Fires and FOXNews' Fear Factor
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Oct 24, 2007 8:30am 
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Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow discuss Pravda's FOXNews's Fox & Friends laughably pathetic attempt to scare their viewers by suggesting a link between Al Qaeda and the wild fires in Southern California, which (surprise, surprise) parallel Bush's own exaggerated claims on his "success" in fighting the "war" on terror.
KO: Why are these guys and the rest of the right so in love with the trappings of patriotism and at the same time, helping Al Qaeda by manufacturing these super-human powers that Al Qaeda supposedly has? [..]
RM: They have to come up with super-human powers for Al Qaeda because they want to use Al Qaeda to justify a super-extreme agenda for the United States of America. If you really, really want to radically transform our government and radically transform who we are as a country; if you want East German style policing, and people informing on their neighbors, and you want to get rid of the Fourth Amendment, and you want endless wars conducted for profit; if you want to completely get rid of the safety net function and the regulatory function of the government; if you have an agenda that radical, you better have a really radical justification for it. And so they have to elevate this band of death cults, fundamentalist criminals into a threat that is greater than the Soviet Union ever was when they not only had a military but they had thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at our country. They have to make Al Qaeda even worse than that.
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Can Fox NOISE get any lower??? Do they not see what something like this can do to the so-called reputation they have, even to their own viewers who expect even a hint of legitimate and CORRECT news???
Wow, next thing you know they'll have exclusives on the fact these so-called Al Qaida arsonists came here from Iran, at which time Cheney would orgasmically exclaim to all within earshot at the Pentagon CHAAARGE!!!!
Pathetic, it really is.
Why doesn't Rachel have her own TV show?
I watched this last night and Rachel's words were like a soothing balm on an area of pain. She got it so right. I had to laugh at Fox's insinuation that AQ was behind the fires, as it turns out Fox was waaaaaaaaay behind with their story. Funny how desperate they are to connect anything bad that happens with terrorism. Every time my cat coughs up a hair ball I'm sure they could make a terrorist connection one way or another.
When bush asked which of the attacks we would have not wanted him to prevent, that sounded like the last straw in a losing debate. He looked so smug like he thought he had the winning card with that question. Pitiful and stupid too.
as it turns out Fox was waaaaaaaaay behind with their story.
You got that right - they're using a FOUR YEAR OLD memo based on an article from a major Arizona newspaper written by a reporter not even working there anymore which stated this was all speculation.
But to Fox, that was news - and a four year old memo was exaggerated to something they claim was presented only five days ago.
Sigghhhhh...the 2008 GOP slogan - VOTE STUPID...VOTE REPUBLICAN! NO, WE'RE SERIOUS...VOTE FOR US, STUPID!!!
Sadly the fox viewers probably don't watch Keith so they probably still think there is a possibility that terrorists are behind the fires.
That's what fox does, they throw bits and pieces of bullshit out there and their gullible viewers gobble them up and don't realize that more than half of what they are fed is foolishness.
Today we are hearing that arsonists may have started some of the fires. This will morph into terrorists and fox viewers will hear al qaeda.
Remember when we thought that AQ shot down the space shuttle? Good times.
Looks like Fox used Bill O'Reilly's fact checkers for that story. hahaha
I love Rachel and Keith.
Patricia,
Don't forget they'll say these Al Qaida arsonists are also from IRAN!
Rachel said it simply and beautifully.
Katie Couric this morning was trying desperately to make the connection.
And if the wildfires were caused by terrorists, then what? Does this prove that the Republican plan is working.
We're fighting them over there, so they can attack us here?
I think it is way more likley that someone set the fire to avoid losing their home to foreclosure. In real estate downturns, friction fires become more common. All those insurance papers rubbing together can cause massive damages.
I burned my sinuses with hot coffee when I tuned in for some fail-safe morning humor with the Fox & Friends crew earlier this week.
They continually wondered out-loud about the possibility that the fires were the work of...
dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnnnnnn...TERRORISTS!!!
more likely started by a handful of lonely 24 year-old sociopaths who didn't get into the seminary.
