Rhetoric

The Pro-War Myth of the Spat Upon Soldier

by John Stauber — April 3, 2003 - 11:00pm

News stories, letters to the editor and speeches at pro-war rallies repeat claims that US soldiers returning from Vietnam were routinely spat upon by peace protesters. Its repeated in large papers like USA Today , on TV talk shows and by radio broadcasters. Don't believe it, its a propaganda myth.

Main Source: 
Orange County Weekly, April 4, 2003

Using the War to Sell Mustard and Movies

by John Stauber — April 2, 2003 - 11:00pm

George Hesselberg writes, "let me be the 500th columnist in the United States to jump on the French's Mustard public relations people for the company's astounding press release that got -- congratulations -- national press last week. The company wanted everyone to know that 'The only thing French about French's mustard is the name!' ... And leave it to Hollywood to make the peace sign a commercial symbol. The comedy movie, What a Girl Wants, is advertised picturing the lead actress ... flashing the peace sign. ...

Main Source: 
Wisconsin State Journal, April 3, 2003

Chickenhawks' War Comes Home to Roost

by Sheldon Rampton — March 27, 2003 - 11:00pm

If you think you remember that we were promised a quick, easy war, your memory is not faulty. Eric Alterman has gone to the trouble of assembling some of those recent quotes in which Bush administration officials and pundits predicted, not that war is hell, but that it would be heaven. "Support for Saddam ... will collapse at the first whiff of gunpowder," predicted Richard Perle.

Main Source: 
MSNBC, March 28, 2003

Shocking and Awful

by Sheldon Rampton — March 22, 2003 - 2:10pm

Pundits have depicted the U.S. military strategy of "shock and awe" in largely sanitary terms, suggesting that the high accuracy of laser-guided "smart bombs" will make it possible to decapitate the Iraqi command and control structure while leaving the country's infrastructure intact and limiting civilian casualties.

Main Source: 
http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Shock_and_awe

Spinning the "Coalition of the Willing"

by Sheldon Rampton — March 19, 2003 - 11:00pm

"The Bush administration has frequently compared the level and scope of international support for its military operations in Iraq to the coalition that fought the first Persian Gulf War," reports Glenn Kessler. "But the statements are exaggerations, according to independent experts and a review of figures from both conflicts." The so-called "coalition of the willing is almost entirely a U.S.-British campaign, with virtually no military contribution from other countries except Australia.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, March 20, 2003

Credibility Bomb

by Laura Miller — March 17, 2003 - 11:00pm

"The 'powerful odor of mendacity' (to borrow Tennessee Williams' phrase) hung over George Bush's primetime virtual declaration of war Monday night," TomPaine.com commentator Doug Ireland writes.

Main Source: 
TomPaine.com, March 18, 2003

A New Definition of "Innocent"

by Sheldon Rampton — March 15, 2003 - 11:00pm

The United States and France were the source in the 1980s for "all the foreign germ samples ... used to create the biological weapons that are still believed to be in Iraq's arsenal, according to American officials and foreign diplomats who have reviewed Iraq's latest weapons declaration to the United Nations. ... The bioweapons declaration was obtained by Gary B.

Main Source: 
New York Times, March 16, 2003

It's Not a "Market Crash," It's a "Terrific Time to Buy"

by John Stauber — March 11, 2003 - 11:00pm

Have you heard journalists and commentators using the term "market crash?" Neither have we, and we wonder why not given the facts. Reuters reports today that British "blue-chips slumped ... as
investors bailed out of financials and oils and fretted over the
outlook for firms like Canary Wharf and Reuters. Heavyweight banks,
insurers and pension funds -- formerly
prime supporters of equities -- sold each others' stocks to move
deeper into the safety of cash and bonds, while oil giant BP sagged after a
downgrade of oil companies.

Main Source: 
Reuters, March 12, 2003

No More French Fries for Congress

by John Stauber — March 10, 2003 - 11:00pm

News outlets are gleefully reporting the renaming of French Fries in Congressional cafeterias, now to be called "Freedom Fries." (Parents are no doubt telling their kids, "Behave and get those Freedom Fries out of your nose or we're leaving right now!") The TV media are running with this story as part of the cheerleading buildup for a US attack on Iraq. No word yet whether European governments will retaliate by renaming All-American Hot Dogs as "Dogs of War."

Main Source: 
CNN, March 11, 2003

Luntz Memo Helps To Greenwash Republicans

by John Stauber — March 1, 2003 - 11:00pm

"Over the last six months, the
Republican Party has subtly refocused its message on the
environment, an issue that a party strategist Frank Luntz called 'the
single biggest vulnerability for the Republicans and
especially for George Bush' in a memorandum encouraging the
new approach.

Main Source: 
New York Times, March 2, 2003
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