JAG
10-23-2005, 04:35 PM
President Bush Continues with Pattern of Propaganda
In an attempt to bolster support for the Iraq war, President Bush held a videoconference with U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq last Thursday. This conference, we have learned, was a carefully staged event by the Bush administration. The conference was staged immediately before last weekend's constitutional referendum in Iraq, and featured handpicked soldiers.
These soldiers were coached to provide an upbeat assessment of the Iraq war. On the Comedy Central show, The Daily Show, footage was shown of Allison Barber, a Pentagon communication official rehearsing the same questions the soldiers were asked by President Bush.
However, Barber later told the media that the soldiers were told only about broad themes the President wanted to discuss and not specific questions, according to the Los Angeles Times. The White House tried to downplay criticism that the teleconference was a carefully staged event. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the soldiers could have asked any question or given any response they liked. Unfortunately this seems impossible because Bush did not invite any of the soldiers to ask a question.
This videoconference is part of a pattern of staged events held by the Bush administration. In March 2005, President Bush held a town hall-style forum on Social Security in Denver, Colorado. Three individuals were removed from the Social Security forum because their cars had a bumper sticker that read, "No More Blood for Oil."
President Bush's Social Security forums were widely criticized for not providing actual public debate. Instead these forums were public relations vehicles to push his proposals. Moreover, these events were usually backed with Bush supporters, guaranteeing applause for the president.
In the past year, it was disclosed that the Bush administration looked to another avenue for propaganda and hired radio commentator Armstrong Williams to covertly promote the No Child Left Behind Act. Auditors found the U.S. Department of Education engaged in "illegal propaganda" when it hired Williams and may have hired him illegally.
The Bush administration's promotion of propaganda has done little to improve Bush's public approval ratings, which have dropped to 39 percent, a new low for his presidency. Bush could improve his standing with the American public by having a frank discussion on the progress in Iraq, instead of holding pep rallies.
In an attempt to bolster support for the Iraq war, President Bush held a videoconference with U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq last Thursday. This conference, we have learned, was a carefully staged event by the Bush administration. The conference was staged immediately before last weekend's constitutional referendum in Iraq, and featured handpicked soldiers.
These soldiers were coached to provide an upbeat assessment of the Iraq war. On the Comedy Central show, The Daily Show, footage was shown of Allison Barber, a Pentagon communication official rehearsing the same questions the soldiers were asked by President Bush.
However, Barber later told the media that the soldiers were told only about broad themes the President wanted to discuss and not specific questions, according to the Los Angeles Times. The White House tried to downplay criticism that the teleconference was a carefully staged event. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the soldiers could have asked any question or given any response they liked. Unfortunately this seems impossible because Bush did not invite any of the soldiers to ask a question.
This videoconference is part of a pattern of staged events held by the Bush administration. In March 2005, President Bush held a town hall-style forum on Social Security in Denver, Colorado. Three individuals were removed from the Social Security forum because their cars had a bumper sticker that read, "No More Blood for Oil."
President Bush's Social Security forums were widely criticized for not providing actual public debate. Instead these forums were public relations vehicles to push his proposals. Moreover, these events were usually backed with Bush supporters, guaranteeing applause for the president.
In the past year, it was disclosed that the Bush administration looked to another avenue for propaganda and hired radio commentator Armstrong Williams to covertly promote the No Child Left Behind Act. Auditors found the U.S. Department of Education engaged in "illegal propaganda" when it hired Williams and may have hired him illegally.
The Bush administration's promotion of propaganda has done little to improve Bush's public approval ratings, which have dropped to 39 percent, a new low for his presidency. Bush could improve his standing with the American public by having a frank discussion on the progress in Iraq, instead of holding pep rallies.