Pentagon’s Pundits: A Look at the Defense Department’s Propaganda Program
It turns out the pro-war slant of military analysts was in fact part of a carefully orchestrated propaganda effort from the Pentagon. The New York Times has revealed the Pentagon recruited more than seventy-five retired military officers to appear on TV outlets as so-called military analysts ahead of the Iraq war. Newly disclosed Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who could be counted on to deliver administration themes and messages to millions of Americans in the form of their own opinions.The segment looked at this issue in detail. Basically we are talking about a subversion of democracy. You use the main stream media to amplify the call to war with a carefully orchestrated group of high up professionals who are heavily invested in the whole process.
Meanwhile you prevent any dissenting voices particularly those from the left or the peace movement, from being heard. All that the country does hear is information on the conduct of the war, and nothing about the fundamental and most salient point which is should the war even be waged, a careful analysis of the points that have led to war.
Pay attention, because this process will be repeated again and again especially with Iran on the horizon.
Finally, I will say that I found Hillary Clinton's mention of obliterating Iran to be about as loathsome as it gets. She is pandering to the worst and lowest political instincts with this message.
2 comments:
This one actually doesnt surprise me at all. Building support for a war has been a valuable tool in any government launching a war. It used to be quite easy in late 1800s and early 1900 with nationalism, colonialism and abuse of social darwinism. In more modern times it takes a bit more effort, though the outcome is still the same. Comparing the media in Canada to the US in the lead up to the Iraq war I was shocked at how little objectivity was coming from sources like CNN which seemed to miss the boat in questioning why the US nation was about to go to war. There are times I figure that media has a significant role to play in controlling the population at large, and holds a significant duty to question what government does, not blindly follow it.
Carl Szczerski (Canada)
Oh yes, there's a long history of wartime propaganda to get people to fall in line.
A big problem now, is that the media corporation itself has a vested interest in war, specifically as a profit making enterprise. War is big business. A company like GE stands to gain on military contracts. They also own CBS.
This is why the internet is so important even though the powers that be are trying to mess with its neutrality. I stopped watching TV a few years ago, I simply couldn't hack it anymore.
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