BuzzFlash Reviews

August 2005

War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death by Norman Solomon

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Norman Solomon is frequently posted on BuzzFlash.com and Common Dreams. He is founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. Solomon's expertise is the apex at which public policy and media coverage converge, which is to say the tacit relationship that currently exists between the Busheviks and the mainstream media.

We found a review on another website that expressed our opinion of this fine book:

"Over the years, Norman Solomon has distinguished himself as one of the pre-eminent analysts of the American media and political 'culture.' An everyman's scholar whose knowledge derives from both exhaustive research and first-hand experience, his insights are always cogent and honest. In 'War Made Easy,' Solomon dissects the time-proven slogans and propaganda techniques that have been used by Administration after Administration to -- in effect -- motivate the American people against themselves and their own best interests -- not to mention those of citizens in many other nations. And Solomon 'calls out' president after president for their 'dupes' and backs up his castigations with cold, hard history.

"His analysis of the conjunction/collusion of the media and the body politic in this process is especially enlightening...and frightening. In short, this is a book that every American who cares about kin and country should read; and every citizen who sees beyond our borders simply must. At times scathing but never preachy, 'War Made Easy' is a set of tough truths for tough times. And better still, it is written for us all: One doesn't need a master's degree in politics to understand Solomon's words. A fine book by a fine human being."

Propaganda has been an essential part of motivating people to war since the beginning of warfare itself. But, since the '60s, the Pentagon has refined the psy-ops operation down to a science of public relations and media manipulation. We are led into wars, not because of actual causes for war, but because leaders have determined that such and such a war is necessary for their own reasons. Their main job is not the war itself, but leading the Americans, like sheep, into "getting behind" the war effort.

Of course, the apotheosis of this technique has arrived with the Bush Administration that exists to disseminate a revolving door of deceptive mistruths for which they are not held accountable. They led America into war on nothing but the fumes of propaganda, thinly disguised at that. But the mainstream media was their willing co-conspirator, so they didn't have to work hard at covering up the truth. No one in the mainstream press really questioned their motives, statements, or dark art of deception, so they literally got away with murder.

Norman Solomon is an expert tour guide through the minefield laid out be leaders who betray this nation into unnecessary loss of life, for secondary reasons that they don't reveal to the public.

"How Pundits and Presidents Keep Spinning Us to Death" -- Now that's a great subtitle. Of course, none of these pundits or presidents are putting their lives on the line. How could they? If they went into battle themselves, they wouldn't be able to lie to us about the reasons for going to war.

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