We've been doing rather poorly in this aspect of the War on Terrorism. Part of the problem is that we can't rely on American news outlets to show a bit of patriotism in their reporting. They did it in WWII, but ever since then the American media has strangely seen it as a duty to tear down America whenever there is a battle to fight. But the main problem is the gullibility of Americans on the left side of the aisle.
Yesterday, President Bush gave an excellent speech on the overall War on Terrorism - once again, and with carefully measured words, the President stated who we fight and why we fight. There was one part that patricularly struck home with me:
...along with this campaign of terror, the enemy has a propaganda strategy. Osama bin Laden laid out this strategy in a letter to the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, that coalition forces uncovered in Afghanistan in 2002. In it, bin Laden says that al Qaeda intends to "launch," in his words, "a media campaign to create a wedge between the American people and their government." This media campaign, bin Laden says, will send the American people a number of messages, including "that their government will bring them more losses in finances and casualties." And he goes on to say that "they are being sacrificed to serve the big investors, especially the Jews." Bin Laden says that by delivering these messages, al Qaeda "aims at creating pressure from the American people on the American government to stop their campaign against Afghanistan."
With the American left, this has worked like a charm - there certainly is a wedge between our government and Americans on the left, and more and more often on the left we're hearing that all we're doing in Iraq is fighting for the rich and the Jews. Bin Laden knew his mark - for a man stunningly ignorant of some of the basics about America, he certainly knew how the left would react to his program. This is easy, because shallow people of no faith whatsoever are always the most easily gulled.
The left doesn't really believe in anything. Oh, they'll say they are in favor of freedom - but they don't really understand what freedom is. Freedom to them seems to be the ability of homosexuals to marry and women to abort - real freedom, of course, is the freedom to volunteer to do one's duty...and the harder the duty, the more free you are when you do it. In point of fact, the freest people in the world - and those who understand freedom the best - are those American and allied soldiers who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan - each one of them a volunteer, each one of them willing to lay down his or her life for others...these, and not some twits whining in a Crawford ditch, are the truly free people.
We have a very weak ability to fight and win a propaganda war - we wouldn't lie even if we could get away with it, and we won't view events through a partisan fog. We'll keep fighting, we'll keep telling the truth and we'll trust in the ultimate Justice in the world.
UPDATE: Jonathan over at GOP Bloggers has more.
Posted by Mark Noonan at September 6, 2006 01:46 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.blogsforbush.com/mt/crawford.cgi/7827
Comments
Posted by:
Lew Waters at September 6, 2006 03:02 AM
The president gave a powerful, eloquent and inspiring speech! But the left is more interested in winning elections, at any cost, than in uniting as a country to fight a common enemy.
They have to deny this enemy is dangerous - because if it is a real threat - they will never win another election.
Posted by:
beth at September 6, 2006 03:21 AM
I sit on exactly the opposite side of the political spectrum so I find it interesting to read comments from other intelligent people who see this so differently.
To me and many others, this speech of his yesterday was a frightening 'line in the sand.' It sounded like not only a war declaration on terror but on all of Islam due to the way he used the quotes, the unnuanced language, the lack of balance and the tonality.
And as to the comment above: "But the left is more interested in winning elections, at any cost, than in uniting as a country to fight a common enemy", many feel, and there is plenty of evidence to back this up, that the fearmongering from the admin is exactly geared to boost the republicans' chances in the mid-terms.
Love and peace
Posted by:
lennybruce at September 6, 2006 05:56 AM
Let's face it lenny- There is nothing, nothing that this President can EVER say, or Do, OR attempt to do, that will ever please YOU, and your ilk. To you, he doesn't CARE about saving Americans, it's a hoax to YOU. Perhaps you won't feel that way, if your buddy, Osama bin laden, has
his way....ONCE AGAIN, and can reek havoc on yet another group of Americans. Did you act this dense when Bill and Hill were at the helm? Were you indignant, that THEY, didn't keep Americans safe for over 8 years, and THUS, Bin Laden was emboldened and empowered to attack a bigger and better second time on 9/ll at the WTC? You, along
with the Leftist Obstructionists, who don't care if Americans are attacked again, play right into the hands of Bin Laden and his kind, as HE HEARS YOUR SAME RHETORIC, AND KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THE MSM IN GETTING THE POINTS ACROSS, THAT THE "AMERICANS WILL TIRE OF OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS, AND WILL BE DIVIDED AMONG THEMSELVES-THUS, MAKING OUR JOB OF BRINGING AMERICANS TO THEIR KNEES, ALOT EASIER.
