We can't let them keep framing the war in Iraq as a war against terror!

[SalParadise]

Terry Holt was just on CNN doing just this - statement unchallenged - this "War on Terror" in Iraq has turned into a war on the people & the religions in the region.

Bush has played right into Bin Laden's hands with this whole fiasco - this is the REAL story of this war, this is the message that needs to be conveyed.

We can't keep letting the put the phrases "Iraq War" & "War on Terror" together unchallenged.

[pinkpops]

1. I think a good starting point would be to challenge

the term "war on terror". If there was no war on terror it could not be linked to the war on Iraq. The Demos are still reinforcing the flawed concept of a war on an "ism", which by definition can never end. This makes it possible to link any number of conflicts for as long as they like.

[Matilda]

2. This is also a good example of how the media are playing into Bush's hands

Not thinking, not questioning, just accepting the White House press
releases and regurgitating them.

The media have a lot to answer for.

[Parrcrow]

3. Well put!

Keep hammering away at this point, it is pivotal. They always pull into that safe cul-de-sac when dealing with the catastrophe in Iraq; 'its part of the war on terror'. The media has got to take that crutch away from them.

And welcome to DU SalParadise!:hi: :toast:

[OneTwentyoNine]

4. We've been saying that on DU for over a year now....

So...how do you stop the whoring press who parrots everything that Bush or Rove spins out?? Can you buy a network and change their reporting??

[Nightjock]

5. As each day passes less people believe it

but there will always be the 40% of republicans that believe every lie out of the Bush administration.

President Select is toast. Unfortunately, I doubt it will be a Kerry landslide. But Kerry WILL win. That's not blind optimism.

There is a slow awakening in this country. When people REALLY start paying attention to the upcoming election and see what a good man Kerry is and what a great President he will be, America will no longer be under the control of these facists, the FAR, FAR right and big corporations.

[mn9driver]

6. This is a TV and radio "sound bite" problem.

The domination of these two information formats in this country has seriously damaged our ability to convey anything other than a "black and white" message. Complexity and shades of gray just don't work in ten second snippets. Additionally, dramatic and emotional descriptions are good because audiences are attracted to these, even if they are totally inaccurate--look at the success of FoxNews. Most audiences care less about accuracy than about the entertainment value, or being "stirred up".

The "War On Terror" is still being used because it gets peoples' attention and bumps ratings (and revenue) more than an accurate description would. If audiences reacted by switching the channel, they would find another way to describe it; but not necessarily a more accurate one.

[mmonk]

7. My thoughts exactly

but when they interview those in favor of the Iraq war, they will always use it.

[robbedvoter]

8. You mean like in this dem debate from South Carolina?

"Can I just go back a moment ago -- to a question you asked just a moment ago? You asked, I believe, Senator Kerry earlier whether there's an exaggeration of the threat of the war on terrorism.
"It's just hard for me to see how you can say there's an exaggeration when thousands of people lost their lives on September the 11th."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/transcripts/debatetranscript29.html

Yup. I agree.
I liked this POV much better:
http://www.video4clark.com/vidclips/fnl_clark_111703_300.rm

[alcuno]

9. 57% of Americans say that the war in Iraq has INCREASED the risk of

terrorism in the US. 29% say it has reduced it. They can keep making the Iraq/War on Terror argument but it's not working in their favor.

http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm