Jewish World Review May 21, 2003 / 19 Iyar, 5763

Keith Olbermann

Keith Olbermann
JWR's Pundits
World Editorial
Cartoon Showcase

Mallard Fillmore

Michael Barone
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Don Feder
Suzanne Fields
James Glassman
Paul Greenberg
Bob Greene
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Marianne Jennings
Michael Kelly
Mort Kondracke
Ch. Krauthammer
Lawrence Kudlow
Dr. Laura
John Leo
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Chris Matthews
Michael Medved
MUGGER
Kathleen Parker
Wes Pruden
Sam Schulman
Amity Shlaes
Roger Simon
Tony Snow
Thomas Sowell
Cal Thomas
Jonathan S. Tobin
Ben Wattenberg
George Will
Bruce Williams
Walter Williams
Mort Zuckerman

Consumer Reports


‘Barney’ as torture


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Newsweek magazine is reporting that, as part of the continuing interrogation of Iraqi prisoners by coalition forces, their captors are forcing them to listen to the theme song from “Barney.” Is the purple dinosaur really a weapon of mass irritation?

THE SONGS being repeated over and over again as a kind of bloodless torture in Iraq— is the same song repeated over and over again in every city, town and hamlet in this country. Are kids at risk?

Well, never mind kids. Are adults at risk? The “Barney” song, when played, say, 17 times in a row by a child can lead a father to consider a vasectomy. Heck, in 1962, we didn’t have “Barney.” We just had the soundtrack to “Puss in Boots.” I played that so often that my parents thought about moving away and not telling me.

Of course, that’s part of the way kids learn. Repetition literally builds neuro-pathways in the brain.

But what about the heavy metal music being used against the Iraqis? The “Newsweek” piece on psy-ops mentioned only one such song by title: “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. And here’s the rub. “Enter Sandman” is played, among other contexts, over the public address system at Yankee Stadium in New York every time a pitcher named Mariano Rivera enters a baseball game-every time.

And, suddenly, it all becomes clear. Iraqis prisoners finally screaming, “I have had enough,” and surrendering the secrets of mass destruction : New York baseball fans finally screaming, “I have had enough” and rushing to the concession stand and willingly paying $7 for a beer.

Oh, the humanity.

Enjoy this writer's work? Why not sign-up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.




The writer hosts MSNBC's “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.” The news program, dedicated to all of the day’s top stories, telecasts weeknights, 8-9 p.m. ET. Comment by clicking here.



05/08/03: Because you just can't take the news too seriously
04/30/03: Should we be more scared of SCARS, or a government that will readily deny you your freedom on the suspicion that you may have it?
04/29/03: Man bites dog --- really!
04/28/03: Because you just can't take the news too seriously ...
04/25/03: The panic over SARS
04/22/03: Playing —and greeting cards in a changed world
04/21/03: Reading your own obituary ... and other 'oops' moments
04/15/03: Saddam Hussein and the Sorcerer's Stone: The secret to Saddam's immortality

© 2003, MSNBC