With Media’s Help, Old Iraq Rhetoric is New Again
With Media’s Help, Old Iraq Rhetoric is New Again
The mainstream press continues to repeat the canard that the White House is honing a new message on Iraq — see here, here, here, and here. (As Dana Bash pointed out on CNN, “this is a communications strategy — even telling reporters that they are going to [shift their Iraq message] is part of that strategy.”)
Well, Secretary Rumsfeld “road-tested” the purportedly new message this weekend, and it was the rhetorical equivalent of a 1980 Austin Princess: old, tired, and unreliable.
Knight-Ridder laid out the three major planks of the “new” message:
1. “Progress is being made politically and economically” in Iraq
2. “Insurgency could go on for any number of years”
3. We have never miscalculated, erred, or misled you
Sound familiar? That’s because the White House has been repeating all of these points for months:
Progress in Iraq
“We’re making progress in Iraq.” — President Bush, 2/4/05
“We’re making progress in Iraq.” — President Bush, 10/16/04
“Today the Prime Minister and I discussed our coalition’s progress in Iraq.” — President Bush, 6/4/04
“President Bush, Secretary Rumsfeld Discuss Progress in Iraq.” — White House website, 8/3/03
U.S. in Iraq for Years to Come
“Vice President Dick Cheney recently predicted on CNN that fighting in Iraq should end before the administration leaves in 2009.” — 6/6/05
“I believe it can be bloody and nasty and I believe it’s going to take a lot of hard work over a number of years.” — Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, 5/20/05
“The U.S. military could remain in Iraq for years, but with the passage of time it should be able to step back into more of a supporting role for Iraqi security forces, the Pentagon’s number two official [Paul Wolfowitz] said yesterday.” — 6/23/04
“U.S. expects troops in Iraq for years” — AP headline, 2/20/04
Never Miscalculated, Erred, or Misled
“On Meet the Press yesterday, Rumsfeld took no responsibility for the inadequate troop levels. Asked if, in hindsight, he wished he’d sent in more troops on the ground in Iraq in the first place, he replied, ‘The answer to your question is no.‘” — 2/7/05
“President Bush and his Cabinet nominees have been sending a firm message as they kick off a second term: no mistakes, no regret, no comment.” — Washington Post, 1/20/05
“Anxious to crush any criticism of his Iraq strategy, especially since his own weapons inspector had just reported that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction before he rushed to war, Mr Bush admitted no mistakes to Linda or the millions of Americans watching.” — The Age, 10/11/04
“American President George Bush grimaced, sighed, rambled and chuckled under his breath on Tuesday, before saying he could not think of a single mistake he had made since the September 11 attacks.” — Reuters, 4/14/04
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9 Responses to “With Media’s Help, Old Iraq Rhetoric is New Again”
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Remember what happend to Russia with Afganistan? Can you say Da Ja Voooo
June 27th, 2005 at 12:37 pmIf I were advising them, I'd tell them to keep denying everything! Don't admit to any mistakes, don't admit to any prior misleading statements and if necessary, plead "don't remember."
It seems that this is the best strategy. First, it gives a fig cover to those who WANT to believe them. Second, the mainstream media doesn't really grill them and show the liars they are (I mean, you have to call a liar LIAR, if he blantantly repeats a lie).
Third, I'd call upon my right wing talking heads to start saying that the allegations (no need to specify what) of the left harm America by attacking the integrity of our gov. our troops, and weaken America's resolve in fighting terrorism & keeping the homeland safe!
I'd point out to the Rush Limbaugh take on the Dowing Street Memo: I haven't dealt with it because it doesn't concern me/us.... It provided nothing new, and it's not authenticated... Folks, it came from the people who hate America....
Appartently, this strategy is working... OK, the majority of Americans have turned against the Bush administration's policy on Iraq, but have you checked to see how many still believe it's the right one, and about Sadam/Osama/WMD connection????!!!! This by itself is a statement of our country's political astuteness, don't you think?....
June 27th, 2005 at 1:03 pmPlease join me in urging the submissive press corpse to not cover Bush'sPotekin Villiage Iraq propaganda offensive tomorrow night.
June 27th, 2005 at 1:17 pmBush revealed his plan during his press conf. with Schroeder, today. It is this -- there are two fronts: the political and the military. We are really winning on the political front because people went to the polls to vote in January, and they will be drafting a new constitution and then voting for a new President by the end of the year. On the military front we are winning because the increased violence signals the desperation of the insurgency.
June 27th, 2005 at 1:31 pmSo its all come down to the "politics of perception". Reality need not apply.
Its no longer amusing to watch as the press twists a bad story into something good. I with the media would hire a few muckrackers to get to and report the truth.
June 27th, 2005 at 1:34 pmHere's more of Bush on Iraq: Then and Now.
June 27th, 2005 at 2:15 pmBJ holland,
Your shameless echoing of the right wing talking points on Iraq without any forethought make me sick to my stomache.
