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Socialist Standard November 2009.pdf

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
Socialist Standard magazine November 2009 - Front cover: ‘Twenty years beyond the Berlin Wall’ Editorial – ‘Socialism Was Never Tried’ Features ‘The fall of “communism”: Why so peaceful?’ Twenty years ago the Berlin Wall came down, symbolising the collapse of state capitalism in Eastern Europe. ‘The Myth of Soviet “Socialism”’ Vladimir Sirotin from Russia explains how that country was never socialist. ‘Workers’ State? Pull the other one’ How could anyone have seriously argued that the workers ruled in Russia? ‘Joining the killing machine’ The campaign to win the young to war has come a long way from the ‘Your Country Needs You’ poster with the pointing finger of Kitchener used in the ‘First Great War’. ‘Afghanistan – lying about dying’ The pressure to misinterpret the deaths, as the bodies come back, as nobly purifying is a cynically orchestrated propaganda exercise intended to justify the war. Regular features - Pathfinders (science / technology) – ‘Gullibility Travels’ Material World – ‘Malawi: Children of the Tobacco Fields’ Pieces Together – news cuttings from mainstream media Cooking the Books 1 (economics) – ‘Out of Control’ Cooking the Books 2 - ‘Free is Cheaper?’ 50 Years Ago – ‘The Darwin Centenary’ Voice From the Back - selected news items Free Lunch – cartoon Book Reviews – ‘Che Guevara and the Economic Debate in Cuba’, by Luiz Bernardo Pericás ‘Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History’ by David Aaronovitch ‘The Trouble with Capitalism’, by Harry Shutt ‘Enough’, by John Naish Plus letters, book reviews, meetings, etc. Also see www.worldsocialism.org
Seeders: 3
Leeches: 0