Not only are they from Iran, but I'm guessing they donated to Hillary's campaign recently. Hell, might as well get as much bullshit traction as possible out of this event.
Yesterday on Fox they were saying that the fires were the fault of environmentalist. Immediately following that remark they said the Democrats were going to try to use the disaster for political reasons and it was too early and no time to start pointing fingers.
In the "boom-n-bust" that is capitalism, we are in the midst of a particularly strong bust. All that Ms. Maddox speaks of is standard procedure in such a case. Over and over again. . .The anarchic use of the socialized means of production leads to greater and greater concentration of wealth, leaving the producers awash in stuff they can't use. If we had socialist use of the socialized means of production, the savings brought about by socializing the means of production would go to all. Rather than individual billionaires.
But it's a long road we got to hoe in these United States.
Keith Olbermann - one of the few good guys and actual news reporters that actually do a good job of reporting the news.
You hear that you bigot Glenn Beck!
Do ALL the people at FOX looks so frigging soapy and white. Don't these creeps ever get out of the FOX-Hole? They looks like something Mattel dreamed up. (and so does their "news")
Of course! It wouldn't be Fox, would it? And don't be surprised if Malkin or Billbo tries to link it with illegal immigration since its so close to the border. Wagers?
chronic bedwetter Steve Doocy probably gets urine on the green screen
Wow... how... fucking... stupid. So I guess every single one of those wildfires in SoCal that occurred every five years or so for the past 50 years were caused by Al Queda instead of say, lightning strikes, kids playing with matches, a runaway campfire, etc. in an overdeveloped arid environment.
This is Standard Operating Procedure for Fox.
They are executing their role as administration PR flacks. If the White House needs to Americans to be more frightened in order to advance their agenda, Fox is there. If they need to distract the nation from other White House failures, Fox is there.
Isn't it interesting that studies show that Fox reports on the war in Iraq much less than the other cable nets? Yet when they do, it's all about creating panic. Notice that they persistently remind their viewers via their on-screen crawl that our terrorist threat level is "elevated."
These are just more reasons why Fox needs to be marginalized in the media and all Democrats and progressives must refuse to appear on Fox.
• Detox from Fox: Starve The Beast
The neocons claim that jesus started the fires, and snotFox says it's al Qeada. So, I have no doubt that some reichwing wacko will start saying that al Qeada and jesus are working together to fight immorality.
BTW, Olbermann ripped into Malkin last night on Worst. He's so good about ripping the shit out of someone but in such a smart and classy way.
You guys have to post that viddy. Off topic, carry on!
Listen up, America!
This morning, I walked outside my house to find that the left rear tire on my van was FLAT! That tire was a pretty new one (with only around 30,000 miles on it), so there's only one possible explanation....
The terrorists did it! They obviously hate us for our freedom to drive to work in our vans!
We must flatten their houses over there so they can't flatten out tires over here!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
This country is (turning into) a mere shell of what it was just 6 years ago. The lemmings have come home to roost and, seemingly, aren't leaving any time soon. I say lemmings because the DODO BIRD is extinct.
911 was a pretext to imprison people on no charges, the police are using a credit system of chargeing people and extorting them for whatever they think they can get. I have been to 5 red states in the last 2 1/2 years and they are all building new jail to expand the powers of a toltarian state.
By the way, lest we forget, Russia still have thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at our country. And vice versa. That has not gone away.
I thought everyone knew al Qaeda has magic carpets.
But seriously, al Qaeda is smarter than chimpy's administration, trickier than chimpy's administration, they are faster than chimpy's administration, and don't care if they die because they will receive virgins in heaven.
I don't get it. We give billions and billions on chimpy's war and Iraq doesn't have an army nor up-to-date weaponry.
chimpy is one fat nutcase with blood on his little, effeminate hands.
Look how chimpy gets all fake out angry when he doesn't get his way.
Impeach, convict, destroy their world as they destroyed ours.
craig @ 2:
For real! She is a goldmine.
