Score yet another public relations coup for George W. Bush and his parasitic band of sycophants. This time it was in the form of a play book titled the "Presidential Advance Manual." This top secret, clandestine memorandum dated October 2002, has the phrase “Sensitive — Do Not Copy” clearly written on the cover. Its basic purpose was to prevent the "Decider" from seeing or becoming aware of any United States citizens wishing to express their constitutionally protected rights, to peacefully protest policies they're not in agreement with.
Per an article published in the August 22, 2007 edition of the Washington Post, "this manual was released under subpoena to the American Civil Liberties Union as part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of two people arrested for refusing to cover their anti-Bush T-shirts at a Fourth of July speech at the West Virginia State Capitol in 2004. The techniques described have become familiar over the 6 1/2 years of Bush’s presidency, but the manual makes it clear how organized the anti-protest policy really is."
"The lawsuit was filed by Jeffery and Nicole Rank, who attended the Charleston event wearing shirts with the word “Bush” crossed out on the front; the back of his shirt said “Regime Change Starts at Home,” while hers said “Love America, Hate Bush.” Members of the White House event staff told them to cover their shirts or leave, according to the lawsuit. They refused and were arrested, handcuffed and briefly jailed before local authorities dropped the charges and apologized. The federal government settled the First Amendment case last week for $80,000, but with no admission of wrongdoing."
"The manual offers advance staffers and volunteers who help set up presidential events guidelines for assembling crowds. Those invited into a VIP section on or near the stage, for instance, must be 'extremely supportive of the Administration,' it says. While the Secret Service screens audiences only for possible threats, the manual says, volunteers should examine people before they reach security checkpoints and look out for signs. Make sure to look for 'folded cloth signs,' it advises."
"To counter any demonstrators who do get in, advance teams are told to create “rally squads” of volunteers with large hand-held signs, placards or banners with “favorable messages.” Squads should be placed in strategic locations and “at least one squad should be ‘roaming’ throughout the perimeter of the event to look for potential problems,” the manual says."
“These squads should be instructed always to look for demonstrators,” it says. “The rally squad’s task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform. If the demonstrators are yelling, rally squads can begin and lead supportive chants to drown out the protesters (USA!, USA!, USA!). As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event site.”
Nobody should find this type of dictatorial method of quelling dissent surprising. These are all proven methods of control that have temporarily worked for totalitarian regimes throughout history. I sometimes think Karl Rove is the reincarnation of Joseph Goebbels. This administration only allows positive images to be seen by us, the unwashed masses. We hear of every success ten fold, but anything remotely negative, such as free citizens protesting policies we don't agree with, the real horrors taking place in Iraq, the sorry state of the economy, lack of affordable medical insurance or flag draped coffins of dead soldiers being shipped home like cargo is verboten.
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