Democracy NOW! Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Category: News & Current Affairs
Description:
Harry Reid: Senate Bill Will Include Public Option Plan Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced the Senate healthcare reform bill will include a public health insurance plan that states can choose to opt out of. Sen. Harry Reid: “As we’ve gone through this process, I’ve concluded—with the support of the White House, Senators Dodd and Baucus—that the best way to move forward is to include a public option with the opt-out provision for states. Under this concept, states will be able to determine whether the public option works well for them and will have the ability to opt out, if they so choose. I believe that a public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system. It will protect consumers, keep insurers honest, and ensure competition. And that’s why we intend to include it in the bill that we submitted—that will be submitted to the Senate.” The Washington Post reports the opt-out provision was engineered by New York Senator Charles Schumer as a compromise between moderates who want a smaller government role and liberals who prefer a single-payer system. The Democratic leadership must now scramble to secure the sixty votes needed to pass the measure. While details of how states could opt out of the system are unclear, it likely means that millions of Americans may never have a chance to enroll in a government-run health insurance plan because of Republican opposition. A combined total of 154 million people, or 51 percent of the population, live in states where Republicans control the governor’s mansion or the state legislature. Massey Energy Begins Blasting Coal River Mountain In West Virginia, Massey Energy has begun blasting operations on Coal River Mountain despite deep opposition from environmental groups and critics of mountaintop removal mining. Coal River Mountain is the last intact mountain on the historic Coal River Mountain range. All of the other mountains have been blown up by coal companies. Jeff Biggers, author of the book The United States of Appalachia: “Residents in the Coal River Valley in West Virginia were shocked last Friday to hear the rattle of explosives and see plumes of smoke rise above Coal River Mountain. According to news reports on Monday, Massey Energy has clearcut the lush forest and blasted part of the historic ridge in the first leg of a 6,000-acre mountaintop removal mine. For advocates across Appalachia and citizens group across the nation, the impending mountaintop removal operation on Coal River Mountain amounts to a final showdown between out-of-state coal companies and the state of coalfield residents.” Activists had proposed to save the mountaintop and turn it into a wind farm, a proposal which was seen by many as a model for sustainable green economic development. Anti-mountaintop removal activists are now calling on President Obama to halt the mining operation and save Coal River Mountain. US Official Resigns over War in Afghanistan The former top American civilian working in the Zabul province of Afghanistan has resigned from the Foreign Service to protest the Afghan war. Matthew Hoh said he quit because he had come to believe the war was simply fueling the insurgency and that the United States is asking its troops to die for what is essentially a far-off civil war. In his resignation letter, Hoh wrote, “I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end.” Hoh is a thirty-six-year-old former Marine who fought in the Iraq war. He is the first US official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war. Monday Marked Deadliest Day for US in Afghanistan in Four Years Meanwhile, President Obama said Monday he will not rush his decision about whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, where fourteen Americans died yesterday in the deadliest day for US forces in more than four years. Ex-AIG CEO Is Back with New Insurance Venture The New York Times reports that former AIG CEO Maurice Greenberg is quietly building up a family of insurance companies that could compete with his former company. To fill the ranks of his venture, C.V. Starr & Company, Greenberg has been hiring some people he once employed. One insurance executive said, “Basically, he’s just starting ‘A.I.G. Two’ and raiding people out of ‘A.I.G. One.‘” People who work in the industry said Greenberg may soon be siphoning off AIG’s business and, therefore, its means to repay its debt to the government. AIG was the recipient of the biggest taxpayer bailout in history. Showdown in Chicago Continues Outside Bankers Meeting In other financial news, protests are continuing in Chicago outside the American Bankers Association convention. Sheila Bair, the chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, spoke to both the protesters and bankers on Monday. At a rally before thousands of activists, Bair voiced support for the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Sheila Bair: “By regulating the non-bank shadow sector for the first time, this new agency can help prevent future abuses. I hope we see other measures taken that will create a more resilient, transparent and better regulated financial system, including an end to the ‘too big to fail’ doctrine. Yes, no more bailouts. No more bailouts." UN Urges US Engagement in Climate Change Deal During a stop in Seattle, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the US Senate to pass a bill limiting carbon emissions. Moon said such a bill will encourage other nations to act to fight climate change. Janos Pasztor, the director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team: “There are reports of a new poll in the United States that indicates that interest and support for action on climate change may actually be declining. The Secretary-General sees US engagement as vital for a climate change deal, a point he made in an op-ed today and in interviews since Seattle. He stated that we cannot afford another period where the US stands on the sidelines.” Canadian Climate Activists Disrupt House of Commons In Canada, about 200 young people staged a protest inside the House of Commons Monday forcing lawmakers to shut down the question period. The activists were calling on the Canadian Parliament to pass a bill setting out deep cuts in carbon emissions. Six people were reportedly detained, and the police beat at least one protester. Amnesty: Israel Denies Palestinians Access to Water Amnesty International has accused the Israeli government of preventing Palestinians from receiving enough water in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel controls much of the West Bank’s water supplies, pumping from an aquifer that bridges Israel and the territory. Amnesty International’s Donatella Rovera called on Israel to distribute the region’s water resources in a fair manner. Donatella Rovera: “Palestinians are having access to four times less water than Israelis, and for some Palestinian communities it’s ten times less water for the Palestinians than the Israelis. To put an end to the situation where Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, which are unlawful under international law, have swimming pools and green lawns and irrigated fields, and the Palestinians do not have enough water even for drinking and for basic domestic needs.” US Officials to Travel to Honduras Senior US officials will travel to Honduras this week to press ousted President Manuel Zelaya and the country’s coup leaders to break a stalemate in a four-month-old political crisis. This marks the first time since the coup that the Obama administration has taken a leading role in pressuring the leaders of the de facto government to restore democratic order in Honduras. On Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with both Zelaya and Honduras’s de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti. Officials said Clinton told the two leaders that there was “increasing frustration” over the deteriorating situation in Honduras. Clinton is said to have reserved her toughest comments for Micheletti, because the United States believes he has been “the most difficult.” Fidel Castro’s Sister Admits She Spied for CIA In other news from the region, Fidel and Raul Castro’s sister has admitted she spied on her brothers for the CIA in the 1960s. Juanita Castro disclosed her role as a spy in a new memoir. Juanita initially hailed the Cuban revolution but later became disillusioned by the actions of her brothers. Chamber of Commerce Sues Yes Men for Prank The US Chamber of Commerce has sued the Yes Men, after the political pranksters impersonated the organization. The Yes Men staged a fake press conference at the National Press Club last week to announce that the Chamber was changing its stance on climate change and supporting capping greenhouse gas emissions. Several news outlets, including Reuters, CNBC and Fox Business Channel, reported the policy change as fact before issuing corrections. The Chamber is suing the Yes Men for misappropriating its logo and violating a host of related copyrights. Activists Protest Mercenary Trade Association Meeting And the International Peace Operations Association is holding its annual conference in Washington this week. The trade association represents mercenary groups and private military contractors, including DynCorp and Triple Canopy. A coalition of activist groups, including CODEPINK, Africa Action and the Hip Hop Caucus, are planning to hold a protest and forum today to counter the mercenary conference. Independent journalist Jeremy Scahill: “While these merchants of death are meeting in Washington, DC, human rights activists and other concerned people are going to be gathering to protest these mercenaries. And we’re not only going to be addressing the use of mercenaries in Afghanistan and Iraq, which we know well is continuing unabated, but also the use of mercenary forces on the African continent, which is a story that basically never makes it into the corporate media. There are mercenaries that, once again, are operating in the Congo, in Somalia, in the conflict in Ethiopia and Eritrea. And so, we’re gathering to try to shut down this whole privatized war apparatus and to raise awareness of this Bush administration policy that the Obama administration is continuing and escalating.”
Seeders: 84
Leeches: 16

