Propaganda

Yesterday in the Palm Beach Post, a full-page ad appeared on page 5A. Featuring a photograph of a young Iraq War veteran in a wheelchair, the text reads as follows:

An open letter to Congressman [Tim] Mahoney [(D-Fla.)]
and Speaker Pelosi
From Sergeant
Andrew Robinson

It is becoming more apparent every day that we are making real and significant progress in Iraq. Violence is dropping dramatically, casualties are way down and stability is becoming a reality.

Yet sadly, some in Congress seem more interested in playing politics than achieving victory. They seem determined to abandon Iraq's emerging democracy, forsake America's vital strategic interests and provide Al Qaeda with its first victory since 9/11.

An American pullout would create instability in Iraq and allow it to become a breeding ground for terrorists. I made a great sacrifice to help defeat terrorism in Iraq ... and I would do it again.

It is time for Congress to show resolve, to put aside politics and to unite behind victory.

-- Andrew Robinson
Iraq Veteran, U.S. Marine Corps

Congressman Tim Mahoney
Florida -- Congressional District 16
[office phone numbers and address]

STOP PLAYING POLITICS
FUND THE TROOPS

www.freedomswatch.org

It is difficult to know where to begin in terms of addressing the outright inaccuracies and exaggerations that imbue nearly every word of this ad. The only evidence of reduced violence and casualties comes from the White House and the corporate-controlled media. As for "playing politics," that's insulting -- the Republicans and Drunky McStagger have been playing politics with Iraq since September of 2001, if not before. The strategy of blaming the Democrats in Congress (of course, they never say "Democrats," but it's rather obvious, don't you think?) is understandable from a propagandist perspective, but it's entirely inaccurate. In fact, if anything, the Democrats via their ineffective leadership have enabled Drunky and his minions to carry on the illegal "war" in Iraq and, perhaps, to extend it to Iran as well.

"Emerging democracy?" Again, a statement with no basis in fact. The government of Iraq, such as it is, is as fractured and sectarian as ever, if not more so, and it's constantly teetering on the precipice of collapse. "Forsak[ing] America's vital strategic interests," of course, can refer only to one thing: oil. There is no other particular "strategic interest" for us there. And the reference to Al Qaeda is simply absurd: there is no connection between the so-called "al-Qaeda in Iraq" group and the Osama bin Laden-led al-Qaeda group responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Other than taking advantage of instability in Iraq that the U.S. created, it has been common knowledge for years that al-Qaeda has no interests, strategic or otherwise, in Iraq.

This, of course, leads to the next sentence: "An American pullout would create instability in Iraq and allow it to become a breeding ground for terrorists." News flash: it's already an unstable breeding ground for terrorists. And the reason it is that way is because of America's foolish, misguided, and poorly executed invasion and occupation of Iraq. In short, America is itself responsible for the existing instability, and the influx of terrorism in Iraq (to the extent that there is an influx) is solely the result of American interference there.

What a shame that this "Freedom's Watch" group, led by former Drunky McStagger shill Ari Fleischer, chooses to spew such utterly false and misleading propaganda. And what a further shame that so many Americans delusionally believe it. It's disgusting.

To the Post's credit, they printed an explanatory article in today's paper:

Similar ads around the country try to apply political pressure to six other first-term Democrats who also represent competitive congressional districts. Mahoney was narrowly elected last year on the heels of the Mark Foley scandal in a district that has more Republicans than Democrats.

Mahoney, a critic of President Bush's handling of the war, voted in May to impose a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. After Bush vetoed it, Mahoney and the Democratic leadership joined Republicans in voting for an Iraq appropriations bill that didn't include the withdrawal timetable.

Most congressional Democrats - including local Democratic U.S. Reps. Ron Klein, Robert Wexler and Alcee Hastings - continued to support withdrawal deadlines and opposed the $120 billion spending bill.

Another vote on Iraq spending is expected soon and, with it, arguments over setting withdrawal timetables or goals are likely.

Freedom's Watch was founded this year by former Bush White House spokesman Ari Fleischer and is backed by a group of conservative donors. Its president is Bradley Blakeman, a former deputy assistant to President Bush.

There is no honor in this ad. Fleischer's group pointedly tells war opponents (read: Democrats) to "stop playing politics," yet they target the ad to reach constituents of seven first-term Democrats whom they deem vulnerable in 2008?

Who's really playing politics with the lives of our soldiers?