Sunday September 16, 2012

I've Been Thinking:

Today I saw a piece that showed just how dangerous the war of rhetoric can get. Imagination and technology are very powerful tools.

Iran is suffering from a drought. Iranian news is covering the drought - and blaming it on their enemies. It goes without saying that everyone reading or hearing the reports know that "enemies" means Israel and the US.

Here is the quote attributed to Ahmadinejad.
"The enemy destroys the clouds that are headed towards our country and this is a war Iran will win."

This kind of contrived verbal attack sends another message and it always boomerangs. Ahmadinejad's message to his people reinforces just how technologically advanced and superior the United States and Israel are over Iran. It transforms enemies into super-humans.

In a culture that feeds on conspiracies this is very, very dangerous. The rhetoric and the theories take on a life of their own, they become believable and assumed to be true.

Read my new book THUGS. It's easy. Just click.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=halpern%2C+micah

To reprint my essays contact sales (at) www.featurewell.com