Memes--aren't they fun? ("one way ticket")

[Pure]

on the xmas bomber, abdulmutallab, that he had no baggage, paid cash, and *purchased a one way ticket*.

see. e.g., the Wall Street Journal [and countless rt wing blogs]
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126287015166119561.html

story of meme, and its apparent falsity at

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsme...t_253_one-way_ticket_meme_a_media-propaga.php

this one of course, suggests criminal negligence, if not actual aid to terrorists by several governments, including the US, at the highest levels. (Cheney lives!)

some memes of course, are favorite 'urban legends,' but the current news ones, esp. involving famous people or prominent politicians, are a hoot. [there's one in another thread that i won't mention]

remember about the fellow who found the machine for washing golf balls!

what's YOUR favorite current meme?

 

[BlackShanglan]

The press has a shrewd eye for what sells. How do you top an already sensational story that includes both a bomb and underwear? Throw in a dash of beaurocrats being unbelievably stupid. It's a popular meme, I think, because we've all at some point been at the mercy of someone in power who made our lives pointlessly difficult. We like to cackle gleefully at the thought of such a person having made a world-class, career-destroying mistake like missing such an obvious warning sign. And of course, some of those who have repeated this specific "dumb beaurocrats" meme, like Mr. Limbaugh, love it for its apparent ability to justify their own assumptions and philosophies.

Meme seem often to me to reflect what we want to believe; they're the front trench in the "history is composed of events that probably occurred in ways that support my gut feeling / personal assumptions about others" school of thought. Sometimes they're wistfully hopeful, like the rumor that went around on the afternoon of September 11, 2001 stating that an SUV had been pulled from the wreckage with several people alive in it. Sometimes they support ugly "truths" people would like others to believe, like the one above. And sometimes I think people just like a good story, like the old saw about Washington and the cherry tree.

 

[Pure]

i'm reminded of the lesser known line of a famous national song, referring to the other fellows:

"confound their politics; frustrate their knavish tricks!"

the others generally use disguises; sneak or treacherous attacks.

----

and did you hear, just before 9-11, all the jews were warned by Mossad NOT to go into work, so virtually none perished!

[correct number, about 400

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=jews+stayed+home+on+9-11 ]

 

[oggbashan]

i'm reminded of the lesser known line of a famous national song, referring to the other fellows:

"confound their politics; frustrate their knavish tricks!"

the others generally use disguises; sneak or treacherous attacks.
...

During WWII (and WWI to a lesser extent) the British counter-information activities were very inventive.

Details of Operation Mincemeat, that used a dead body to suggest that the invasion of Sicily was going to Corsica, are only now being revealed in public.

The body was supposed to be that of a Marine Officer. The body was actually that of a street person. The Spanish/Germans were fooled into thinking that a vagrant's body could be that of a presumably fit and active Marine. It was a great example of seeing what you wanted to see. They even made a mistake in transcribing some of the documents. That mistake could have exposed the whole deception - but didn't.

The deceptions before D-Day saved thousands of lives. The Germans were convinced that the Normandy invasion was a diversion intended to draw their forces away from the REAL invasion headed for the Pas-De-Calais, the obvious invasion site. General Patton's role as commander of an imaginary invasion force was critical. The Germans couldn't believe that Patton was sidelined for the invasion of Europe. They kept forces in Northern France, waiting for Patton, for some time after the massive scale of the D-Day invasion was known. Once they decided that Patton wasn't coming it was too late to use those forces against Normandy.

"Our knavish tricks" often worked; sometimes failed, but after the war those responsible for misinformation were startled to realise just how successful their tricks had been. The Germans saw what they wanted to see and internal conflict between various German intelligence agencies meant that doubts were not followed up.

After the war, the US intelligence agencies were unhappy about the inventiveness and success of British misinformation. They were afraid that "the sneaky Brits" might use their skills against the US services as well.

Og

 

[BlackShanglan]

After the war, the US intelligence agencies were unhappy about the inventiveness and success of British misinformation. They were afraid that "the sneaky Brits" might use their skills against the US services as well.

Og

Whereas instead, you simply took over our music industry. You sly creatures. All of the fun and none of the blood loss.

