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THREAD: Iraq War, Deep Space 9, Trump and the art of the con
Yesterday I watched "In The Pale Moonlight" from S6 of Deep Space 9, today I finished David Dimbleby's terrific The Fault Lines podcast series about the 2003-4 Iraq War; "Bush, Blair & Iraq."
Interesting parallels! /
Yesterday I watched "In The Pale Moonlight" from S6 of Deep Space 9, today I finished David Dimbleby's terrific The Fault Lines podcast series about the 2003-4 Iraq War; "Bush, Blair & Iraq."
Interesting parallels! /
In both a dissident with a grudge against the current regime in his country/planet acts ALONE to plant false-flag evidence that will trigger a war - a war that he hopes will lead to the liberation of his nation/planet from its oppressive leadership. /
In both cases the dissident (Codename 'Curveball' in the case of the Iraqi, Garak in DS9) takes advantage of a neo-con power's (USA in real life, Starfleet in DS9) fervent wish to trigger a war.
But the power thinks of itself as 'the good guys.'
It needs to look 'clean' /
But the power thinks of itself as 'the good guys.'
It needs to look 'clean' /
In both cases the dissident - a skilled con man in both life and fiction - uses the fervent wish of the power to trick them into taking an action they believe to be 'going too far.'
NATO/Starfleet wouldn't go as far as planting evidence. Sisko *would* - but only non-violently. /
NATO/Starfleet wouldn't go as far as planting evidence. Sisko *would* - but only non-violently. /
The dissident in both cases uses his specialist knowledge of the evil regime to persuade his newfound and eager collaborators that he has the information they need.
In the DS9 version Garak is more diabolical than Curveball because he kills innocent people as part of his con. /
In the DS9 version Garak is more diabolical than Curveball because he kills innocent people as part of his con. /
In The Fault Lines podcast 'Curveball' is reported as living outside Koblenz. He's apparently unrepentant. His aim was to get NATO forces to liberate Iraq and it worked.
In DS9 "In the Pale Moonlight" Garak succeeds where Ben Sisko fails, leading eventually to a free Cardassia./
In DS9 "In the Pale Moonlight" Garak succeeds where Ben Sisko fails, leading eventually to a free Cardassia./
Anyway, I found the parallels interesting.
And I couldn't help wondering if Curveball ever saw that episode of Deep Space 9.
It first aired in 1998. Curveball began supplying fake intel in December 1999.
He speaks English - a fact initially withheld from the CIA. /
And I couldn't help wondering if Curveball ever saw that episode of Deep Space 9.
It first aired in 1998. Curveball began supplying fake intel in December 1999.
He speaks English - a fact initially withheld from the CIA. /
It's worth remembering that sometimes there is no need for a conspiracy. Curveball didn't need a conspiracy.
One suitably motivated person can have a huge impact when they are given access to a powerful collective primed by motivational reasoning to act as an easy mark. /
One suitably motivated person can have a huge impact when they are given access to a powerful collective primed by motivational reasoning to act as an easy mark. /
Reminds me of something @mashagessen writes about Trump in their book 'Surviving Autocracy'.
I only have the audiobook so I'll paraphrase from memory - Masha writes that Trump's actions are not conspiracy. Everything bad he does is done in the open. /
I only have the audiobook so I'll paraphrase from memory - Masha writes that Trump's actions are not conspiracy. Everything bad he does is done in the open. /
Trump is just one man, like Curveball like Garak.
Trump's marks are so numerous that he didn't even need to hide his tracks. Didn't need to conspire.
It's amazing how susceptible the human brain is to con merchants.
We have to be better at resisting. But how? /end
Trump's marks are so numerous that he didn't even need to hide his tracks. Didn't need to conspire.
It's amazing how susceptible the human brain is to con merchants.
We have to be better at resisting. But how? /end
