rhetoric

Dog-Whistling Past Disaster

Submitted by Anne Landman on January 19, 2011 - 3:41pm

Dog head cockedRecently the use of the political phrase "dog whistle" came to my attention while listening to the Sunday morning political talk shows. According to Wikipedia, "Dog-whistle politics" refers to political speechmaking or campaigning that uses coded language to signify one thing to the general public, while also signifying a different and more specific meaning to a targeted subgroup of the audience. The analogy is a reference to dog whistles, which emit an extremely high-frequency pitch that only dogs can hear, and humans can't. Political "dog-whistling" as a tactic of public persuasion can take a variety of forms.

Shot AZ Congresswoman Was in Sarah Palin's "Crosshairs"

Submitted by Anne Landman on January 8, 2011 - 3:46pm

Sarah Palin's "Crosshairs" MapU.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), 40, was shot in the head at close range at a public event in front of a Safeway store in northwest Tucson. Giffords was one of 20 House Democrats Sarah Palin targeted last March on her Facebook page in response to their votes for health care reform. At that time, Palin posted a map of the United States with gunsight-style crosshairs superimposed over the districts of Democratic House members who had voted in favor of the health reform bill. Around that same time, a wave of threats and intimidation was ongoing against members of Congress which led Capitol Police to meet with lawmakers and advise them about taking precautions to protect their personal security. In one of the more alarming incidents, Giffords' office window was smashed on the night of the health care vote. In June, Nevada senatorial candidate Sharron Angle advocated use of "second amendment remedies" if voters fail to get their way at the ballot box.

Main Source: 
Inside Tucson Business, January 8, 2011

Gen. Ray Odierno: "Troops staying in Iraq to prevent foreign interference"

Submitted by Steve Horn on August 9, 2010 - 5:22pm

Gen. Ray Odierno Wars are always a time of heavy propaganda and prolific spin, and as Noam Chomsky says, this system of deception is can only be maintained by what he calls "Necessary Illusions." The only way to maintain a war based on lies, from a logical perspective, is to keep lying, and the masters of deceit in Washington and at the Pentagon have done a terrific job of doing just that.

Main Source: 
Politico.com, August 8, 2010

The Blame Game Double Standard

Submitted by Maxwell Abbott on July 21, 2010 - 2:27pm

Michael SteeleRepublican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele's latest gaffe turned a lot of heads when, speaking at an RNC fundraiser, Steele stated that the war in Afghanistan is "a war of Obama's choosing" that the American public does not want. It is obviously ludicrous to assert that the war in Afghanistan, which began in October of 2001, when Barack Obama was a state senator, was somehow chosen by the sitting president. The statement caused conservative firebrand William Kristol to call for Steele's resignation. A dismayed Kristol stated that Steele's blunder put him "at odds with 100% of the Republican Party." Unfortunately, Kristol is totally wrong to say that all Republicans disagree with Steele. While Steele's statements may be extreme, they fall in line with a widespread pattern of conservative efforts to blame Obama for problems created by President Bush.

A New Deceptive Report from Big Insurance

Submitted by Anne Landman on October 12, 2009 - 2:38pm

After months of appearing to be cooperative while quietly working behind the scenes to influence health care reform, the health insurance industry has finally launched a wholesale attack against the Senate Finance Committee's health insurance reform legislation on the day before Committee members are set to vote on the plan. Following in the tradition of the tobacco and energy industries, the health insurance industry commissioned a report that projects economic doom for those seeking to reform it.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, October 12, 2009

Messaging for the Earth

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on June 16, 2009 - 1:33pm

After conducting "focus groups, a phone survey, an online survey" and other public opinion research, the PR firm ecoAmerica released a report on effective talking points "for speaking with the American public about energy climate change, climate solutions, renewable energy and carbon based fuels." As the New York Times noted previously, ecoAmerica's "research directly parallels marketing studies conducted by oil companies, utilities and coal mining

Main Source: 
Grist, June 11, 2009

Our Country Deserves Better: The Russo Marsh Crowd Bashes Obama from Coast to Coast

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on October 28, 2008 - 5:32pm

"Barack and socialism? No, our country deserves better," implored Mark Williams.

Mark Williams addresses the rallyIt was only a few minutes into the October 22 rally staged by Our Country Deserves Better, a political action committee (PAC) formed to oppose the Democratic presidential candidate. But Williams, a conservative talk radio host from California, was just getting warmed up.

"Barack Obama represents people who are ashamed of this great country, who believe that this great country is the evil in the world and that, in their revisionist history, they cast us as the villain," Williams claimed. "And if we dare question them ... like Joe the Plumber: 'Mr. Obama, what are you going to do to my taxes?' That was enough for the dogs who support the ideological left to go after Joe the Plumber and shred him. ... There's no such thing as sacred, among the unholy left. They vilify this nation, and they vilify those of us who support it. ... [It's] the same kind of thuggery of the left that's used by totalitarian regimes around the world to silence opposition."

Towards the end of the rally, Williams invoked a long-discredited smear against Obama that seems designed to play on fears of his "otherness": that he's not really a U.S. citizen. "We all know that Barack Obama is not qualified to be president of the United States, beyond being above the age of 35 and probably an American citizen," said Williams, emphasizing the word "probably." He laughed and then repeated: "Probably. Even money."

Unlike his hypothetical conservatives cowed by leftist thugs, Williams will not be silenced.

Deceiving Images

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on October 8, 2008 - 2:19am

In November of last year, a panel of scholars met at the New York Public Library to mark the 60th anniversary of George Orwell's landmark essay, "Politics and the English Language," and to discuss the current state of propaganda in American politics. A video from that panel is now available on the internet. How are political messages framed? How are they decoded by their audience?

Main Source: 
Link TV

Has Fake News Become the Real News?

Submitted by Anne Landman on August 18, 2008 - 4:16pm

Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "Daily Show"Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "Daily Show"An article in the New York Times asks whether Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's Daily Show has become the most trusted man in America, pointing out th

Main Source: 
New York Times, August 15, 2008

"Voluntary Marketing Standards" Mask Marketing Reality

Submitted by Anne Landman on June 30, 2008 - 3:03pm

A BBC investigation has found British American Tobacco (BAT) violating its own voluntary international marketing standards in Nigeria, Malawi and Mauritius, using tactics that appeal to youth and circumvent advertising restrictions.

Main Source: 
BBC News, June 28, 2008
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