thedrifter
08-27-05, 04:57 AM
The New War-Winning Weapon
Written by Lee Ellis
Saturday, August 27, 2005
In World War II, we knew that wars were won or lost depending on how effective our troops, planes, and ships were in decimating the enemy. Germany was defeated only because our troops could swarm across France into Germany causing Hitler to commit suicide. Japan surrendered only because of our dropping the atomic bombs on two enemy cities. Military might and the leadership of generals won wars for us throughout history.
Then, a new weapon mightier than any atomic bomb was introduced. Instead of wiping out cities, killing troops, and capturing real estate, this new weapon caused populations to lose their desire to defend themselves by destroying their morale. Used effectively, this new weapon could and did cause a nation to give up the will to fight, to give in to a quick surrender with only a relatively few lives lost.
What is it? Read on.
Advertising works to get people to take action either for or against something. Manufacturers sell all kinds of products to us from aspirin to toothpaste. Television ads flood our homes hourly with graphic images of all kinds of things with which to fill our homes, garages, freezers, and medicine cabinets. How many items, brands of appliances, or types of cars have you bought that are not advertised regularly? Very few if any, I’ll bet.
Advertising also sells ideas--whether it is a need to help tsunami victims or poor children in Africa, the need for protection against the dangers of tobacco smoking or the necessity of eating wisely to avoid obesity or heart attacks. We often vote based on which propositions or people seem best to us in the 30-second sound or video bites hurled at us every election year.
And now “advertising” has a military use. With the Vietnamization of America, our enemies have discovered that if they can get the Cronkites of today’s age to tell us through video and news columns that we are losing American lives in an unnecessary war and that our leaders are corrupt and lying to us, then we, as a society, will tend to believe this propaganda and allow fear to cause us to flee.
Why do you think that Cindy Sheehan is in Crawford, Texas, being supported by many far-left anti-American organizations that have given themselves apple-pie names to confuse or deceive the public?
Why do you think that we see coffins and wounded soldiers every day on television?
Why do you think that Joseph Goebbels’ famous motto--telling the big lie often enough will make it believable--is now being used in letters to the editor, oped columns, and movies by the Michael Moores of this country?
For those born after World War II, a few words about Goebbels:
His work as a propagandist materially aided Hitler's rise to power in 1933. When Hitler seized power in 1933, Goebbels was appointed minister for propaganda and national enlightenment. From then until his death, Goebbels used all media and communications to further Nazi propagandistic aims. Some of his propaganda principles include the following:
“Propaganda must affect the enemy's policy and action--by suppressing propagandistically desirable material which can provide the enemy with useful intelligence--by openly disseminating propaganda whose content or tone causes the enemy to draw the desired conclusions--by goading the enemy into revealing vital information about himself and--by making no reference to a desired enemy activity when any reference would discredit that activity.”*
Does this sound familiar? Replace the word, “enemy” in the above with “America.” Do this and you will better understand how you are being used so that America will lose its will to defeat the terrorists.
Still in doubt?
Have you watched the anti-Iraq War propagandists at work today in almost everything you read or view? Have you observed these propaganda messages in some of the drama shows you see on television or in theaters? Have you read the anti-Bush and anti-war columns in newspapers and on Internet sites?
What you are seeing is the new war-weapon--advertising--proven by the Vietnam anti-war crowd and its Jane Fondas to work. Today, Fonda and Tom Hayden have been replaced by the Sean Penns, the Dixie Chicks, and other Hollywood celebrities, and this month, by the new media darling, the wannabe actress who is portraying the grieving mother as she supports the anti-war crowds by calling President Bush a terrorist.
Are you going to let our soldiers and marines die in vain or come home to be mistreated again as they were when they came back from Vietnam? Are you going to let these video graphics and so-called pundits persuade you to want to surrender, to invite suicide bombers to invade America, and to let Islamic flags replace Old Glory in the future?
Do you have the will to win against this new weapon? Time will tell--a very short time.
* www.psywarrior.com/Goebbels.html
About the Writer: Lee Ellis is a retired journalist and a former vice president of both CBS and Gannett. He resides in Indio, California, where he writes op-eds that appear in several local newspapers. Lee receives e-mail at indiolee@dc.rr.com.
