“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society,” wrote PR pioneer, Edward Bernays, in his 1928 book, Propaganda.
He added: “Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”
In portraying itself as the globe’s leading proponent of peace while perpetrating, sponsoring, or ignoring heinous war crimes, America’s “invisible government” has elevated this practice of “spin” to an art form.
Just a few examples (out of tens of thousands):
During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson publicly stated that America must fight to “make the world safe for democracy.” Privately, his Ambassador to England, W.H. Page, explained that declaring war on Germany was “the only way of maintaining our present pre-eminent trade status.”
During World War II, a private 1941 memo between the Council on Foreign Relations and the State Department read in part: “If war aims are stated which seem to be concerned solely with Anglo-American imperialism, they will offer little to people in the rest of the world… The interests of other people should be stressed… This would have a better propaganda effect.”
During the Vietnam War, the United States utilized defoliants and chemicals to destroy food crops. Phosphorus, napalm, and fragmentation bombs were employed against civilian targets. Yet, on October 16, 1965, James Reston of the New York Times informed Americans, “The problem of peace lies now not in Washington but in Hanoi.”
During the first Gulf War, a 15-year-old Kuwaiti "refugee" named Nayirah tearfully described witnessing Iraqi troops stealing incubators from a hospital, leaving 312 babies “on the cold floor to die.” Nayirah’s false testimony was part of a $10 million Kuwait government propaganda campaign managed by the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton. Rather than working as a volunteer at a hospital, Nayirah was actually the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to Washington. She was an aspiring actress and the story was an elaborate hoax. “We didn’t know it wasn’t true at the time,” claimed Brent Scowcroft, President George H.W. Bush’s national security adviser. But, he admitted, “It was useful in mobilizing public opinion.”
Read more here about Nayirah:
None of the above info is hidden or requires inside sources. It takes very little physical effort to learn the truth.
However, when I look around at all the folks lining up for jabs, waving Ukrainian flags, talking about pronouns, etc., I’m reminded of how much intellectual/emotional/spiritual work is required.
Excellent post , thank you -- and I think you'll enjoy this essay on Power: https://newzealanddoc.substack.com/p/the-anatomy-and-psychology-of-power
I was tangling with some liberals about Biden's war, eternal war profiteering, nuclear gamesmanship and collusion between DHS, the White House and Big Tech censoring anything critical of this government and they accused me of, horror of horrors - hyperbole.