nukes-- who needs em?

[Jon Ford]

When we've got the gigantic type of bombs we've been dropping on Afghanistan 
lately (the kind they have to drop by parachute), why should we  use a nuke 
or biological weapons, which would only endanger our soldiers in a ground 
attack? On the other hand, perception is all, and Osama does seem to believe 
we've used nukes and even biological weapons already-- and if he says we 
have, the local people and the Arab world will believe him,I suspect. So 
from his perspective, and from that of people who listen to him, we already 
have used these kind of weapons.He is a master propagandist-- his mouth is 
his best weapon! It's hard to believe he would use such weapons in 
Afghanistan because it is difficult to target them without killing many 
Afghanis; furthermore, I seriously doubt if he has the technology to launch 
any kind of nuclear attack. However, this is for him a war of words, and if 
he spreads fear and hatred for the United States by making these (to us) 
rather absurd statements, it's a win for him of sorts in world opinion. 
After the war is over and we have "won", I suspect we will have lost the 
propaganda war big time.

Meanwhile,the American government is busy recruiting the efforts of Madison 
Avenue firms to change our burnish our international image. I	found this 
quote from an advertising "creative director" in the SF Chronicle  on 
November 11: "Charlotte Beers,a major figure in American advertising who was 
appointed undersecretary of State for public diplomacy months ago, is 
planning an ad campaign to influence Arab opinion. It may feature American 
celebrities and sports stars, and a more emotional message."(Jeff Loeb, "How 
We can Win the Hearts and Minds of the World") Good luck, Charlotte-- but I 
think that idea of a duet between a veiled  Madonna and Magic Johnson in a 
turban may not do the trick. We need Bernays!

Jon

>From: Connie Clark <connie_3c@yahoo.com>
>To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
>Subject: Re: King of evildoers says he got the nuke
>Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 05:40:50 -0800 (PST)
>
>
>--- mbuttons <mbuttons@gate.net> wrote:
> >
> > First resports, from CNN (I think), pointed out that
> > only the English
> > translation of the [Urdu?] interview contained the
> > statement:
> > >"we have chemical and
> > > nuclear weapons as a deterrent and if America used
> > them against us we
> > > reserve the right to use them".
>
>Does that mean that the US HAS used nuclear weapons in
>the strict sense of the word?
>
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