Making Conservatives Cringe Since 1977

USlagsinpropaganda war:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States lags dangerously behind al Qaeda and other enemies in getting out information in the digital media age and must update its old-fashioned methods, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday. "Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age, but ... our country has not adapted," Rumsfeld said. "For the most part, the U.S. government still functions as a 'five and dime' store in an eBay world," Rumsfeld said, referring to old-fashioned U.S. retail stores and the online auction house respectively. U.S. military public affairs officers must learn to anticipate news and respond faster, and good public affairs officers should be rewarded with promotions, he said.

This cartoon was released in September of 05', yet the reaction from the Muslim world wasn't seen until this past month. Another example would be the controversy that followed a (soon-after retracted) Newsweek story on "Koran abuse" from last May. These allegations of Koran abuse were first revealed by CNN in August of 2004. Is the Honorable Secret-ary telling us that 5 months to almost a year isn't enough time for our side to react to potential PR problems in the Middle East?

The Bush Administration has spent $1.6 Billion dollars in recent years on Public Relations. Does anyone see the trend here? It wraps right into the current overblown coverage of Cheney's hunting accident. All the attention is on Cheney , not some much because of the everyday mistake ol' Dick made, but for the opportunity it left open for others to make hay. As I've said already--there are many more disturbing things our VP has had involment in--that are more worthy of our Fourth Estate's attention.

How this ties directly into the bloated PR budget and our slippery position in the field of digital media/propaganda is simple; The Administration, instead of being open and transparent, stonewalls at every turn. If there ever was anything of concern there to begin with doesn't matter in the aftermath, the damage having already been done. Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, Katrina, etc, etc, on and on.

Solutions:

1. Do the right thing in the first place.

2. Mistakes happen, own up to them and make more than a half-hearted attempt at righting the wrong.

3.The Right-wing mantra of "Responsibilty, Responsibilty, Responsibilty" means nothing without accountability.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom. -Proverbs 11:2

posted by Frederick  # 2/18/2006 07:28:00 AM