For your sake lenny and those that think just like
you, I Hope Our Soldiers In Uniform, that fight for your continued freedoms, don't lose their morale and give up fighting for us, and if and when that may occur, YOU, will face more attacks on our own country-because You, along with the obstructionist, appeasers, wanted to act like Bin Laden, etal, are just "misunderstood, religious,
leaders, who want peace and love too". Bullshit,
dummie, THEY WANT TO KILL YOU.
Posted by: Jo at September 6, 2006 09:13 AM
I don't think the left is functioning well because of gullibility. I believe that it is selfishness that is the core element in the form of special interest groups who could care about anything but getting theirs -whether it is the unions (the NEA supports abortion which kills its own clients) the feminists, gays, environwhackos etc. They'll team up to get theres and to hell with the consequences to America.
If you consider that the left stands for nothing (flexible truth) short of godless, marxist type power. It seeks the radical remaking of traditional American values. It is accomplishing its destruction through the clever use of special interest groups which they play like fiddles (as did Hitler)to do their biidding (useful idiots perhaps)
Posted by: DL at September 6, 2006 10:11 AM
Lenny,
If it was a bit frightening to you, then that is a good start - the enemy wishes to kill or enslave us all. Now, the enemy does not have the power to do this - they can't kill or enslave us all in the trial of a thousand years...but they THINK they can, and that makes them quite deadly. They will keep trying as long as they live, and so they must be taken or destroyed, and the only way to do that with certainty is to take away their base of operations, the stew of oppression, poverty and ignorance which is the modern Arab/Moslem world.
Posted by: Mark Noonan at September 6, 2006 12:00 PM
DL,
Absolutely nothing to argue about in your comment.
Posted by: Mark Noonan at September 6, 2006 12:01 PM
Wouldn't it be nice if we caught bin Laden and the rest of his boys so we wouldn't have to listen to his BS anymore.
But alas, it appears that's more unlikely to happen than ever: the Pakistan government has arranged a peace deal with the warlords in the North Waziristan area -- the pro-Taliban area which abuts Afghanistan, and the area where bin Laden is presumed to be hiding. I'm sure everyone's heard about the truce by now, so I won't bother providing a link. But in a followup, ABC News interviewed Pakistani Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan (is everyone named Khan over there?) who said that if bin Laden is in Pakistan, he "would not be taken into custody as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen."
THIS IS NUTS!! THE WHOLE THING IS NUTS! How can we allow this?
Posted by: Ricorun at September 6, 2006 03:10 PM
"THIS IS NUTS!! THE WHOLE THING IS NUTS! How can we allow this?"-Ricorun
IMO, it's because Pakistan is composed mainly of radical Islamists who revere Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and anyone else who is engaged in the global jihad against the West. If we push Pakistan too hard, Pervez Musharrif may be finally overthrown/assassinated. Pervez Musharrif is the only one standing between these radical Islamists and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. That's why.
Posted by: Freedom1 at September 6, 2006 06:12 PM
Islamic Nuclear Sharing
LGF-"If they gain power in Pakistan, the mass-murdering Jamaat-e-Islami group promises to share nuclear technology with other Islamic nations:" (Daily Times) JI will share N-technology when in power: Prof Khurshid.
Posted by: Freedom1 at September 6, 2006 06:25 PM
Please report any inappropriate comments to abuse (at) blogsforbush (dot) com. Be sure to include the title of the blog entry, the name of the commenter, and the text of the offending comment.
Post a comment
As I posted on my own little blog, September 11, Where Is The Anger?
We need to rekindle the righteous anger we all felt 5 years ago if we wish to win this war.
The president gave a powerful, eloquent and inspiring speech! But the left is more interested in winning elections, at any cost, than in uniting as a country to fight a common enemy.
They have to deny this enemy is dangerous - because if it is a real threat - they will never win another election.
I sit on exactly the opposite side of the political spectrum so I find it interesting to read comments from other intelligent people who see this so differently.