TVO - The Agenda with Steve Paikin - October 19, 2009: Quantum to Cosmos (Q2C) Festival - Are We Bound For Space?

Category: Talks, Debates, Interviews
Description:
TVO - The Agenda with Steve Paikin - October 19, 2009: Quantum to Cosmos (Q2C) Festival - Are We Bound For Space? Space: the final frontier ... or our next home? Part I of The Agenda at The Quantum 2 Cosmos Festival. The Debate: Are We Bound For Space? April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person to leave earth and travel into space. But in the near half-century since that day, only 500 others have taken that special voyage. Is that now about to change? Do problems here on earth mean we should start thinking about a new home in outer space? Guests: Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut, engineer, and pilot. He has made two space flights--one in 1995 and one in 2001--and he is currently training for a future stay on the International Space Station. Chris McKay is a planetary scientist with the Space Science Division of NASA Ames. His research focuses on the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He is playing a significant role in the planning of the MSL mission for 2011 and is also the deputy program scientist for Constellation--the NASA program for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Bob Richards is the founder and CEO of Odyssey Moon Ltd., a commercial lunar enterprise based in the Isle of Man, and the first official registrant in the $30M Google Lunar X Prize competition. He is also the Director of Space Technology at Optech Incorporated of Canada, where he presided over the first commercial lidar scanner flown in space. Donna Shirley is a former manager of Mars Exploration at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the author of the book Managing Martians. She managed the team that built Sojourner, the Microrover, which was landed by the highly successful Mars Pathfinder project on the surface of Mars in 1997. Lawrence Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist and author of several bestselling books including The Physics of Star Trek. His research interests include the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology. He writes regularly for various newspapers and magazines, and appears frequently on radio and television. Karl Schroeder is a science fiction author of several popular books, including, The Sunless Countries: Book Four of Virga. He also consults in the area of Strategic Foresight (technology foresight, chiefly in scenario design). For more information on this episode, including information on the guests and various other resources and links, visit the episode webpage ----- Note: This is an iPod video podcast that is available for free download from the website. Quality is good. Audio podcasts (mp3 format) are also available for free download for the individual segments. Type: mp4 file Size: 103MB Runtime: 00:52:18 Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 320x240 Audio: AAC 32000Hz mono 48Kbps Download this episode using the attached torrent file or download it directly using this link: http://feeds.tvo.org/~r/tvo/TxZN/~5/Gf8CVxIMxjA..._320x240_304k.mp4 You can also watch a flash video of this episode through your web-browser here: http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/index....0-19%2020:00:00.0 ----- Quantum to Cosmos: Ideas for the Future (Q2C) FOR 10 EXCITING DAYS THIS OCTOBER, Perimeter Institute's Quantum to Cosmos: Ideas for the Future (Q2C) will take a global audience from the strange world of subatomic particles to the outer frontiers of the universe. All events will occur on-site in Waterloo, Ontario and online at q2cfestival.com and TVO.org. Q2C's extensive program features more than 50 events - including panel discussions, keynote presentations, special screenings, exhibits including the full-scale model of the next Mars Rover (named Curiosity), and recorded sessions with Honorary Festival President Professor Stephen Hawking. Q2C will transcend traditional festivals by streaming events live and on demand, offering virtual interaction with exhibits, and providing special opportunities for students and teachers. THE AGENDA WITH STEVE PAIKIN will be broadcasting live for 5 nights from Perimeter Institute in Waterloo. The themes that The Agenda is planning to explore in these programs include: Monday, October 19 » Plan B: Colonize Space? Stephen Hawking thinks it's a good idea, given the multiple problems facing earth. Can we imagine a human future off earth? Tuesday, October 20 » Does/Does Not Compute So you think technology controls your life now? From nanotechnology to quantum computing, what the future has in store. Wednesday, October 21 » Designer Genetics The legal, social, and medical implications of trying to engineer humans without defects. Thursday, October 22 » Robotics Artificial Intelligence, evolution, and the man/machine interface. Friday, October 23 » The Importance of Science Do we still believe that science is the path to progress and a better life? FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on Q2C festival events, programs, speakers, and tickets, go to their website. Resources and links to related material TVO's Quantum to Cosmos (Q2C) Festival webpage: http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicro...ientific_literacy Watch video on demand of lectures from all Q2C sessions: http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/literacy/index.c...=blog&blog_id=484 ----- TVO - The Agenda with Steve Paikin The Agenda with Steve Paikin is TVO's flagship current affairs program - devoted to exploring the social, political, cultural and economic issues that are changing our world, at home and abroad. The Agenda airs weeknights at 8:00 PM EST on TVO - Canada's largest educational broadcaster. TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin website: http://www.tvo.org/agenda/
Seeders: 2
Leeches: 1

