The Ministry of DisInformation

October 28, 2004

It’s looking bad. With six days to go before the election, George Bush has locked up most of the “red” states and is now closing in on the “blue” states. Despite the fact that he is losing the battle on nearly every issue, from the War in Iraq to the home front, this completely failed President is gaining ground with the electorate.

How is this possible? Disinformation. They have mastered it, they have redefined it, they have perfected the art of spinning events to suit their objectives. They have learned to play the media like a fiddle. When John Kerry calls them on 380 tons of missing weapons in Iraq (whoops!), enough to blow the entire planet apart many times over, they declare that Kerry is not paying attention to the facts. The facts! What does an administration that declared nuclear Armageddon from overblown CIA intelligence know about the facts! Who is calling the kettle black?

No, deep in the heart of the Ministry of Disinformation, the Minister himself, Karl Rove, is concocting his latest propaganda cocktail. He’s brewing up the next scene in this B movie of a Presidency that has done nothing if not thumb its nose in the face of reality.

The frightening thing about all this, is the gullibility of the American people. They buy it. They believe him. They are going to vote for him and he may very well win this election and we are going to have four more years of a plot that seems to know no end to its thickening. The question is: can we survive four more years of disinformation?

This quote from George Orwell speaks to the predicament we now find ourselves in, in which the government runs the country like its directing a reality TV show:

“In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

There was never a better moment than now to declare that here in the seemingly distant space of our discussion lists and personal blogs, the revolution, in fact, has begun.

An Artist's Endorsement

October 27, 2004

I am an artist: an information provider and interpreter. I am part of a group of people who are masters of the search, often drawing on intuition and practice to reveal the ambiguous and the inexplicable. As an artist I have learned to examine issues critically. I dismiss the obvious while focusing on the subtleties between the shades of gray. In the midst of this Presidential campaign’s rhetoric I have had to look closely in my search for truth. With one week to go I am listening more intently to both candidates.

During his presidency George Bush has shown an unwillingness to diverge from his prescribed agenda even in light of overwhelming evidence that he should. He has refused to admit to mistakes about Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction and to his faulty postwar plans for Iraq’s reconstruction which are putting American soldiers at risk. He often seemed so narrow in outlook, so unable to adjust to changing conditions, and so unwilling to admit to errors, that he seems more intransigent than a bulwark against terrorism. As an artist I have learned that admitting failure is the quickest way to succeed. In the world I live it is hard to fathom a person like him.

Bush’s unilateral approach to international affairs, his distance from any constructive criticism, and the increased partisanship at home have divided us both here and abroad. Collaboration, common in art practice, is absent from his Administration. The President could have learned a lot from us.

George Bush’s agenda has diluted his “call to arms” and has made both our foreign and domestic policies less effective. Four years into his presidency we are a divided and angry nation.

In the early 1990s attempts to censor artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Andreas Serrano taught us that anyone could become a scapegoat for conservatives’ exclusive moral agenda. We learned to use our creativity to speak loudly and clearly when we were marginalized and discredited. Throughout this campaign artists have strived to clarify and illuminate our country’s present divisive issues.

Today the Internet has eliminated traditional information gatekeepers. Technology has given us the means to organize with others. We share. We question. We speak out. During this presidential campaign artists have worked together and we have refused to be silenced.

Under George Bush the American people have been barraged by attempts to police our moral and patriotic beliefs. Artists are critical of the Bush Administration’s myopic interpretation of the Constitution and the resulting forfeiture of rights Americans have held as sacrosanct. We mistrust and challenge his priorities.

Many have questioned George Bush’s intelligence. But his folksy ways should neither be mistaken for those of a simple and forthright man nor for a simpleton ruled by handlers. Neither extreme is correct. He has purposely developed this façade to be accessible and non-threatening to his traditional base while the rest of us suffer the consequences. He is well versed in the 20th century partisan political process. But this is no longer the 20th century. The American public is more independent and well-informed. The world is more porous than ever. Secrets are harder to keep and obfuscation is more transparent. When we are being asked to sacrifice we demand unfiltered access to the truth.

Mr. Bush represents this old world status quo —a President of the past. Some see this as reassuring —insurance for victory both home and abroad. To these people Mr. Kerry represents a world of unknowns. Yet throughout the debates John Kerry showed us his intelligence and his ability to convey his beliefs in an honest and direct fashion. A politician? Yes. But America can accept the foibles of political discourse if it is intelligent, compassionate, and realistic. After the past four years once again I feel hopeful. Trust was a feeling I had almost forgotten.

