The Propaganda War

[Jedi Poker]

Gotta hand it to the Iraqi Propaganda machine. Before the war, they "divided and conquered" the hearts and minds of the UN, the European Alliance, NATO, and the American people. Now that the war is on, they have been able to turn the capture of just one coalition Apache helicopter into a major victory (worth 1,200 coalition sortes) in the eyes of the Arab world, and perhaps in the eyes of the world beyond as well.
Let me tell ya'. When it comes to brainwashing the public, these guys have to be in the same league as Josef Goebels, the top propagandist of Nazi Germany. Fortunately, Goebels had a tough opponent in the United States' Frank Capra to counteract him. The US has the greatest armed forces in history, but it's propaganda machine is pathetic.

[IrishHand]

The US has the greatest armed forces in history, but it's propaganda machine is pathetic.
All evidence to the contrary.

Your supposition that Iraq's media convinced basically the whole world to be opposed to a US invasion of Iraq is ludicrous. It's far more likely - especially given the facts of the matter - that it was the US media which did a great job of disseminating pro-war propaganda, thereby inspiring a small majority of Americans to support an invasion of a distant, non-threatening nation.

[Jimbo]

IrishHand, I believe this statement by you proves just the contrary and that Jedi is correct.

"It's far more likely - especially given the facts of the matter - that it was the US media which did a great job of disseminating pro-war propaganda, thereby inspiring a small majority of Americans to support an invasion of a distant, unthreatening nation.

They have aparrently even been able to brainwash certain malleable members of our US Armed Forces.

[IrishHand]

My personal objections predate my awareness of Iraq's geographic location, much less any exposure to Iraqi media.

[Cyrus]

"Gotta hand it to the Iraqi Propaganda machine. Before the war, they "divided and conquered" the hearts and minds of the UN, the European Alliance, NATO, and the American people."

How on earth did they do that?? The Iraqis do not control any major news agency. Their statements and positions have always been viewed sceptically by western media. And even those who oppose the war in the West are also condemning the current Iraqi regime. On the other hand, we have seen British and American TV channels adopting a "patriotic" stance across the board, at the expense of journalistic truth and full disclosure, eg in the case of the captured soldiers.

In order to have an effective propaganda machine you gotta have the means for it. What propaganda machinery does Saddam have? Nothing outside Iraq, save for a few inconsequential cronies in the Arab media ; not even Al Jazeera was 100% supportive of his pre-war position.

"Now that the war is on, they have been able to turn the capture of just one coalition Apache helicopter into a major victory in the eyes of the Arab world, and perhaps in the eyes of the world."

Agree about the Arab world, they are overwhelmingly against the Americans in this war, and will grasp at anything they see as good in the news. But as to the rest of the world, I doubt that the Apache downing made more of an impact than it should.

"When it comes to brainwashing the public, these guys have to be in the same league as Josef Goebels, the top propagandist of Nazi Germany."

If you're talking about inside Iraq, you might have a point, even though you are exaggerating. (Goebbels' machinery was simply awesome, plus he was much more cunning and efficient than the Baghdad lot.) But if you claim that the Iraqi propaganda is affecting people outsisde Iraq, you are mistaken : the war's opponents in the West have not been "brainwashed" by anyone, Iraqi or non-Iraqi.

"The US has the greatest armed forces in history, but its propaganda machine is pathetic."

Maybe. But perhaps it's just that the pro-war arguments are simply not convincing enough. Have you considered this at all?

[Chris Alger]

This is an arch example of what others have labelled the "paranoid" strain in American politics. That even one person could believe any of this, write it down, and be unaware of what a humiliating confession of ignorance it represents, proves something more ingrained and pathological than anything that could result from bad schooling or propaganda. The only thing that compares are the ravings of religious maniacs and racial ideologues.