CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Vintage War Propaganda Posters — Are We Repeating History?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:00:25 -0700

World Wars I and II left us with not only a global landscape changed forever politically and historically, but two of the biggest events in the 20th century left us with a wealth of propaganda artifacts that almost tell the story better than any history book. Some of the themes championed in these beautifully designed posters of food conservation, using resources carefully, sticking with the service no matter what, and encouraging women to do their part sound like wildly familiar themes today. I mean, carpooling! As applicable as some of the sentiments may be, of course the rampant use of racist images to dehumanize the enemy renders some of the images shocking to a modern eye. Though decidedly different than the wars that left us these posters, we are still in wartime. We might not see propaganda campaigns like these posters, but you might not have to look too hard to see the same kinds of appeals to fear, appeals to prejudice, and bandwagon methods of getting the word out today. Take a look at propaganda gone by and see what looks familiar.

Rapper Nas Gives Petition to "Propaganda Machine" Fox News

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:55:15 -0700

Rapper Nas joined with the Color of Change and MoveOn to deliver a petition to the offices of Fox News yesterday. Just after his controversial album hit number one, Nas took the podium protesting the racist attacks he sees coming from Fox against Black Americans and Barack Obama.

Delivering over 600,000 signatures to the network, Nas delivered a prepared speech saying, "We already knew that Fox is not a news network; they are a propaganda machine . . . Fox poisons this country every time they air racist propaganda and try to call it news. This should outrage every American that Fox uses hateful language to talk about the person that may be the first black president."

Fox declined receipt of the signatures, but issued a statement: "Fox News believes in all protesters exercising their right to free speech, including Nas, who has an album to promote."

That album now called Untitled had an original, much more controversial title. Does this affect his statement against Fox?

To see clips of the Fox language Nas finds offensive — served up on last night's Colbert Report (where the petition was delivered after Fox refused to accept it) — plus Nas's interview with Stephen,

"Two Tickets For Wall-E Leftist Propaganda, Please." Possible?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:56:13 -0700

Heading out to the movies this holiday weekend? If your "two tickets, please," is for last weekend's #1 flick, Pixar's Wall-E, you might be getting a jumbo bucket of leftist propaganda with your price of admission. But it's a cartoony-thing, right?! But it's a cartoon-y thing with an apparently serious leftist message. The National Review's global-warming blog says “it was like a 90-minute lecture on the dangers of over consumption, big corporations, and the destruction of the environment.” Oh! That sounds like a cute and funny movie! What??But wait, there's more! Glenn Beck says, "I just see Wally and he's on the Earth and he's cleaning stuff up and I looked at my wife and I said, it's a frickin' global warming movie, it is how we destroyed the Earth." Over at Dirty Harry's Place (a conservative look at film, punk) Harry says of the Pixar tale, "they stop things cold, yanking you out of the story with the liberal nonsense. Quite a disappointment. Anyway…"Lars Larson was on with Dan Abrams backing all of this up, saying it gives "little kids the idea that human beings are bad for planet Earth." At Townhall, they agree with the propaganda claim, but say it's "actually a brilliant exposure of liberalism’s flaws."Is all of this possible out of a cartoon? Is Wall-E propaganda in the world's cutest package? Check out Buzz's brilliant review for more info on the plot and characters — and hey, 4.5 out of 5 stars ain't bad!

"Two Tickets For Wall-E Leftist Propaganda, Please." Possible?

It's not only possible, it's probable. I don't need a lecture disguised as entertainment.

It's possible and great! Why not learn something at the movies? Plus, important for kids.

Ugh. Come on! You can find propaganda in everything if you try. This is Dumb-E.

Other. Feelin' Lucky? I've got an opinion for you in the comments.

Border Security USA Is Coming to Your Television Set

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:30:11 -0700

ABC is teaming up with the Department of Homeland Security to make some good old-fashioned reality television. The new show, Border Security USA, will focus on US border protection agencies including: Transportation Security Administration, US Coast Guard, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The federal government's efforts to stop illegal immigration, smuggling, and terrorism will be documented reality-television style. The Hollywood Reporter says that in one episode, two Iranian men are denied entry because one has relatives with terrorist ties, and the other carries a fake ID.

Perhaps this show could teach Americans about how the Homeland Security bureaucracy operates. But, I'm still concerned that a sensationalized television interpretation of national security concerns may oversimplify the problem and lead to discrimination, intolerance, or a false understanding of complex issues like immigration and global politics.

Is gov reality the next big thing, or is this just run-of-the-mill propaganda? Are you going to Ti-Vo this one?
Source

Pentagon Pauses Propaganda Program

LibertySugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Since the build-up to Iraq, retired US military generals, presented as independent mediate analysts, were in fact part of an extensive Pentagon program called "Message Force Multipliers."

The New York Times reported last week that the experienced personnel, appearing to want nothing more than to help Americans assess a post-9/11 world, were actually part of a carefully organized Pentagon information apparatus used to disseminate a message favorable to the Bush Administration.

The effort began with the build-up to Iraq, and television stations continued to use these retirees, who also had extensive and current military contracts, until yesterday when the Pentagon suspended the program.

The Pentagon's spokesman said that the media-infiltration operation was being reevaluated due to criticism that the retired officers offered Pentagon talking points as their own.

Who do you think is more to blame for this dishonest representation —the Bush Administration, or the willing television networks ready to use war for ratings? Do you think they collectively and gravely deceived the American public, or should it have been obvious to viewers that the "analysts" were puppets of the Pentagon? Is this fraud? Treason? Or politics as usual?

Source