John Kerry represents a future with possibilities, creative and inclusive possibilities. And America needs to see it has a bright future if it is to succeed. He has promised us we will still recognize America’s priorities after his election. I believe him. While we must adjust we will continue to be committed to the values we hold dear. Our goals will be the same. But the process by which we reach these goals will change.

As an artist and a designer I constantly look for new vantage points to view the world. A new century demands innovative ways to succeed and new ways to define victory. I share that vision with John Kerry.

Will Rational Exuberance Prevail?

October 26, 2004

You might be wondering, how could George Bush be tied or possibly even leading in the polls as the nation teeters in this post-apocalyptic era? How could there be so many Bush supporters when every day the front page of the newspaper reads like a doomsday episode from Twilight Zone? The reason: 42% of eligible voters are Middle America bible-toting right-wing Christian fundamentalists on a Mission from God, and nothing will shake them, not even reality.

On the other hand, go into any bookstore, and displays are filled with tell-all books on Bush atrocities written by politicians, former administration officials, ex-generals, religious leaders, scholars, academics, moms who lost their sons in Iraq, and other members of the “reality community.” These pleas for truth and reason are passionate, informed, angry, and devoid of faith-based righteousness.

Will rational exuberance prevail in the upcoming election? Or, will Bush be handed another four years from a nation hypnotized by propaganda, disinformation, and passages from Revelations. The very citizens in the Heartland who are being ravaged by the Administration’s policies are screaming for re-election. Have they gone mad?

Bush has artfully deceived the nation by invoking the Orwellian phrase, “Ignorance is Strength.” Sadly, we can now proclaim, in this campaign where nuance and multiplicity of perspective is ridiculed, “Reason is Weakness.”

The Washington Post Endorses Kerry!

October 24, 2004

“As readers of this page know, we find much to criticize in Mr. Bush’s term but also more than a few things to admire. We find much to admire in Mr. Kerry’s life of service, knowledge of the world and positions on a range of issues — but also some things that give us pause. On balance, though, we believe Mr. Kerry, with his promise of resoluteness tempered by wisdom and open-mindedness, has staked a stronger claim on the nation’s trust to lead for the next four years.”

This editorial is an excellent balance sheet between John Kerry and George Bush.

Turf Wars

October 23, 2004

I think September 11th changed everything. Apathy is gone from our hearts.

Bethlehem, PA Homeowner

Print your own lawn sign from Bill Fisher’s Yard Sign Project

Apparently, I’m not alone when it comes to being on the front lines of the Political Sign Wars. CBS ran a piece (Quicktime, 4.5 MB) on its nightly news Thursday about a neighborhood divided by Kerry and Bush lawn signs.

But unlike my own contentious Maginot Line, the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania suburban street of ardent Democrats and Republicans seemed so civilized. While there was a bit of poster tit-for-tat, no political epitaphs were being lobbed into any front yard and no police cruisers were to be found. Everyone, it seemed, was looking forward to their annual neighborhood gourmet dinner, scheduled for after the election. Will the rest of us be so willing to break bread with our neighbors after November 2?

This morning as I was walking to the subway I noticed an unfamiliar lawn sign in the distance. Was this a new volley of partisan one-upmanship? As it turned out it had nothing to do with the election. With relief, it simply warned drivers and pedestrians to traverse this quiet street with care. But I started to think —the lawn sign: an interesting venue for alternative forms of social discourse. How could I use this very public medium? How could I subvert and extend this generally accepted cultural format? Suddenly, the dark early dawn brightened and the artist in me was now wide-awake.

When I got to work, in an incredible display of synchronicity, Bill Fisher had sent an email informing me of his Yard Sign Project.

Red, white and blue signs, approximately 1.5’ x 2’, are placed in front yards and other public locations. They are designed to resemble the ubiquitous yard signs printed commercially and posted in front of homes and businesses throughout the southern USA. The “Ten Commandments” yard sign includes text from the Geneva Convention as it relates specifically to treatment of prisoners. “Support Our Troops” includes officially suppressed imagery of the flag-draped remains of US servicemen and servicewomen. “Re-Elect” makes explicit the merging of secular and religious iconography implied by the rhetoric of our political leaders. “Home For Sale” includes an image of the American flag, violently out of focus.

You can download any of his four designs to place in your own front lawn or window. The politicians aren’t the only ones with something important to say.

Update: Bill Fisher has joined the staff of The US Department of Art and Technology as Under Secretary of Southern Cultural Hegemony and Rural Visual Authority. Welcome to the Department Bill!