Fired! (2007)

Category: Documentary
Description:
Fired! (2007) When actress Annabelle Gurwitch was fired from a play by Woody Allen she wondered how she would cope with being fired by a cultural icon. Turning to friends in show business she was assured she was not alone. Once the subject had been broached, everyone she knew from her rabbi and gynecologists to her colleagues had advice and their own accounts of getting the boot to offer. This set her off on a journey to answer the question: was being fired going to be the best thing or worst thing that had happened in her working life. As she was writing the book she became interested in the downsizings occurring all over the country. She began researching and traveling the country, interviewing people as diverse as Tim Allen, Sarah Silverman, Jeff Garlin, Anne Meara, David Cross and GM workers in Lansing, Michigan whose perspectives ranged from the tragically comedic to proving that old adage when one door closes another door opens, to the just plain tragic. Annabelle attended job fairs, received "outplacement services", interviewed human resource directors, downsizers, and the downsized who were seeking new jobs. Her journey took her to the office of Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary under President Clinton, and to economist Ben Stein who spoke to her of the growing insecurity the American worker faces today and the incredible inequities being created through corporate and goverment policies affecting every working or as the case may be, not working American.
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

Socialist Standard October 2009

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
Socialist Standard magazine October 2009 - Front cover: ‘Capitalism 2025: U.S. Spooks Make Their Predictions’ Editorial – ‘Capitalism and Health Care’ Articles – ‘Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World’. An analysis of the US report designed to guide strategic thinking and inspire political action on behalf of the U.S. ruling class and its allies. ‘The rise and fall of the ILP’ With proposals to set up a united leftwing party to challenge Labour, we look at a previous attempt at this. ‘The disease that is capitalism’ What’s better - treating the symptoms or dealing with the cause? ‘Big Brother and the Robots’ A discussion of a Socialist Party meeting in London entitled ‘Here Come the Robots’ ‘New roots of conflict’ The conflicts over oil may give way to another source of military dispute - lanthanide metals. ‘The SLP of America: a premature obituary?’ By some accounts, the Socialist Labor Party of America has ceased to function. Regular features - Pathfinders (pop science / technology) – ‘Is Technology Making Us Stupid?’ Material World – ‘Why they keep piling up manure: the psychology of wealth accumulation’ Pieces Together – news cuttings from mainstream media Cooking the Books 1 (economics) – ‘It Isn’t Over ‘til it’s Over’ Cooking the Books 2 – ‘Funny Money’ 50 Years Ago – ‘The Power You Have’ (re. voting) Voice From the Back - selected news items Book Reviews - The Mind of the Market : How Biology and Psychology Shape Our Economic Lives. By Michael Shermer Made to Break. Technology and Obsolescence in America. By Giles Slade Reports & Reflections on the 2009 UK Ford-Visteon Dispute: a Post-Fordist Struggle. Past Tense, June 2009 Plus letters, meetings, etc.
Seeders: 4
Leeches: 0

Mindwalk (1990)

Category: Misc
Description:
Mindwalk [1990] Mindwalk is a 1990 feature film directed by Bernt Amadeus Capra, based on his own short story, based in turn on the book The Turning Point by his brother Fritjof Capra, the author of the book The Tao of Physics. The majority of the movie is a conversation among three characters: a Norwegian scientist, Sonia Hoffman (played by Liv Ullmann), "the only woman in my department, the first in Norway doing quantum field theory"; an American politician and former presidential candidate, Jack Edwards (played by Sam Waterston); and poet Thomas Harriman (played by John Heard), a former political speechwriter, as they wander around Mont Saint Michel, France. The movie serves as an introduction to systems theory and systems thinking, while insights into modern physical theories such as quantum mechanics and particle physics are also given. Political and social problems, and alternative solutions for them, are another major focus of the film. However, specific problems and solutions are not the main focus; rather, different perspectives are presented through which these problems can be viewed and considered. Sonia Hoffman's perspective is referred to as the holistic, or systems theory, perspective. Thomas Harriman, the poet, recites the poem "Enigmas" by Pablo Neruda (based on the translation by Robert Bly) at the end of the movie, concluding the core of the discussion. The film was filmed on The Mount, and thus has great views of many structures there, especially approach over the tidal flats, the cathedral, the walkways, and the giant and ancient clock mechanism.
Seeders: 0
Leeches: 0