To me and many others, this speech of his yesterday was a frightening 'line in the sand.' It sounded like not only a war declaration on terror but on all of Islam due to the way he used the quotes, the unnuanced language, the lack of balance and the tonality.
And as to the comment above: "But the left is more interested in winning elections, at any cost, than in uniting as a country to fight a common enemy", many feel, and there is plenty of evidence to back this up, that the fearmongering from the admin is exactly geared to boost the republicans' chances in the mid-terms.
Love and peace
Let's face it lenny- There is nothing, nothing that this President can EVER say, or Do, OR attempt to do, that will ever please YOU, and your ilk. To you, he doesn't CARE about saving Americans, it's a hoax to YOU. Perhaps you won't feel that way, if your buddy, Osama bin laden, has
his way....ONCE AGAIN, and can reek havoc on yet another group of Americans. Did you act this dense when Bill and Hill were at the helm? Were you indignant, that THEY, didn't keep Americans safe for over 8 years, and THUS, Bin Laden was emboldened and empowered to attack a bigger and better second time on 9/ll at the WTC? You, along
with the Leftist Obstructionists, who don't care if Americans are attacked again, play right into the hands of Bin Laden and his kind, as HE HEARS YOUR SAME RHETORIC, AND KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THE MSM IN GETTING THE POINTS ACROSS, THAT THE "AMERICANS WILL TIRE OF OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS, AND WILL BE DIVIDED AMONG THEMSELVES-THUS, MAKING OUR JOB OF BRINGING AMERICANS TO THEIR KNEES, ALOT EASIER.
For your sake lenny and those that think just like
you, I Hope Our Soldiers In Uniform, that fight for your continued freedoms, don't lose their morale and give up fighting for us, and if and when that may occur, YOU, will face more attacks on our own country-because You, along with the obstructionist, appeasers, wanted to act like Bin Laden, etal, are just "misunderstood, religious,
leaders, who want peace and love too". Bullshit,
dummie, THEY WANT TO KILL YOU.
I don't think the left is functioning well because of gullibility. I believe that it is selfishness that is the core element in the form of special interest groups who could care about anything but getting theirs -whether it is the unions (the NEA supports abortion which kills its own clients) the feminists, gays, environwhackos etc. They'll team up to get theres and to hell with the consequences to America.
If you consider that the left stands for nothing (flexible truth) short of godless, marxist type power. It seeks the radical remaking of traditional American values. It is accomplishing its destruction through the clever use of special interest groups which they play like fiddles (as did Hitler)to do their biidding (useful idiots perhaps)
Lenny,
If it was a bit frightening to you, then that is a good start - the enemy wishes to kill or enslave us all. Now, the enemy does not have the power to do this - they can't kill or enslave us all in the trial of a thousand years...but they THINK they can, and that makes them quite deadly. They will keep trying as long as they live, and so they must be taken or destroyed, and the only way to do that with certainty is to take away their base of operations, the stew of oppression, poverty and ignorance which is the modern Arab/Moslem world.
DL,
Absolutely nothing to argue about in your comment.
Wouldn't it be nice if we caught bin Laden and the rest of his boys so we wouldn't have to listen to his BS anymore.
But alas, it appears that's more unlikely to happen than ever: the Pakistan government has arranged a peace deal with the warlords in the North Waziristan area -- the pro-Taliban area which abuts Afghanistan, and the area where bin Laden is presumed to be hiding. I'm sure everyone's heard about the truce by now, so I won't bother providing a link. But in a followup, ABC News interviewed Pakistani Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan (is everyone named Khan over there?) who said that if bin Laden is in Pakistan, he "would not be taken into custody as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen."
THIS IS NUTS!! THE WHOLE THING IS NUTS! How can we allow this?
"THIS IS NUTS!! THE WHOLE THING IS NUTS! How can we allow this?"-Ricorun
IMO, it's because Pakistan is composed mainly of radical Islamists who revere Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and anyone else who is engaged in the global jihad against the West. If we push Pakistan too hard, Pervez Musharrif may be finally overthrown/assassinated. Pervez Musharrif is the only one standing between these radical Islamists and Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. That's why.
Islamic Nuclear Sharing
LGF-"If they gain power in Pakistan, the mass-murdering Jamaat-e-Islami group promises to share nuclear technology with other Islamic nations:" (Daily Times) JI will share N-technology when in power: Prof Khurshid.