We should war, war, war... on hype and the liars who use it.

Highlight of the week, for me, was Don Rumsfeld telling a Senate committee the bottom line about public opinion and Iraq. He was responding to one of the few sane members, Joe Lieberman:

'Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat who has been a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, also questioned whether the US public was tiring of the war. “I feel that American public opinion is tipping away from this effort,” said Mr Lieberman. “[The insurgents] will only defeat us on the field of American public opinion.”

Mr Rumsfeld replied: “You sense the American people are tipping away from support. I have a feeling they're getting pushed.”'

The only thing that I would add to that is that there's no 'feeling' about it. It's the reality.

So, as the Democrats carefully orchestrate their attacks, and the media, in sympathy largely, orchestrate theirs, so the fascist Islamists in Iraq orchestrate theirs. When I talk about 'orchestrate', I mean that the whole tempo and targeting strategy of the fascists is dictated by their awareness that the battle is to be won or lost through the media. Such rhyme or reason as there is in the so-called 'insurgency' can only be gleaned from a careful reading of what the media considers newsworthy in the way of exploring the media-perceived weaknesses of the Bush administration over Iraq. Such a relationship is complex, like an orchestra where musicians and conductor are interchangeable. One moment one person creates an expectation which another fulfils, the next the roles reverse. You could call it symbiosis. I'd prefer to settle on 'pandemonium'- I mean in the original sense. More about that original sense from me here.