Manipulated

Disturbing New Photos From Abu Ghraib.

As an expert witness in the defense of an Abu Ghraib guard, Philip Zimbardo had access to many images (NSFW) of abuse taken by the guards themselves. Some of these images have never been published before. For his TED presentation he put together a short video of some of the pictures. The sound effects in the video were added by Zimbardo. Many of the images are explicit and gruesome, depicting nudity, degradation, simulated sex acts and guards posing with corpses. Viewer discretion is advised.

---- Zimbardo adds sound effects to the video to add a chill bump or two - sound/music can affect emotions as well as any art medium, but at times I resent when facts are presented with such an obvious manipulation technique.

I did not see any images that were any more disturbing than the initial release of Abu Ghraib photos. (We have yet to see the Abu Ghraib videos of child rape as reported by Sy Hersh.)

But here's what I want to know: Why is it that Hollywood, television, and printed media soak the American public daily for years in violence, porn, mutilation - real victims or actors - and there is no outrage from the "left" other than to cry it's "freedom of speech or expression"?

Not only has the American public been dumbed down - it's numbed down - and too dumb to know it. America began lowering the empathy 3 decades ago, at least.

Americans like popcorn with their imagery of horror and death. Americans will pay to see Anthony Hopkins eat Ray Liotta's brain. Americans raise their children on CSI law and order autopsies and blood video games. Will cheer at the aging no talent Rambo decapitating and gutting men. Will award Oscars and nominations to bloody gladiators and bravehearts and call it artsy history. Slice, dice, explode - you win.

Americans will enrich pop whores to role model their daughters and steroid meatheads for their sons. And nothing gets more cheers than blood on the mat, the bat, or the pigskin.

Americans will watch 20 unnecessary minutes in a literal sea of blood to save Private Ryan and crown Spielberg king of cinema. Americans spend billions a year, eager to have their emotions manipulated by professionals - hate, rage, disgust, lust, greed - then beg for sequels of more, more, more.

Those voices speaking for the American left/liberal/progressive are not heartbroken over man's inhumanity to man - they're concerned with regaining power - they have many couriers, agents, activists manipulating minds as easily as the "right" manages their support base. They will use the misery and suffering of others to further that goal and once in power they hide/downplay their own atrocities - and the faithful sheep will believe things have changed.

What I find disturbing are those who pretend outrage over an unfortunate soul smeared in feces at Abu Ghraib - yet are not offended at all by year after year after year of shit smeared on the American mind under the guise of art, news, music, and education.