Essay about The War on Terrorism and the US Propaganda...

The War on Terrorism and the US Propaganda Machine nbsp; Totalitarian regimes control their people by bludgeoning and incarcerating them. Critics of Western societies claim that democratic governments maintain approval for their actions through the manufacture of consent, a cryptic and insidious form of propaganda. nbsp; How?, you ask skeptically. By framing the debate, the theory says. By setting up a debate between two opposing acceptable views--one slightly left of government policy, and the other slightly right--the media can marginalize the radicals and legitimize the party line. Thus the debate surrounding the war in Vietnam was a debate of the hawks (If we keep fighting we can win) vs. the doves (Its too†¦show more content†¦In US news, a couple of simple statistics were buried deep in articles, but virtually no one realized that if the trucks didnt get in before winter hit (which is a lot earlier in mountainous Afghanistan than in balmy NJ), several hundred thousand--if not several million--civilians were sure to die. The more extensive UK coverage accounts for the fact that the Guardian (a major British newspaper) has got five times as many hits from Americans surfing the web since September 11th. nbsp; It certainly does appear that the mainstream US media is framing the debate on the war. First, the media is supporting the war effort virtually unanimously, often zealously: Well do whatever is our patriotic duty--News Corp exec Rupert Murdoch; the U.S. should bomb the Afghan infrastructure to rubble--the airport, the power plants, their water facilities, and the roads--Fox News Channels Bill OReilly); America roused to a righteous anger has always been a force for good. States that have been supporting if not Osama bin Laden, people like him need to feel pain. If we flatten part of Damascus or Tehran or whatever it takes, that is part of the solution--Rich Lowry, National Review editor. Second, they are marginalizing contrasting views, as seen by CNN Chair Walter Isaacsons comment that it seems perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan. Third, media dissentShow MoreRelatedThis paper scrutinizes the use of propaganda and the consequential effects during the Iraq War. 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