How long is it going to take, how many torture scandals, how many dead civilians, how many lies and distortions of the truth have to come to light before you stop mindlessly parroting the Bush administration and think for yourself.
It's actually kind of frightening to see the extent to which Bushco and the spineless and biased news media (i'm looking at you FOX news, oh and msnbc.... oh and CNN oh and well you get the picture) have conditioned the general populace to defend these completely irrational ideas. Like one of Pavlov's dogs, hearing the bell of rational thought and analysis, Holland leaps forth and pastes the administrations current "reality" in Iraq into the comment section because this damn liberal media has to be stopped.
Bj holland (unless your comment was an ironic joke) your very words are a fallacy " On the military front we are winning because the increased violence signals the desperation of the insurgency." I'm sorry for being crass but have you gone ******* insane??? What if they kill 5000 american soldiers will you think "Well hell those terrists must be getting REALLY desperate now..."
Just wait untill you see the new generation of terrorists that we are making as we speak right now in Iraq by blowing up civilian houses and detaining peoples fathers and brothers arbitrarily, sometimes with little or no reason at all, indefinatley and without legal representation or even the rights afforded under the geneva conventions.
Think about it, if the shoe were on the other foot and an occupying force took your brother away under some vague suspicion and put him in a detention center becoming famous for toture and mistreatment and they tell you he could be there for months...years before anyone is allowed to see him or any charges would be filed, who even knows if he won't die in detention (as some have). You know he isn't guilty of anything but that means nothing in the confusion of war. Wouldn't you do everything in your power to fight the occupying force, even though you may have been a peaceful man, circumstances force you into action and a "terrorist" is born... Or a "freedom fighter" it depends on who you ask.
And the Bush administration marvels at the inhumanity of suicide bombers, they wonder how could someone be pushed to that? To strap pounds of C4 to their body and ram into a convoy of hummers. I don't wonder. If you corner a scared animal and threaten it's offspring, even though it knows it's doomed... it WILL take the biggest chunk out of you that it can.
Doesen't anyone on the right side of the political spectrum stop and think anymore before jumping in line?
June 27th, 2005 at 2:51 pmThe frightening aspect for US, regardless of the numbers, the ethnic makeup or what "throes" the insurgency is in: every insurgent that gets out of Iraq alive has been well-trained by the United States of America.
I don't know how well we're doing with the Iraqi security training, but the insurgents are getting top rate equipment free, realistic settings in which to practice, and we even provide live targets. Life doesn't get much better for Al Qaeda and friends.
And if that's not enough, the current administration is busy making self-aggrandizing spiteful pronouncements around the world.
So in the name of the United States of America, we will make sure those well-trained insurgents have a welcome place among some group who has excellent reasons to hate us.
Like the Vietnam Vet in Nebraska, I plan to fly my flag upside down on the 4th of July. He was arrested for "flag desecration" under Nebraska law. My 1950's era flag etiquette card states: "The flag should never be flown upside down EXCEPT as a signal of distress."
June 27th, 2005 at 4:57 pmLadies and gentlemen, if there was ever a time when America was in distress, this is IT!
So whether your issues are domestic or foreign, financial or cultural, ethical or ecological, here's a protest tailor-made for busy Americans. (The polls say over 60% of us think America is travelling the wrong road. Let's see if it's true!)
No marching, no banners, no travel expenses, no possibility of being maced or tasered. Just hang your American flag upside down on the 4th of July! And if you don't have one, now is a great time to get one. For you gung ho boosters, turn your lapel pin flags and troop support magnetic stickers upside down.
God bless Americans and God help America!
Welcome to the ‘Raq; old ‘Raq, new ‘Raq, who cares what you call it; the fact is, these insurgents, these terrorists, these freedom fighters, these guerillas continue to get away – and they keep coming back. Several seem to make the news daily blowing themselves up along with varying numbers of unsuspecting others all to smithereens, and still, there’s always more the next day.
Military historians can tell you, so long as a guerilla force lives to fight another day, they’re winning the war, and over time they will grow. Recently I read where some brass hat said there’s something like 20 thousand guerillas in the ‘Raq. If you double that number you’ll probably be closer to the truth.
Now, anyone who knows much about guerilla warfare can tell you that in order for guerillas to exist they must have sympathizers to assist them in the community wherein they live undetected; add these folks to the equation and now we’re looking at something like 200 thousand people. Get the picture?
The people’s support of the guerillas is another parallel twixt the ‘Raq and the ‘Nam, and believe me if we stay the course we will never see light at the end of the tunnel, which brings me to a point I’d like to make: How do you ask someone to be the last person to die for a mistake?
And one more thing, we’re talking about how the corporate news media wastes our time every day because … ? Explain that to me like I’m six years old. I really want to know.
-Sky
June 27th, 2005 at 11:57 pm