Ellie
Written by Lee Ellis
Saturday, August 27, 2005
In World War II, we knew that wars were won or lost depending on how effective our troops, planes, and ships were in decimating the enemy. Germany was defeated only because our troops could swarm across France into Germany causing Hitler to commit suicide. Japan surrendered only because of our dropping the atomic bombs on two enemy cities. Military might and the leadership of generals won wars for us throughout history.
Then, a new weapon mightier than any atomic bomb was introduced. Instead of wiping out cities, killing troops, and capturing real estate, this new weapon caused populations to lose their desire to defend themselves by destroying their morale. Used effectively, this new weapon could and did cause a nation to give up the will to fight, to give in to a quick surrender with only a relatively few lives lost.
What is it? Read on.
Advertising works to get people to take action either for or against something. Manufacturers sell all kinds of products to us from aspirin to toothpaste. Television ads flood our homes hourly with graphic images of all kinds of things with which to fill our homes, garages, freezers, and medicine cabinets. How many items, brands of appliances, or types of cars have you bought that are not advertised regularly? Very few if any, I’ll bet.
Advertising also sells ideas--whether it is a need to help tsunami victims or poor children in Africa, the need for protection against the dangers of tobacco smoking or the necessity of eating wisely to avoid obesity or heart attacks. We often vote based on which propositions or people seem best to us in the 30-second sound or video bites hurled at us every election year.
And now “advertising” has a military use. With the Vietnamization of America, our enemies have discovered that if they can get the Cronkites of today’s age to tell us through video and news columns that we are losing American lives in an unnecessary war and that our leaders are corrupt and lying to us, then we, as a society, will tend to believe this propaganda and allow fear to cause us to flee.
Why do you think that Cindy Sheehan is in Crawford, Texas, being supported by many far-left anti-American organizations that have given themselves apple-pie names to confuse or deceive the public?
Why do you think that we see coffins and wounded soldiers every day on television?
Why do you think that Joseph Goebbels’ famous motto--telling the big lie often enough will make it believable--is now being used in letters to the editor, oped columns, and movies by the Michael Moores of this country?
For those born after World War II, a few words about Goebbels:
His work as a propagandist materially aided Hitler's rise to power in 1933. When Hitler seized power in 1933, Goebbels was appointed minister for propaganda and national enlightenment. From then until his death, Goebbels used all media and communications to further Nazi propagandistic aims. Some of his propaganda principles include the following:
“Propaganda must affect the enemy's policy and action--by suppressing propagandistically desirable material which can provide the enemy with useful intelligence--by openly disseminating propaganda whose content or tone causes the enemy to draw the desired conclusions--by goading the enemy into revealing vital information about himself and--by making no reference to a desired enemy activity when any reference would discredit that activity.”*
Does this sound familiar? Replace the word, “enemy” in the above with “America.” Do this and you will better understand how you are being used so that America will lose its will to defeat the terrorists.
Still in doubt?
Have you watched the anti-Iraq War propagandists at work today in almost everything you read or view? Have you observed these propaganda messages in some of the drama shows you see on television or in theaters? Have you read the anti-Bush and anti-war columns in newspapers and on Internet sites?
What you are seeing is the new war-weapon--advertising--proven by the Vietnam anti-war crowd and its Jane Fondas to work. Today, Fonda and Tom Hayden have been replaced by the Sean Penns, the Dixie Chicks, and other Hollywood celebrities, and this month, by the new media darling, the wannabe actress who is portraying the grieving mother as she supports the anti-war crowds by calling President Bush a terrorist.
Are you going to let our soldiers and marines die in vain or come home to be mistreated again as they were when they came back from Vietnam? Are you going to let these video graphics and so-called pundits persuade you to want to surrender, to invite suicide bombers to invade America, and to let Islamic flags replace Old Glory in the future?
Do you have the will to win against this new weapon? Time will tell--a very short time.
* www.psywarrior.com/Goebbels.html
About the Writer: Lee Ellis is a retired journalist and a former vice president of both CBS and Gannett. He resides in Indio, California, where he writes op-eds that appear in several local newspapers. Lee receives e-mail at indiolee@dc.rr.com.
Ellie