that could be sent directly to the communities affected by the earthquake where they could spend it on water as well as other necessary resources. To implement this, Paul has created his own official charity: “It’s called God’s Free Water, it’s essential to life. I realized I can give this water out for free, thirsty people can get the water they need and we can also help Haiti get the support they need, and perhaps I can get a donation in return from those that want to give back,” said Paul. Paul’s philosophy is simple. We have been blessed with an abundance of water, so why not give it away for free? “It’s natural, it’s from God. I just feel it’s right to give the water back.” Paul will work with volunteers to hand out water for free with an option to donate. All proceeds will be sent to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. But it doesn’t end there, Paul also hopes to expand his charity and give to other causes, choosing at the moment to focus more on Haiti. “Although everything we receive at the moment will be sent back to Haiti, our program will not be limited to this. We will keep on passing out water on the streets with volunteers and I will accept donations for different causes such as the children of St. Jude, Camillus House for the homeless, and any other just causes that need support. I just want to give back to humanity,” said Paul. From the moment he was born, Paul was thrust into an environment that put special emphasis on communal participation and social and political awareness. His father, Hubert Carré, was a Haitian diplomat for over 45 years, under 4 different governments, and spoke 7 languages. Due to his father’s occupation Paul moved frequently and was raised not only in Haiti, but also South America, Europe, and Africa. This upbringing would go on to influence Paul in notable ways, inspiring him to be a contributing member of his community. Since July of 2021, Paul has been acting Ambassador to the Diaspora Power, a non-profit 501c3 organization whose objective is to work globally with Haitian communities in the Diaspora to bring an end to hunger and to considerably reduce poverty in Haiti. According to the UN, 1.5 million people are facing food insecurity, and 6.7 million are struggling to meet their food needs on a regular basis. This has been further exacerbated by the 2010 and 2021 earthquakes. As ambassador, Paul’s works together with other members of the Haitians diaspora (those living in different parts of the globe other than their homeland) to help directly fund projects that could benefit their community back home. “As an ambassador my job is to unify and put together projects where I can get the community together to donate towards specific projects that can help out back home.” Although he has only recently begun his position as Ambassador, Paul has worked with the Diaspora Power and other organizations for several years. On January 18th, After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Paul worked with the Gaskov Clergé Foundation to team up with doctors and bring supplies back to the communities afflicted by the catastrophe. “In 2010 I rallied 60 doctors and went on to a C-130 out of the air force here in South Florida and was part of a team that brought back home 60,000 pounds of medication and water,” said Paul. As a pillar of the community, it’s Paul’s greatest ambition to continue to give back as much as he can. Aside from raising money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake and other organizations with the express intent of making the world a better place, Paul also hopes to get the youth, especially those that have a troubled history, involved as volunteers who he can also mentor on how to give back to the community and teach them how to give back to the community. At the moment, Paul intends to begin handing out water on the corner of I-95 and Hallandale Blvd where he will also hand out pamphlets with verses from the Bible, but he also intends on targeting other locations as he begins to gather more volunteers for his organization. God’s Free Water is currently accepting and inviting any citizens to join in and volunteer. Currently, water is being stored by supporter and friend, Aaron Moss, President and coowner of Appetites, a custom catering solutions business that specializes in cold meal packaging, and shipping. Together, they are hoping to also begin sending out 50,000 meals bi-weekly to those in need, paid for by the Diaspora Power. For more information on how you can volunteer and contribute to God’s Water and The Diaspora Power you can visit their websites at http://thediasporapower.com/ and http://godsfreewater.org/ You can also contact God’s Free Water at 786.743.1129. God’s Free Water is an officially recognized charity, EIN: 87-2531972. We encourage you all to join in, participate and take action to assist the victims of the Haiti Earthquake. Together, with the help of the community we can provide resources and support for those in need and collectively work together to create a stronger more united community. “My favorite part of running this business is the fact that I’m giving back to humanity. It gives me the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment.” < Previous News Next News >

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It's All Happening This May: At The Broward Center For The Performing Arts May 9, 2024 Share Singer Shemekia Copeland and Whee In 1st World Tour as well as The Classical Mystery Tour join Comics Jim Jeffries and the duo from the Reality Gays Podcast at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts this month. The venue also showcases students in three productions and offers two events designed to welcome children and adults on the Autism Spectrum as well as individuals with other sensitivity issues or developmental disabilities. Check out what's happening, they have it all this month. Self-professed “Southern Queens,” Jake Anthony and Matt Marr bring the Reality Gays Podcast “If You Can Dream It” to the Abdo New River Room on Friday, May 10th at 8:00 p.m. as part of The Truist Comedy Series. The duo adores reality shows about lonely hearts looking for love and are here to dish like your gay BFF. They recap it all including TLC's 90 Day Fiancé and Seeking Sister Wives as well as Netflix’s Love is Blind and other shows featuring people who are just hot messes looking for love. