Propagating propaganda

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Tue, 6 Dec 2005 00:21:28 -0800

Propagating propaganda

 

 

 

 

 

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_294.shtml

 

Propagating propaganda

By Frank Pitz

Online Journal Contributing Writer

 

 

Dec 5, 2005, 00:24

 

Propaganda: " The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or

information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating

such a doctrine or cause. Material disseminated by the advocates or

opponents of a doctrine or cause: wartime propaganda. "

 

Now all of a sudden there is this rather large brouhaha over the

Bushistas' use of propaganda re: Iraq and its citizenry. Horror of

horrors! Say it isn't so! Propaganda, indeed!

 

Now perhaps I'm living in an alternate universe, or maybe I missed

something in my 68 years of traversing this earth, but propaganda is

de rigueur for your government, folks, for all governments. Propaganda

is all about control; for crying out loud, the Catholic Church adopted

just such a stance -- and has been " propagating " forever. It took the

state a bit longer to see the benefits of such a strategy, but once it

realized the advantages, it took off with all four feet.

 

Suddenly certain media pundits have 'discovered' that our government

is fabricating news, and planting it in the Iraqi press? Hey, I've got

news for you guys, since the end of the Vietnam War the corporate

media have been disseminating " all the news the state views as fit to

print. " Now all of a sudden, certain among you have found a conscience

-- give me a freaking break here!

 

The State Department is training Iraqi reporters in basic journalism

skills and " media ethics " (and that certainly is an oxymoron). One of

the workshops in this training is titled " The Role of Press in a

Democratic Society. " Now I suppose that as taught by the State

Department that role includes allowing the state to write, or

otherwise choose the material.

 

Corporate media in the U.S. can serve as a living, breathing example

of just how it is done for this workshop. They can have a guest

lecture series featuring such luminaries as Judith Miller, Bill

O'Reilly, Robert Novak, et al.

 

In my last commentary (Rats and Sinking Ships),

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_179.shtml

I painted a word picture of a rat caught in a trap, while his brother

rats were lined up to get a piece of his ass. With all of the

hypocritical media bullshit recently, feigning astonishment about

planted news stories that word picture came to mind. Right now Bush is

that rat in the trap and the conflicted, hypocritical media would have

us believe that they have suddenly developed cojones, and are looking

for a piece of his ass. It isn't going to wash, guys (and ladies).

 

Why should this illegal war -- and coverage -- be any different? It

was only 14 years ago that the media, in order to " cover " the Kuwait

affair acquiesced to the Pentagon's " ground rules " for reporters who

wished to be em-bed-ed with the troops. It has been that way ever

since, and the compliant media has fallen into lockstep with the

military propagandists -- ho-hum.

 

And as we all know, those journalists who fail to to the

rules of the Pentagon's propaganda game soon find themselves on the

wrong end of an American bomb, grenade, or bullet. Thus far in Bush's

Crusade, 74 journalists and media assistants have lost their lives,

many at the hands of the U.S. military and its allies.

 

One of the more high-profile cases was the shooting -- and wounding --

of Italian journalist Guiliana Sgrena last spring by U.S. Forces. An

Italian agent, Nicola Calipari, was killed in that incident. The

Pentagon claimed car carrying the journalist and Italian agents failed

to stop their automobile at a checkpoint. Sgrena laid waste to that

bit of propaganda when she related that they were shot at by a U.S.

patrol while on their way to the Baghdad Airport.

 

In addition the Pentagon enforcers -- with the assistance of their

Iraqi counterparts -- have imprisoned over 115 journalists, and

another 70 cyber dissidents in Iraq. Welcome to Democracy Bush-style.

 

Then there is the case of Al-Jazeera -- a real burr under the

Pentagon's saddle. Right before the Thanksgiving holiday, the British

tabloid the Daily Mirror carried the story about Bush's plans to bomb

Al-Jazeera's Qatar headquarters. This was to be carried out during

last year's Fallujah offensive, but it is rumored that Tony Blair

dissuaded Bush from this action.

 

Britain's response to the publication of this 'leaked' government memo

was to " gag " the press under the " Official Secrets Act. " But here in

the good old United States that isn't necessary because the government

has turned the press into wanton whores (my sincerest apologies to all

the good whores out there) compliantly turning the journalistic trick

for their administration pimps.

 

In Britain they have the " Official Secrets Act, " here in the U.S. we

have the " Official Presstitutes Act. " And that's just for the press,

for the rest of us we have the USA PATRIOT Act. And there are those

among us who have found themselves on the wrong end of that little

totalitarian entanglement. I have personal experience with that piece

of fascist crap known as the USA PATRIOT Act. My response, just like

that old National Rifle Association (NRA) bumper sticker: " I'll give

up my gun when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers. " For the

fascists abroad in the land, " I'll give up my keyboard when you pry it

from my cold, dead fingers. "

 

I strayed a bit with my rant this week but watching -- and reading --

the corporate media and their hypocritical bullshit regarding " planted

stories " in the Iraqi media was laughable. The mainstream press in

this country has become nothing more than a propaganda arm for the

state and that's okay, if that is what they desire. However, don't try

to snow me with your false clichés and misrepresentations.

 

In no way am I painting all media, or all journalists, with the wider

swath of the brush that is this commentary. The miscreants know who

they are; the rest of us who either labor for a decent newspaper,

alternative press, periodical, or on the web stay afloat by staying in

the face of the fools and fascists. You are to be applauded because

without you the curtain of totalitarianism would isolate us one and

all from those freedoms that are our rightful heritage.

 

" Limiting the freedom of news 'just a little bit' is in the same

category with the classic example 'a little bit pregnant.' " --Robert

A. Heinlen

You can contact Frank Pitz at fpitz76.

 

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