Stirfry, someone called in to Washington Journal on C-Span this morning and tried to blame the fire on illegal immigrants. She also tried to blame some train derailments on them too. She had no justification for her comments, just wild assed speculation. I guess the progression out be that if the arsonists were AQ terrorist from Iran they would be by definition illegal immigrants.
Hey, I'm pretty good at this. Wonder if there is a opening at fox for a fictional news writer.
Florida Appeals Court Ruling : FOX News Lies are not Illegal
FOX news sued for the right to lie, and won
http://www.netscape.com/member/LocalYokle/activity/rss
I wonder how the cold war would've ended up if we had fix'd news back then..
Let's try this again
I guess the progression would be that if the arsonists were AQ terrorist from Iran they would be by definition illegal immigrants.
Forget about that writing job at fox. I need to learn to write sentences that make sense before I apply.
Of course the fires are linked to Al Qaeda!! Fires hate freedom!!
Incidentally so does your mom...seriously...
[Deleted]
I think giggling overcame fear quite some time ago with Bush's statement 'oceans no longer protect us.' Jon Stewart still repeats that one from time to time, and it still gets a laugh.
On a more serious note, what Rachel Maddow refers to as 'the great rhetorical flab' is amply demonstrated by the short clip of Bush speaking in Olbermann's report. There are a number of dubious assertions, chief of which is, "despite the fact that our professionals used lawful techniques."
Lawful if and only if you actually ignore the law, and the objections of the Department of Justice officials asked to determine whether the administration is in compliance. Oh, and if you fire anyone who doesn't follow the party line. IOW, the same sorry techniques we have witnessed time and again in the justification of the Iraq war and the NSA warrantless wiretapping program.
I'm curious.
If they're torturing a suspect in Gitmo or Abu Ghraib, and he would confess anything to stop the torture, including non-existant plots, so of course the plot is never carried out, does booshco consider that a success in the War on (T)error?
Al Qaeda is certainly working for FOX News... I mean the terror involved of directing the sheep (and the children) off a cliff in a methodical derangement that pushes our country's 25%ers toward full-fledged serial killing! 9-11! Katrina! Fires in California! Iraq! Scandal! Larry Craig! Foley! Mega-church gayness! Jena 6! The ice caps melting! Gore's Nobel! Macaca! Virginia Tech! All these things have a common thread! No! Not the fact that FAUX Newsiness (and others) covered each of them with mind numbing partisanship! No! It's their commonality! Al Qaeda was behind them all! Those ruthless bastards are everywhere!
We must be vigilant! Wear no towels on our heads! Duct tape! Forget about box-knives! Let's lose a little liberty! Jenny Craig our freedoms to end the
FOX- al Qaeda reign of terror! Go to church! Pray! Shop! Invest in big oil!Haliburton!–I mean… Halleluiah!Chicago Joe @ 8:
Speaking on that. chimpy has the nerve to say Iran is supplying Iraq with weapons to kill our troops. chimpy invades and occupies Iraq for no reason and then gets pissed when they defend themselves.
GTFOOH
So far, one man is in custody under suspicion of having started a fire Tuesday in Hesperia. The man fled but was tracked by police via helicopter and arrested. Area residents extinguished the fire. It is NOT known whether the suspect is connected with any the other blazes.
A second man was shot and killed near a university campus in San Bernardino. He was not known to have set any fires, but attempted to flee by ramming several police cars. Authorities have not identified the suspect other than to say he was a 27 year-old man from Arizona, and that they do not know if he is an arsonist. (This probably got the FOX News interns all abuzz, since the 2003 FBI memo apparently mentioned the arson plot being in Arizona.)
Wasn't there some stupidity along the same lines during Katrina, that al-Qaeda had talked about blowing up the levees or something?
Seems ridiculous, but let's not forget about the high-value targets our Homeland Security Dept. is busy fretting over (NY Times, 7/12/06):
Old MacDonald’s Petting Zoo, the Amish Country Popcorn factory, the Mule Day Parade, the Sweetwater Flea Market and an unspecified “Beach at End of a Street.”
