Propaganda, credibility and 'smear-and-fear'

Warping the Judgement of Dissenting Opinion: towards a general framework for comparing distortion in rules of evidence (Part #3)

Successfully sustaining the 'war against terrorism' has required that leading western governments engage in a major 'propaganda war' for the 'hearts and minds' of the population [more; more; more]. This is effectively an extension of what what is known as Project Mockingbird, conceived in the late 1940s, when the CIA began a systematic infiltration of the corporate media, a process that often included direct takeover of major news outlets [more]. This has involved the full deployment of news management and spin techniques, in addition to strong encouragement to the media to engage in self-censorship as a demonstration of loyalty (more]. This strategy creates a major problem for anyone endeavouring to interpret what constitutes genuine factual evidence behind such a media screen. Who could determine the degree of involvement of CIA-inspired script writers in major movie productions? Any declaration that sustains the coherence of the war strategy has now become legitimate, by definition -- including every form of disinformation and withholding of information.

As stated by Hermann Goering at the Nuremburg Trials: "people can always be brought to do the bidding of the leaders...All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce (opponents) pacifists for lack of patriotism." Richard Gephardt made a related, and much-cited, point in speaking against the impeachment of Bill Clinton (19 December 1998): 'We are now rapidly descending into a politics where life imitates farce. Fratricide dominates our public debate and America is held hostage with tactics of smear and fear' [more]. Echoed in commentary on Canadian politics: 'Don't be blinded by spin doctors who have railroaded the real issues in this hot federal race through a smear-and-fear campaign that smacks of dirty American-style politics' [more]. The approach is recognized in Ireland: "Theological differences, he said, 'are exaggerated, fear is built up, people are dehumanised, boundaries are made absolute, the threat of violence is entertained"; this 'mad dog', was fed on a diet of misunderstanding, smear and fear: 'It puts bombs outside primary schools; it burns little boys in their homes, and blows up grannies" [more]. Echoed again by Scottish nationalists: 'It highlights the widespread disgust with London Labour's negative smear and fear approach to this campaign and exposes the preposterous and infantile economics behind Labour's attacks on Scotland and the SNP" [more]

Use of such techniques to intimidate dissenters has long astonished commentators on the apparent 'cowardice' of citizens in fascist and communist regimes. In the western response to 'terrorists', they now have the opportunity to experience it personally and to understand the different pressures on Jews and their neighbours during the Nazi period. The pressures on academics are similarly reminiscent of the same period:

Professors instinctively know that if they do not parrot the imposed belief systems they will not be invited to lecture, will not be invited to advise local and state governments, and will stand no chance of being appointed to a position in the federal government. Not only will they not receive those coveted honors of academia, they will be totally ostracized socially, academically, and by those who have those coveted positions. This is how we ended up with so much neo-classical economic philosophy with no connection to reality. (J W Smith. The Grand Strategy of Western Security Councils)

In a context in which governance is increasingly dependent on a high degree of news management, how do those using such spin techniques expect to maintain their credibility? How will they ever be able to prove that they are telling the truth when there is so much evidence of disinformation and cover-up -- to which governments frankly admit 'for reasons of national security'? To what extent are intergovernmental initiatives systematically undermined by the creation of bodies like the secret 'Brussels group' of governments (Belgium, Germany, Italy, UK, USA) in 1971, with the objective of limiting the effectiveness of the UN environment conference that created UNEP (New Scientist, 5 January 2002) (more)? Will such revelations only reinforce the position of those protesting 'globalization'? Will future crises become victim to the lessons of the nursery story of the little boy who cried 'wolf' -- once too often?

To what extent does such manipulation of evidence constitute shameful intellectual dishonesty -- and who cares? To what extent has western society become a Potemkin Society? [more]. Is it not curious that the military resources allocated to the 'war against terrorism' have only been matched by the vaguest of promises of humanitarian resources to address the impoverishment and injustice which breeds such terrorism? Whereas extensive new investments have been made to repress terrorism, can it be said that any commensurate new investments have been made to identify its roots and encourage the new thinking and action to compensate for decades of neglect? Or is the 'war against terrorism' to be considered merely an investment in maintaining the status quo? What initiatives have been proposed or funded to develop more viable ways to dialogue with those holding radically opposing perspectives? Has the intelligence community in any way contributed its intelligence to enabling such intiatives?

In a world economy theatened by recession, is the American economy now significantly dependent on the threat of terrorism to maintain itself on a lucrative war footing for years to come -- as variously suggested [more], notably in the Lugano Report [more; more] and the Iron Mountain Report [more; more; more]? As part of this support for the American economy, will coalition countries now be obliged to recompense the USA for its military actions, over the foreseeable future, as has been the case with the Gulf War? Are we really seeing the emergence of a Great Leviathan [more], as recommended by Yehezkel Dror (The Capacity to Govern: A Report to the Club of Rome, 2001), as part of the overriding necessity to radically upgrade governmental and global capacity to engage in "weaving of the future" to prevent atrocious barbarism with mass killing weapons and, perhaps, for assuring the very survival of humanity?

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Propaganda, credibility and 'smear-and-fear'