Monday, October 9, 2006

PRopaganda and the media who love it

Billmon, writing about the Republicans trying to blame the Democrats for the Foley scandal, unearthed this line that may be indicative of the Repugs' overall PR strategy for everything:

"Despite the best that has been done by everyone . . . the war situation has developed not necessarily to our advantage."

Emperor Hirohito
Radio Broadcast Announcing Japan's Surrender
August 15, 1945

I love it!

Billmon continues on the unconscionable complicity of the media:

If the latest Newsweek poll is even half way close to accurate, then the Republicans have stalled in roughly the same manner that the Hindenberg "stalled".

This may seem a trivial matter, given all the other lies, big and small, that have come rattling down the propaganda assembly line over the past six years. Foley himself is just a sideshow geek compared to the three-ring circus that gave us the war in Iraq. But if there's been a more brazen attempt to rewrite history -- last week's history! -- I can't remember it.

True, the Rovians are desperate, but this clearly reflects their belief that they can say anything, any fucking thing at all, and not be called on it by the corporate media, at least not in any kind of time frame that matters. And as far as I can tell, they're right -- they haven't been called on it, except by Think Progress and the wild-eyed bloggers and the other tattered remnants of the left opposition.

I know, I know: So what else is new? But I've enough journalist left in me to still be astonished at how deeply and sincerely so many in my old profession has learned to love Big Brother. And they didn't even have to have cages filled with carnivorous rats strapped to their heads.

Cages strapped to their heads with little non-carnivorous Rove-faced rats reminding them of who's got the reins, maybe.

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