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Performance Project present Mean Girls, High School Version performed by students of the Youth Teen Spring Musical class grades 9-12, in the Amaturo Theater on Friday, May 10th at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 11th at 8:00 p.m. Based on the Paramount Pictures film Mean Girls and adapted from Tina Fey's 2004 blockbuster film and the Broadway smash hit with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin, Mean Girls High School Version is a fearless musical about chasing popularity and being true to yourself. When a high school student moves to suburban Illinois, she is confronted with the wild and vicious ways of the school’s popularity pecking order. When she goes undercover to end the popular girls’ hateful rule, the lines between her real and pretend selves become blurred and she must find her way back to herself and her true friends. This show features students from the Performance Project and the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center at the Broward Center. Mean Girls High School Version is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. The Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles comes to the Au-Rene Theater as part of The Allegro Fort Lauderdale Mosaic Series on Saturday, May 11th at 8:00 p.m. Experience over two dozen of The Beatles’ greatest hits, transcribed note-for-note and performed as originally recorded, with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra and four musicians who look and sound just like the original Fab Four! Hear “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section, experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with acoustic guitar and string quartet, enjoy the classical/rock blend on “I Am the Walrus,” relish the cascading orchestral crescendo on “A Day in the Life,” and so much more. It’s the best of The Beatles, from the early years on through the solo years, accompanied by the South Florida Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestra Sebrina Alfonso. No experience is necessary to enjoy the interactive and engaging All Abilities event on Sunday, May 12th at 11:00 a.m. in the JM Family Studio and the David & I. Lorraine Thomas Creative Learning Suites. The class will be divided into one for ages 4-14 and another for those 15 and older. The event is followed by refreshments. All Abilities classes are made possible with support from the Taft Foundation. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and Outback Presents bring comic Jim Jeffries in the “Give ‘em What They Want” Tour to the Au-Rene Theater on Saturday, May 18th at 7:00 p.m. One of the most popular and respected comedians of his generation, he has made fans with his provocative, belief-challenging, and thought-provoking comedy. Honored as Stand-Up Comedian of the Year at the Just for Laughs Festival in summer 2019, Jeffries’ ninth stand up special Intolerant came out on Netflix last year and he currently hosts his own podcast I Don't Know About That with Jim Jefferies. He has also appeared on Legit on FX and The Jim Jefferies Show on Comedy Central. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and South Florida Cappies, Inc. present the 22nd Annual Cappies Awards celebrating outstanding achievement in high school theater on Tuesday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m. in the Au-Rene Theater. Nominees from 26 schools in Broward and Palm Beach will compete for the awards in 48 categories recognizing performers, orchestras, designers, technicians, publicists and critics. Modeled after Broadway's Tony Awards, the Cappies Awards will feature songs and scenes from the top-nominated shows. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts has been selected by Music Theater International (MTI) to be among the first in the country to produce DreamWorks Theatricals Trolls the Musical Jr., a brand-new original musical prior to its official release. The musical will be presented in the Amaturo Theater at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 23rd and Friday, May 24th. Broward Center students will perform in the musical under the direction of Broward Center artist-in-residence Tammy Holder. Audiences will join Poppy and her merry band of Trolls in a brand-new musical adventure set after the events of the first film. In the vibrant land of Berganland, trouble brews when a strict foreign emissary threatens to disrupt the cheerful world where the Trolls love to sing, dance and perform. With the threat of being turned into a diplomatic dish by a vengeful Chef looming over them, Poppy and her friends must revamp their show to meet the high expectations. This fun-filled, cheeky romp that only the Trolls can deliver features catchy songs, lively dances, uproarious comedy and, of course, plenty of vivid colors. Guests are invited to come early to participate in free activities for the whole family. Pre-show activities include friendship bracelet arts and crafts, a Trolls-themed selfie station, giveaways and a Trolls costume contest. A special sensory-inclusive performance of DreamWorks Theatricals Trolls the Musical Jr. will take place on Saturday, May 25th at 10:30 a.m. At the sensory-inclusive performance, guests will enjoy pre-show activities with Young At Art and a post-show meet and greet with the cast. This performance creates a welcoming and supportive environment for children and adults on the Autism Spectrum as well as individuals with other sensitivity issues or developmental disabilities. An area adjacent to the theater has been designated as the ABA Centers of Florida Sensory Quiet Room with a specially trained therapist to provide audience support. Award-Winning Blues, Soul, and Americana singer Shemekia Copeland performs in the Amaturo Theater on Saturday, May 25th at 8:00 p.m. Possessing one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time, she is known worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory music. Delivering each song she performs with unmatched passion, she won the 2021 Blues Music Award as the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. On her new Alligator album, Done Come Too Far, Copeland continues the story she began telling on her groundbreaking America's Child and the Grammy-nominated Uncivil War, reflecting her vision of America's past, present and future. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and AEG Presents bring the 2024 Whee In 1st World Tour: “Whee In the Mood [Beyond]” to the Au-Rene Theater on Wednesday, May 29th at 7:30 p.m. The first Mamamoo member to debut as a soloist, Whee In released the album Magnolia in 2019, followed by Soar and the extended play releases Redd and Whee. Following her first studio album, IN the Mood, she is on a tour described as “the beginning of everything, ever changing. This place will pass the limits of yesterday and gift diversity.” Also in May, Vienna Trend Events LLC presents Fire of Anatolia, May 16th; Dance Now! Miami: Pop, May 17th; and Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center presents Israeli Dance Festival 24, May 26th. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center and The Parker. Buy tickets online at: www.BrowardCenter.org - Or: www.Ticketmaster.com - By phone at: (954) 462-0222. In person at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 Southwest Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304. For more information, visit: www.BrowardCenter.org - Subscribe to their channel at: www.YouTube.com/user/BrowardCenter - And join the conversation with: #BrowardCenter. For more information, visit: www.BrowardCenter.org . < Previous News Next News >