Saturday, August 19, 2006

The Agency, a Slight Case of Anthrax...

[Something that disturbs me and that not a little is the intravenous propaganda given the American Public through programs which, although ostensibly fiction, are presented in a format which gives the feeling of documentaries. What follows is reworked from a long critique I did in 2002 on an episode of the “The Agency”.

Please note the date. Apparently some people already knew that it was time to start fluffing the American public to accept the planned invasion of Iraq which Mr. Codpiece had decided he wanted for his very own special un-birthday present even before he placed his hand on the Book of the Holy Idaho and swore to uphold the Constitution…]

I’d never seen the “The Agency” until by chance I saw the August 6*, 2002 episode which grabbed my attention and made me aware of the extent and lengths to which mainstream media will go to influence the casual viewer.

An analysis of a single segment in a popular television series would normally have little to do with either the so-called “War on Terrorism” or the Second Iraqi War, which was later sold to us after Our Leader finished his second extended vacation on what he calls a “ranch”, but in reality is just a few hundred acres of Texas brush.

The plot of the episode revolved around a spray can of anthrax which was to be smuggled in to the US by an “Iraqi” diplomat in a diplomatic pouch.

The agents, working like clones from the old Mission Impossible television series, snitched the “Iraqi” diplomat’s bag by giving him something which made him barf uncontrollably. Alas, the pouch contained only paper – the anthrax was coming in by an entirely different route!

The program actually never said it was an Iraqi diplomat. However, the casual viewer was obviously being manipulated to be left with the exactly that impression.

That is why I took the time to write this brief analysis of the episode.

The program segment I saw and which I assume applies to the series as a whole, was intended to leave the casual viewer with good feelings about the CIA in general and in particular an understanding that Iraq posed a threat to the US – a threat of biological and/or chemical terror.

The episode opens with a scene showing a lot of dead dogs and a couple of dead kennel owners...the camera pans over the twisted bodies...

We soon learn that they all died of anthrax! Men in pearly white moon-suits muck around the kennel a bit, and then we hear a simulated TV news show where a talking head blabs on about a bit of metal that was found in the kennel wreckage which (surprise, surprise!) can only be the nozzle of an anthrax sprayer. The show is off and running!

After the opening scene we are fed a rapid series of sound bites “known facts” sprinkled with half truths and outright lies.
For example, we hear, “We sent anthrax spores to Iraq in the Reagan years...” however the faceless voice drones on to say that the reason was that Iraq could develop vaccines they might need in their war with Iran. The truth is that we sent more than 40 other biological/chemical agents to Iraq, including such sweet bugs as botulism and West Nile along with equipment and computers needed in developing ballistic missiles and atomic weapons...

“We sent the anthrax spores in the mail [but we don’t do that anymore]...” True enough, and the message is that we don’t bumble along like that anymore. If you follow the spin “we” are now up to Mission Impossible level.

Then a half-truth, “Clinton bombed Iraq to divert attention from the Monica Lewinsky affair...” – my personal memory banks tell me that although this charge was made when two factories were bombed in Africa. We bombed Iraq not once but many times during the Clinton Administration but these were in different contexts.

The “bombing of Iraq” was important to the plot as among those killed in “television Iraq” was the wife and daughter of the bad-guy in the episode, “Zimmer” from the German “Zimmer-Hofmann” terrorist gang [= Bader from the Bader-Hofmann here!].

Then we are informed, “This anthrax was altered to make it antibiotic resistant...” The spin here is that is was Iraq that had developed this super weapons-grade pathogen. The truth is that it is American research which has developed the best (as far as we know) method to aerosolize anthrax spores. Of course all American research in such deviltry is only undertaken in self-defense and we’d never ever use it, just like we’d never use the atomic bomb.

Clearly, “The Agency” is a highly manipulative program designed by media whores to mold public opinion. With good cause I assume that it is an example of the Patriotic Propaganda the media offered to produce for the government shortly after 9-11.

This purpose of this episode was to inoculate the casual viewer with the opinion that it is necessary to “stop Iraq” before they “spray us with anthrax in Washington DC”.

The script was both well and professionally written and the actors were top notch in their roles and if it was something from the Third Galaxy, I would give the whores a standing ovation. The Bankers of Illusion should be proud of themselves!

__________________
* The series only ran two seasons with 44 episodes. This episode was first aired November 8, 2001 with the title “A Slight Case of Anthrax and I saw it almost a year later in Denmark. This doesn’t change much in what I have to say. In fact, I am more impressed! Bravo!

1 comment:

Chuck Cliff said...

I dunno, Lurch. I see art and life being intimately intertwined.

My problem is not with art being political, but the purchase of art for political gratification.

When love is purchased for sexual gratification does it remain love? If not, what of art?

You're right about the cigar, a cigar is a cigar only when it is a cigar, with nothing added or taken away.