Bush Seeks Propaganda Sweepstakes

Robert Kandauer
The Oregonian 2/5/5

Social scientists, I sense, are already outlining articles on George W. Bush's legacy.

Their topic: Persuasion vs. Manipulation in the Bush Presidency.

Not since the collapse of the Soviet Union over 13 years ago has an administration produced so much material for a case study on governmental propaganda techniques. Case-building arguments and conclusions by President Bush and his surrogates regarding Social Security reform repeatedly redraw the line between fact and fiction, between information and indoctrination.

Propaganda in this case involves deliberately withholding relevant facts and spreading misinformation in order to reach preconceived ends that don't solve the declared problem and don't stand up to fact-based scrutiny.

Government propaganda campaigns typically include creating overblown fears and inflated desires or expectations; exaggerating the urgency of an issue in order to deflect attention from more pressing or unpopular issues; and attacking the motives and integrity of messengers of differing views rather than refuting the evidence they bring and conclusions they draw.

Much more at:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/robert_landauer/index.ssf?/base/editorial/111002767789770.xml

they have rued the day many many times since. The last line in this piece brings it all home re SS: "Borrowing $4.5 trillion over 20 years to deal with a 75-year Social Security shortfall that is far less than that looks like a cure worse than the disease." As pointed out earlier in the article, it would also vastly increase budget deficits and the national debt, which IMHO is going to be the demise of our country. Unfortunately, that seems to be Bush & Co.'s real plan. I only hope Americans will pay attention and stop this insanity before it's too late for all of us.


Tired Old Cynic