Don't forget, Faux has super duper mega duper ratings
Weaseldog @ 10:
Are you kidding me? Are you (bleep)ing kidding me?? Someone let this crap go to air?
Katie C. and everyone at FoxNews need to be fired and never allowed near a news station, much less a camera, again. They truly think we're idiots.
Watching Faux "News" makes people cranky and distrustful of others.
Besides, if AQ was responsible for the California Wildfires, then how is the Bush administration keeping us safe from Terrorist attacks? Doesn't that mean that they have attcked us "over here" and that GWB has not prevented a terrorist attack since 9/11??? Hmmm? they can't have it both ways, but they sure do try....
why do these people hate freedom??
Never a better Rhodes scholar to come out of Casto Valley ca, than Ms. Maddow.
And it's good to see her on Keith Obermans show instead of having to be the counterpart to Pat Buchanen. That man whines so much!
ysbaddaden @ 34:
Yes.
Think of all the times they trotted out Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Abu Zubaydah, and even Khalid Sheik Mohammed to warn us of impending terrorist doom, even though these guys had been in the can for years, and probably had as much knowledge of the current al-Qaeda playbook as the Oakland Raiders know of the Boston Red Sox' pitching signals.
That our 'amazing successes' in stopping domestic plots completely disproves the 'fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here' bushshit goes right past the media.
Joementum @ 38:
As I remarked in my blog back in July, 2006:
I think we need a new national initiative, the Security vs. Terrorists Using Public-Intended Domestic Beaches Adjacent to Streets and Threatening America's Recreational Destinations Statewide, or STUPID BASTARDS for short.
Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow make a good team for news, analysis , and commentary. Acuracy in reporting, and common sense is rarely found in todays media.
I hope to see them together more often.
Yo, FAUX ... what happened to justifying the Chickenhawk in Chief's War on Whatever as fighting al Qaeda in Iraq so we wouldn't have to fight them here?
:: crickets ::
You know, painting a bulls-eye on the troops and inviting the Osama Saddama al Zwahiri Zarkawi baaaaaad maaaaaaan du jour to bring it on?
Is FAUX admitting that that particular retroactive goalpost shift to justify the invasion of Iraq has failed? Shouldn't this massive failure be coupled with an immediate call to bring the troops home?
Or is the suck-it-more deal still in place to use yet another administration SNAFU to demand yet another blank fucking check to underwrite their abject failure?
Dems ... Congress ... Bueller?
.
It's called Propoganda
Entire Fortunes of the old "Elites" are dependent upon oil.
Thats the bottom line.
pissed off patricia @ 31:
No, no. Your sentences don't need to make sense to work there. Silly girl.
Rachel... Keith...
my two favorites!!!!
love you two..
Dr. Matt @ 39:
Fortunately, they've been falling for the past two or three years... unfortunately, not fast enough.
Little known fact: Bill Clinton, Saddam Hussein, and al Qaeda built the San Andreas fault.
action allert!!!!!! after alkidas dastardly attacks by fire on sandiego, aided by irans help, it has been observed that stange looking people dressed in iranian garb have been observed jumping up and down forcefully near the new madrid faultline that runs thru the mid west , billy graham and many cristofashists urge presnut bush to send the national guard to the area to kill these terriorists , when asked by wolf blitzer why this was so alarming , rev graham replyed they are trying to dislodge the plates on the new madrid fault and induce a major earth quake in the indiana illinoise area, wolfie gasped ,[thoes damned iranians got to die, and once again cnn had a story to keep going on 24 hours aday untill brittinay speers shows her who haw off getting out of her mersadies!
Damn, Tyree! If you aren't writing for fox news, you should be. That was great.
i know !i know it sounds increduious but its news!
thanks pop ,its just im finaly going over the edge!!!!!!
Seems Fox shot a hole in Dubya's "there ain't been no terristical goings on in the US since 9/11" blather. Can't wait to hear the tape where al Qaeda takes credit. Don't they always take credit?
One of my first reactions to the southern Ca.'s fires was to suggest that if Al Quaida's PR department was on the ball, they'd lay claim to arson. But it never occurred to me that might be considered a feather in the cap of George Bush and and the GOP.
