Propoganda and the War Effort

[buffycat]

Uncle Chutzpah and His Willing Executioners on the Dire Iran Threat: With Twelve Principles of War Propaganda in Ongoing Service

I ran across this older article and thought I'd throw it up here as I believe Mr. Herman makes some very valid points about the media's complicity wrt Administration lies and disinfo in the lead up to the Iraq War, the War on (some) Drugs and the upcoming desires for aggression towards Iran.

an excerpt:

Back at the time of a major Bush-1 "drug war" in 1989, Hodding Carter pointed out that with increasing attention to the newly declared "crisis" by the administration and media, the public's estimate of the importance of the drug problem rose spectacularly. "Today's big news is the drug war. The president says so, so television says so, newspapers and magazines say so, and the public says so." Today's big news is the possibility that Iran, the Little Satan, might some day acquire a nuclear weapon: the administration says so, the media say so, and now three times as many people regard Iran as the U.S.'s greatest menace than four months ago and 47 percent of the public agrees that Iran should be bombed if needed to prevent its acquiring any nuclear weapon capability.

The system works this mobilization process like a well-oiled propaganda machine--which it is--and it can apparently sell almost anything in the way of justifying external violence to a large fraction of the populace, at least in the short run. The attack on Iraq was a remarkable achievement in this respect, given that it was built on a series of lies about Iraq weapons, links, and threats that were extremely dubious at best, a number clearly false and even quite silly (the mushroom cloud and threat to U.S. national security); and given that the actions taken were in blatant violation of the UN Charter. To put this over required tacit collusion between the administration and mainstream media, with the latter serving as de facto propaganda arms of the war-makers.

uh huh....

The first principle in manufacturing propaganda for the U.S. war party is to take it as a given that the United States has the legal and moral right to take the lead in making a case that the international community must act-here to stop Iran's nuclear program. Consider that the United States is in the midst of an occupation in Iraq in which it is daily committing war crimes, all of which follow on a major act of aggression that violated the UN Charter. A lesser power doing this would be declared an international outlaw, and would not be considered a proper leader to guide the international community in the pursuit of villainy. In fact, containing the outlaw would be deemed of primary importance. Furthermore, the United States showed its contempt for the rule of law and for any UN legal procedures in the runup to the Iraq war, when it fabricated a crisis-Iraqi violation of international rules and an Iraqi threat to U.S. national security-and on that basis simply ran roughshod over UN processes and international law.

Beyond these outrages, the United States has unclean hands as regards the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that Iran is allegedly violating: as a signatory to the NPT, the United States pledged "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." It has not met this pledge, nor the promise not to threaten or use nuclear weapons against signers who agreed to forego developing nuclear weapons. It is even "upgrading" and "modernizing" its nuclear weapons to make them more "practical." In theory, Iran or any other party could complain to the IAEA that the United States is in clear breach of the NPT, but somehow this doesn't happen; only possible breaches that the United States sees fit to pursue can be attended to in the New World Order. Furthermore, the United States has given crucial support to Israel, engaged in a massive ethnic cleansing operation in violation of international law, with both superpower and client simply brushing aside a stream of UN rulings and an International Court condemnation of Israel's apartheid wall. The United States has either aided or given tacit approval to breaches of the NPT by Israel, Pakistan and India. In short, its moral right to challenge Iran is non-existent-it can do so only by virtue of power, bribery and threats, and because the patriotic mainstream media take its moral right as an undiscussible given.

Indeed.

How easily some folks are to lead down the cottontrail, hippityhoppity - war is on its way!

What was it Mr. Shrub said? Fool me once shame on me.... ?!

[kuzadd]

good piece!

btw : I see the UN is back in Iran, they let inspectors back in.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...31/wiran131.xml

Iran opens nuclear site to UN inspectors

By Tim Butcher, Middle East Correspondent

Last Updated: 2:20am BST 31/07/2007

Iran allowed United Nations inspectors into an atomic reactor site yesterday in an attempt to fend off international sanctions over its nuclear programme.

wrt :

What was it Mr. Shrub said? Fool me once shame on me.... ?!

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushvid.../bushfoolme.htm

Yah, he sort of said the above, what he actually said was " fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."" flashback to a Who song, lol!

What a "bushism"

The saying is "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"

Edited July 31, 2007 by kuzadd

[marcinmoka]

Administration lies and disinfo in the lead up to the Iraq War, the War on (some) Drugs and the upcoming desires for aggression towards Iran.

True. While we might indeed fall victim to American Propaganda, for some reason you tend to avoid references to the anti Western Propaganda which gives you your kicks. Interesting. But remember, [mis]information is a two street.

The duality hypocrisy of man.

Edited July 31, 2007 by marcinmoka

[buffycat]

Administration lies and disinfo in the lead up to the Iraq War, the War on (some) Drugs and the upcoming desires for aggression towards Iran.

True. While we might indeed fall victim to American Propaganda, for some reason you tend to avoid references to the anti Western Propaganda which gives you your kicks. Interesting. But remember, [mis]information is a two street.

The duality hypocrisy of man.

So, you agree with the article - then chide me and make false accusations that I get my kicks from 'anti-western' propoganda??

Excuse me, but you have NO idea what I get my kicks from honey, so refrain from these sort of personal add-ons and discuss the article. (which you seem to agree with - following YOUR logic I guess you get your kicks from anti-western prop. too huh?) Now - see how silly your comment was?!

[bush_cheney2004]

It's like any other smear piece with an agenda. Let's see some non-Bush butts fry for Kosovo before we get all teary eyed about "war crimes" in Iraq. And that includes Canada.

UN inspections in Iran happened for a reason, same as the "inspections" in Iraq.

[marcinmoka]

So, you agree with the article

Sorry, but the language of Shakespeare is filled with many a nuance.

"Might", while similar to "may" expresses the concept of an uncertain probability. Used as a rhetorical device, it neither confirmed nor denied your "article". My sole purpose was to hi-lite the great deal of stubborness and hypocrisy in trying to point out the opponents flaws while categorically denying that you too may be subject to these flaws as well. Furthermore, this pertains to a much broader spectrum of "sources" than this one as it pertains to the bigger picture.

You cannot just claim that articles supporting the opposing view are pure propaganda whereas those supporting your view are just by pure default.

Excuse me, but you have NO idea what I get my kicks from honey

Nor do I care to know.

Edited July 31, 2007 by marcinmoka