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<!-- March 23, 2003 -->

11:30 am. Chicago Airport, Terminal 5.

So far, so good.
Got off my plane @ Terminal 2, follwed someone who was directed to the Terminal 5 train (ya, it's a train). Met Chris from Mexico, whom I asked if I was in the right place. I'd had a momentary panic attack when I realized I had to take a train to T5. When Chris found out I was going to Tokyo, he was interested, so I told him about my trip. People sem to think it sounds so cool. Wish I could get that excited about it instead of having damn panic attacks. Chris helped me find the right counter and wished me luck. People are so nice.

So now I'm sitting at my gate, H8, watching CNN. It's the first time I've watch war coverage.

I'm learning there are prisoners of war. I am disturbed, not by the fact of the POWs, but by how practiced a spin doctor the guy is who's giving the report.

The CNN reporter asks: "how does this affect the outcome of the war?"

Rumsfeld answers: "The outcome is certain. Saddam's regime is over. The Iraqi people need to know that they will be lieberated within a reasonably predictable amount of time."

So, it's about liberating people, now? That's crap. That's just to get Americans and others on their side. "Yes, we're doing the right thing... look how good we are; we're freeing people!"

Do they thnk people are that stupid? First they SAY it's about weapons of mass destruction. Now, there is no evidence that these exist. So, now that they're in danger of being exposed as being WRONG, they're changing their focus? "Oh sorry, ya, I know we said it was about the weapons we were so sure they had, but since we're not sure now that they actually have any, let's pay attention to people being oppressed. We were keeping it a secret before, but we're really here to save them. Now we're really heroes!"

The CNN reporter asks: "how long will this take?"

Rumsfeld: "We'll be at it as long as it takes. NOTHING will affect the outcome: that we will overthrow this regime... blah, blah, blah"

The CNN reporter persists: "Does that mean days, weeks, months...?"

Rumsfeld: "Any number of things can affect the timeline, but nthing will affect the outcome..."

Jesus! No answers. He's only got one thing to say and no one's going to lead him away from it. Such crap. Why bother watching coverage? You don't realy learn anything. You learn what someone else wants you to see/hear. Think "Wag the Dog". Could be just like that, for all we know. I was in J-school and I remember what I and others did to tell a good story. I don't trust it.

I don't trust Rumsfeld who sits there with an impassive face and says "the Iraqi people are hostages of a viscious regime." Are they? Do they really think so, or are you just telling them that they're victims? Even if they ARE, why are we suddenly concerned with that? Why aren't we concerned with other countries whose people really ARE hostages of a "viscious regime", oppressed and too poor or uneducated to do anything about it?

I suppose in the end, it doesn't matter if I believe them. It matters if masses of people collectively absorb the idea that everything is fine: we're the good guys, they're the bad guys.

Right now, I'm only concerned that my nose is full of snot and I'm starting to get hungry and tired. I can trust that, at least.

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