Right on for Rachel. Another great analysis. She is one of the finest progressive hosts on radio these days, and I listen to her show whenever I get the chance. Hope she keeps up the great work!
Hitler and the Nazis manufactured an imaginary threat to the "fatherland" by the Jews. bush and the Neo-Nazis are busily manufacturing a threat to the "homeland" by the Muslims. Funny how similar it all is.
The Nazis, led by Hitler, invaded countries using preemptive wars - in the name of the Third Reich. The Christofascists, led by bush, invade countries using preemptive wars - in the name of jeebus and the Rapture. Funny how similar it all is.
Hitler was insane and caused the death of millions - the world now accepts that fact. bush too is insane, but it may take a while for the world to accept it. When the atrocities of the cheney/bush government become known in full, history will record that bush was as insane, if not more so, than Hitler.
Faux News, of course, deserves nothing but contempt for being the strongest tool in bush's evil toolbox.
Ms. Maddow's statement is probably the single most cogent and succinct I've heard to encapsulate this idiocy, and it ought to be made into leaflets and dropped from airplanes. Or tattooed on Cheney's forehead.
Does the administration realize how lazy they're making the turrists, doing all their work for them? I imagine we're really wiping out insurgents because they're laughing themselves to death.
Harley @ 29:
I certainly am not advocating violence in any form, but with all that hot air being blown
out of Faux Noise asses, could not someone go into Fox Studio and light a match and
then we could then witness(with delight) a huge explosion?
The GOP has become a one issue party. They played and played the 9-11 card so often as a means to get their way on other issues, that now their kind of stuck on autopilot. Now the public is catching on to this strategy and becoming increasingly hostile to GOP efforts to "terrorize" them into submission. Naturally, the GOP response to finding themselves in a hole they dug for themselves, is to keep digging deeper.
Dr. Matt @ 39:
that is the sad part. how many millions watch fox and believe this garbage!
Get your Handy Dandy Pre Approved Fox Credit Card. No money down no interest payments until 09
truthfinder @ 64:
Sad indeed, for I have some rather intelligent friends who watch only Faux Noise. They
are, for the most part, narrow minded individuals who have absolutely no conception as\
to how deceitful and dishonest Faux Noise is and equally as distrubing is fact that they
don't have any desire to expand their horizons beyond the "fiction" reported on that
MSM outlet.
Chicago Joe @ 8:
Speaking on that. chimpy has the nerve to say Iran is supplying Iraq with weapons to kill our troops. chimpy invades and occupies Iraq for no reason and then gets pissed when they defend themselves.
GTFOOH
The 29%ers rules the world
This just in on Faux News! Osama bin Laden swam to the bottom of the ocean where he buried a nukular device in the ocean floor which went off causing the an earthquake resulting in the Tsunami that killed all those people in southeast Asia!
That would never had happen had Bush made good on his promise to catch bin Laden dead or alive after 911.
Al Qaeda stole my tennis shoes last night. Damn them.
Things that sound great in the hot second before you think about them
I love that woman, this interview was total entertainment now if only the subjects weren't true..
LibertyLover @ 41:
Also wouldn't they use some accelerates and sprinkle some bomb shit in the mix?
Al Qaeda is God-like.
Ruthless People @ 68:
bush could not deliver on getting osama dead or alive , poppy bush would never have been invited back to the binladdens annual picknic and slaves sex partys !
I can't fathom who would even believe such an obvious and ridiculous LIE. It's like saying the boogie man did it. What next? Little green men? Oh the noes there's an alien conspiracy agin us! Git the shotgun ma!
Honestly. WHO could even BELIEVE such utter and complete CRAP. You can SMELL it from HERE!
Update on my flat tire, which was deflated during the night by the terrorists:
I changed it, you dastardly towelheads! I'm back on the road again!
And I'm looking forward to my Presidential Medal of Freedom from the Chimp in Chief!
Just call me the hero of 10/25!