I've also read of similar tricks being used in the American civil war. Apparently one of the Union generals who was known to be a bit combat-averse anyway was fooled into delaying an entire offensive by some cleverly faked suggestions that the South had large forces in place.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Apparently there was a return ticket and the tickets were bought some days in advance. Even so, what about the lack of luggage for a two week trip?

 

[fifty5]

Apparently there was a return ticket and the tickets were bought some days in advance. Even so, what about the lack of luggage for a two week trip?

Have you TRIED to get luggage - or even a bottle of water - onto a plane lately?

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxlicker101
Apparently there was a return ticket and the tickets were bought some days in advance. Even so, what about the lack of luggage for a two week trip?

Have you TRIED to get luggage - or even a bottle of water - onto a plane lately?

I've never had any problems, but I haven't flown for a while. Nobody I know of has had any problems either, except that some luggage is searched. I have never had any problem getting water onto a plane. I can't get it through the gate to the waiting area but, once I am there, I can buy and carry on all I want.

 

[xssve]

They do make a machine for washing golf balls, I've used one.

 

[3113]

Even so, what about the lack of luggage for a two week trip?

If a lack of luggage makes you suspicious, my husband wouldn't be allowed to fly anywhere. He sometimes chooses to ship his luggage to where he's going rather than lugging it and checking it onto the plane.

There are now all kinds of services that will pick up you luggage, take it and fly it to your destination so it's there when you arrive and so you don't have to haul it around with you. In addition, there are people who fly to destination where they have a second residence including clothes in the closet. Meaning they've no need to take any with them.

Lack of luggage really isn't that suspicious. A lot of people board planes without luggage.

 

[Pure]

xssve -golf-ball washing machine

you need to catch up on your urban legends!

http://www.all-lies.com/legends/foibles/ballwashing.shtml

PS i trust your `use`was better conceived.

xs: They do make a machine for washing golf balls, I've used one.

 

[Pure]

memes

floating bits of truthiness that 'live' and propagate:

a secure society, in which our Leader has kept us safe

the Terrorist, inscrutable, but who appears simply to hate the Good.

 

[JackLuis]

floating bits of truthiness that 'live' and propagate:

a secure society, in which our Leader has kept us safe

the Terrorist, inscrutable, but who appears simply to hate the Good.

Terrorist or Hero?
Depends on which side of the grassy knoll you are on.

 

[Pure]

true enough.

but you're talking reason, jack. like saying "obama's a xian".

'obama's a muslim' as a meme, or "he's not one of us" is believed by millions.

 

[JackLuis]

Bush warns: Watch out for ’shysters’

If he says it, it must be true(?).

So our Shyster in Chief worries about the American people being fooled by smooth talking Liberals?

 

[Boxlicker101]

If he says it, it must be true(?).

So our Shyster in Chief worries about the American people being fooled by smooth talking Liberals?

Whatever bad things you might say about W - and I have said plenty of things myself - "smooth-talking" would not be one of them.

Of course, The Big O is our current shyster in chief.

 

[trysail]

Whereas instead, you simply took over our music industry. You sly creatures. All of the fun and none of the blood loss.

I've also read of similar tricks being used in the American civil war. Apparently one of the Union generals who was known to be a bit combat-averse anyway was fooled into delaying an entire offensive by some cleverly faked suggestions that the South had large forces in place.

That would be McClellan in the Peninsula campaign of 1862 who was completely bamboozled by— among other things— the "Quaker guns" of "Prince" John Magruder. McClellan managed to convince himself that he was facing an army 2-3× its actual size.

 

[JackLuis]

SO almost a month goes by.

The Government just stated the obvious.

"The young Nigerian charged in the attack, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, "should not have stepped on to a plane on Christmas day. The counter-terrorism system collectively failed," Leiter said."

No Shit Sherlock! SO who is going to be fired?

 

[JackLuis]

But the Senate is on thier case, no really!

"Feds Mislabeled Christmas Bombing Suspect"


""Has anyone been held accountable?" McCain asked the panel.

"We are in fact conducting internal reviews... The president is reviewing my performance as well. That is absolutely appropriate," Leiter said. "

 

[al_Ussa]

But who was phone?