The Pentagon budgets half a billion dollars to market its wars. Call it public relations or call it propaganda, it’s meant to win the hearts and minds of Americans. The stories American’s hear from the US media often sound optimistic.The story lines often follow the official line of the United States Department of Defense. The media is often afraid to be critical of wars and the military, for fear of being seen as unpatriotic or injuring their profit interests.US media networks reported “the last American combat troops in Iraq” leaving, calling it “historic.”
Nevermind that 50,000 American troops remain in Iraq with reports on the ground confirming some of those troops, at least 4500 Special Ops forces continue to be directly engaged in military operations.
David Swanson, the author of “War is a Lie” explained that lies are used to start wars, to continue wars, to justify wars and make wars look more positive after the fact. “The more and more I look at more and more wars, US and other nations’ wars, I just can’t find any that aren’t lied about,” he said.
David Swanson, the author of “War is a Lie” explained that lies are used to start wars, to continue wars, to justify wars and make wars look more positive after the fact. “The more and more I look at more and more wars, US and other nations’ wars, I just can’t find any that aren’t lied about,” he said.
The Foreign Office was planning for the possibility that Britain might attack Iraq without UN approval more than six months before the invasion...The document, drawn up by John Williams, press adviser to the then foreign secretary, Jack Straw, spells out ways to soften up the media...In his memo, he said drafts of the dossier at the time had no "killer fact" which "proves" that "Saddam must be taken on now, or this or that weapon will be used against us."... the media strategy needs "to fix one image of brutality in the public mind."
ReplyDelete"Our target is not the argumentative interviewer or opinionated columnist, but the kind of people to whom ministerial interviews are a background hum on the car or kitchen radio..."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/memo-2002-iraq-invasion-media