Excellent insight from Keith and Rachel behind the righ-wing propaganda machine. Fox Noise is the journalistic equivalent of the National Enquire.....Truely laughable!
They're also blaming it on environmentalists and liberals, which in their mind, are equal to Al Qeada.
This is the third or fourth item of which Fox and Friends has been completely wrong. The two right wing dorks and the eye candy have been "journalists" for years and should know to confirm their facts and sources before going on national television with them. But because they are Fox Noise they probably where frothing at the mouth and had no time to be responsible.
Weaseldog @ 10:
Agreed. It would be interesting to see which of the homes that were lost were in foreclosure, or had recently gone negative in asset value (amount owed being greater than current assessed value).
Little Timmy says that the Bogeyman is under his bed. Stand by for the Fox News special report: Bogeyman Sponsored by al-qaida or Iran?
Keith, Hire Rachel. That's all.
The '30's' had the "good Germans".
The 21 century has the "good Amerikans".
Come on, guys, admit what you already know: Al Qaeda used their super-strong wind-generating machines to blow down powerlines and start the fires. Geeze, ANYONE with two active brain cells to rub together knows this is true! Those of you with MORE than two active brain cells, however... Well, you are dangerous to Ah-murica!
I posted this on another thread, but I'm paraphrasing myself (like Dancing With Myself?)
Why would FAUX "news" try to forge a connection between the Californian wildfires and Al Qaeda in Iran?
Sure it sets up the next war.
But doesn't it also mean boosh failed yet again to prevent a massive terrorist strike in this country during his watch?
It would make as much sense to say the fires are an Act of Dog for California's "sinful" ways.
Gee....almost seems like Al Qeada is made up to scare people.
noitaluspacne @ 78:
While it seems more likely, it isn't. Santa Ana winds and downed powerlines and just being a dry bleeping place caused the fires. At least that's what it looks like so far...
Oh now this is nonsense. Had it been Al Quaeda, Rudy would have stopped this before it ever happened. Fox seems to forget that we have a superhero among us who can stop these types of things.
Dr. Matt @ 39:
Yeah, there are a lot of dumb, frightened people out there.
Great Frybread King @ 77:
FTFY.
ysbaddaden @ 83:
The Chimp and his henchmen would just spin this and say this proves that the world is such a dangerous place that we need to remain in Iraq and bomb Iran. Nevermind what Chimpy and the Cons were saying for years about us fighting "them" over "there" so we don't have to fight "them" over "here."
songtraveler @ 74:
You're the Hero of 10/25!! Never forget 10/25!!
Sluggirl @ 82:
Close, but it wasn't wind machines. It was hundreds of trained butterflies fluttering in unison that blew down the powerlines. Al Queda is very crafty, and yet, frugal.
Coming up in the next hour on FOX & Friends ...
- the al-Qaeda plot to fill in the Grand Canyon ... and how concerned Americans are taking part in the fight against terrorism!
- more toys tainted with lead ... and a surprising link between al-Qaeda and the North Pole! How the War on Terror is linked to the War on Christmas!
- in our cooking segment, E.D. Hill talks with a famous chef who shares her favorite recipes for falafel!
- how President Bush's tax cuts are helping fight the War on Terror, and why liberals hate America!
- then, an exclusive interview with God! Chris Wallace's one-on-one with the Almighty!
FOX News! Fear Imbalanced!
Doggiebobo @ 66:
If these folks are your friends, I'd hate to meet your enemies...
ashton @ 86:
And that's the flip side of this ridiculous lie. If herr shrub has ripped up the constitution and turned the country into a fascist state in order to "protect" the population then someone at faux should eventually realize they've just outed their lord and master as the useless fuckstick that he truly is because here is yet ANOTHER example of his complete failure as a president. He is again unable to stop the incredibly evil and sneaky AQ from striking on american soil. Way to go shrub. Heck of a job.
Any way you look at it, it's a huge stinking pile of steaming diarrhea laying at the feet of faux noise and it's meat puppets.
Seriously, what kind of brain injury would you need to have to believe word one from faux noise? I suggest even coma patients would sit up and LOL at THIS crap.