Sirota-"The Antiwar Crowd"

[underpants]

As a writer, I pay close attention to the use of language, especially from the media. Different words and phrases have different deliberate connotations - especially when it comes to issues like war.

This morning on CNN, the network had a title graphic at the bottom of the screen asking "What's next for the antiwar crowd?" CNN is now referring dismissively to the "antiwar crowd" regularly - I saw its morning anchor use this term over the weekend. The use of this term - which deliberately insinuates that those who oppose the war are just a part of a small, cultish and unruly "crowd" that should be ignored - is apparently one of the new tactics from the traditional media to try to marginalize the vast majority of Americans who oppose the war (another tactic is to refer to people who oppose the war as "the left"). What's amazing about CNN doing this, however, is that it flies in the face of its own polling. In CNN's most recent poll, 65 percent of Americans say they oppose the Iraq War.

So, to sum up: The same media outlets that helped drive the country into war are now subtly manipulating language to downplay the broad public opposition to the war that their own polls show is widespread and intensifying. I guess that's to be expected - but it's still pretty disgusting.

http://www.workingassetsblog.com/2007/05/the_antiwar_crowd.html

[BlueCollar]

1. I'm a member...n/t

[rpannier]

2. Oh...That crowd again...

You mean 'that crowd' that was 100% correct?

[tularetom]

3. It's getting a lot more crowded lately

here among the antiwar crowd.

[Mist]

4. That 60% + of the American people? That "crowd" ? nt

[Dhalgren]

5. The thing that is most gripping about this is that the media is doing this.

You can't say that the "audience" wants this kind of treatment of the anti-war movement, because 65-70% of the audience agrees with the movement, so it isn't a "demographic" thing. What, then, is it? Once the "other Party" joined in support of the Occupation, the media got its signal - anti-war forces were to be propagandized into the "margins". This is because this occupation and the surrounding war is not going to end. The Democrats will not stop it, the Republicans will continue to support it and the CIC does not give a fuck what any of us think. To paraphrase Napoleon, the majority goes to the one with the army. And these days, of course, the power goes to the one with the media (to paraphrase that other stalwart of democracy, Joseph Goebbels). It doesn't matter what the majority want, we are pigs and sheep and cows and chickens. We can be frightened easily, we can be threatened with impunity, we can be coerced into almost anything with just the slightest hint of reward. We don't care about our neighbors, much less some soldiers we don't even know (and don't even bring up some bunch of foreigners who don't speak human..er...I mean English and who dress funny). The most that this motley assortment of barnyard animals collectively known as 'Merikins' could hope to accomplish was electing an opposition party into power in congress with the promise that they would do the peoples' will. When this proved to be untrue and a waste of time, the barnyard, in its inimitable way, went back to ground scratching and cud-chewing. Pax Americana...

[ShortnFiery]

6. Yes but these media shills did not "figure in" the Internet.

The People are angry with our airwaves filled with bunk like Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Rosie O'Donnell, Lost Whales, Lost white kids, Goose with a arrow through it's neck, TB scares, bogus Ft. Dix homeless muslims led on by informants ... etc. etc. :puke:

All of the above is our "ruling class" applying the principles of disinformation and distraction through the USA's M$M.

The M$M has no idea how many Internet connected American Citizens LOATHE their talking heads, bimbo news models, and in general, disrespect via "Bread and Circuses." But via the Internet, The People are afforded alternate news sources. :wow:

Newsflash M$M: Us little people / chattering classes are ANGRY and do not respect you in the least. :grr: :thumbsdown:

[Dhalgren]

12. That is so true! The MSM news orgs used to be respected and the

populace would turn to them in times of crisis or emergency. Now, they are routinely ridiculed and ignored (at least by the more aware/awake individuals). You can casually bring up the tee vee news media in conversation and much more likely as not hear derision. So SnF, you make a good point...

[underpants]

13. That is necessary for the New Truth

because the old truth directly discredits much of their story so they have set out -and mostly succeeded- in getting rid of the old truth and the people who used to bring it to you.

We are woefully misinformed in this country.

[ClassWarrior]

7. Perhaps we should start using the phrase "Pro-Bush** Crowd."

Could be useful for taking down apologist politicians.

NGU.

[rpannier]

9. The 'Conspicuously Wrong All the Time Crowd' comes to mind

Pro-bush, wrong all the time means the same thing

[Doctor_J]

8. That seems to be Rove's new talking point.

All the media whores are using it.

[KoKo]

10. Notice the use of that around this board in the past days.....

Notice the veiled sneering the implied "disloyalty to the Dem Party" by these "wedgie anti-war, Sheehan supporters."

Good on Sirota for pointing it out.

[Solon]

11. Hard to be disloyal to something you never signed an oath with...

actually, its pretty sad when Party loyalists try to browbeat people into voting for the Party as if it were an obligation, and the Party HAS to have the vote, that you have no choice. And they call themselves Democrats? I find that a tad hypocritical.

[Uncle Joe]

14. What did Jesus say? oh yeah, Blessed are the anti-war crowd, for

they shall be castigated by those whose name rhymes with SIN.

[BornagainDUer]

15. K&R. The perception managers at work. Nice catch.

[Bullet1987]

16. Another problem is that Dems use the term too

And frequently on top of that! They refer to their own base as the "move-on crowd." I don't see Rethugs talking down to their base.

[truedelphi]

17. They've been refering to us as the "noise"

Or "background noise." This on Fox and sometimes on MSNBC.

It means that we are scaring them though.
You are right to pay attention to this.

[jillan]

18. I'm with Obama on this one

I'm not against all wars - just Stupid ones.