Always demand to see the proof
5.3
Lessons from history: McCarthy
“I have here in my hand a list of 205 names known to the secretary of State as being members of the communist party….still shaping policy in the State department”
“These where the words of Senator Joe McCarthy in an 1950s speech …which was to paralyze American politics for five years” (Bagdikian.)
This was the beginning of the witch hunt to expose and persecute communists in 50s America.The piece of paper in McCarthy’s hand was blank.
William Randolph Hearst Jr. the newspaper magnate was informed of the blank piece of paper soon after the speech. And said nothing. Instead set up his newspapers
“to provide McCarthy with as much help as possible to keep the anti communist hysteria alive.” (Bagdikian.)
We still buy into such nonsense today. Iraq, War on terror, war on drugs. We do not have problems anymore we have wars on everything. The fact remains and has not changed throughout the ages. Business men create war because it makes them rich. McCarthy created war on his own people.
As Orwell reminds us “wars are mainly internal.” That is they are mostly fought against the people who are asked to fight in them. Mainly through the use of propaganda to create hate where none exists.
“Mark Twains interpretations of the psychology of self deception still holds true today The loud little handful will shout for war. The pulpit will warily and cautiously protest at first…The great mass of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes, and will try to make out why there should he a war, and they will say earnestly and indignantly: “It is unjust and dishonorable and there is no need For war.”
Then the few will shout even louder.,.. Before long you will see a curious thing: anti-war speakers will be stoned from the platform, and free speech will be strangled by hordes of furious men who still agree with the speakers but dare not admit it…
Next, the statesmen will invent cheap lies…and each man will be glad of these lies and will study them because they soothe his conscience; and thus he will bye and bye convince himself that the war is just and he will thank God for a better sleep he enjoys by his self-deception.”
Links
The Media Monopoly Ben Bagdikian
Ground breaking work on the media