Anarchism and Other Essays (Audiobook by Emma Goldman)

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
Free web Download of this file: http://depositfiles.com/files/0f9btra3o Emma Goldman (1869-1940) was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Russia, Goldman emigrated to the US in 1885 and lived in New York City, where she became a writer and a renowned lecturer on anarchist philosophy, women’s rights, and social issues, attracting crowds of thousands. Goldman was imprisoned several times for “inciting to riot” and illegally distributing information about birth control. In 1906, Goldman founded the anarchist journal Mother Earth. In 1910, she collected a series of speeches and items she had written for Mother Earth and published Anarchism and Other Essays. In addition to a comprehensive look at anarchism and its criticisms, the book includes essays on patriotism, women’s suffrage, marriage, and prisons. (summary extracted from wikipedia)
Seeders: 19
Leeches: 1

Why Do People Hate America (ebook) [cpdl]

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
Copy Paste title: Why Do People Hate America? Digital |> author: Ziauddin Sardar, Merryl Wyn Davies Librarian | `> isbn: 0971394253 _______| `____________ || | | | word count: 68603 ||infor-| |control + a|| pages: 240 ||mation| | || format: .htm ||wants | |control + c|| version: 1 ||to be > | || CPDL ||free `> |control + v|| release no.: 00012 ||__________`|___________|| |___________><____________| _______________________________________________________ The controversial bestseller that caused huge waves in the UK! The Independent calls it "required reading." Noam Chomsky says it "contains valuable information that we should know, over here, for our own good, and the world's." We call it our biggest book so far and will be backing it from day one with guaranteed co-op spending, a national publicity and review blitz, talk radio bookings, various retail sales aids including postcards, and of course the usual full court press on the Web and via email. This is NOT just another 9/11 book: it is the book for those of us trying to understand why America -- and Americans -- are targets for hate. Many people do hate America, in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa, as well as in the Middle East. Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies explore the global impact of America's foreign policy and its corporate and cultural power, placing this unprecedented dominance in the context of America's own perception of itself. In doing so, they consider TV and the Hollywood machine as a mirror which reflects both the American Dream and the American Nightmare. Their analysis provides an important contribution to a debate which needs to be addressed by people of all nations, cultures, religions and political persuasions -- and especially by Americans. Described by The Times Higher Education Supplement as "packed with tightly argued points," the book is carefully researched and built to withstand the inevitable criticism that will be aimed at it. A book that some reviewers will love to hate and others will praise for its insights, it's guaranteed to cause a stir. Ziauddin Sardar is a prominent and highly respected journalist and author. Prolific and polymath, he is a familiar U.K. television and radio personality. Merryl Wyn Davies, writer and anthropologist, is a former BBC television producer. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/223755921
Seeders: 4
Leeches: 0

THE Philosophy of Andy Warhol (ebook) [cpdl]

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
Copy Paste title: THE Philosophy of Andy Warhol Digital |> (From A to B and Back Again) Librarian | `> author: Andy Warhol _______| `____________ isbn: 0156717204 || | | | word count: 61674 ||infor-| |control + a|| pages: 240 ||mation| | || format: htm ||wants | |control + c|| version: 1 ||to be > | || CPDL ||free `> |control + v|| release no.: 00011 ||__________`|___________|| |___________><____________| __________________________________________________________ The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B & Back Again) is a 1975 book by the American artist Andy Warhol (1928-1987). The book is an assemblage of self-consciously ironic "quotable quotes" about love, beauty, fame, work, sex, time, death, economics, success, and art, among other topics, by the "Prince of Pop". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Philosophy_of_Andy_Warhol http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122262004
Seeders: 8
Leeches: 1

Why America Fights: Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq

Category: eBooks, Magazines, Audio Books
Description:
Why America Fights: Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq "This is a stunning book which blows away all the myths about why America goes to war. American fights, the author demonstrates, to remake the world in its own image, for power and for markets. Its propaganda, 'as American as apple pie,' has historically sought to disguise this."--Phillip Knightley, author of The First Casualty "Marshalling compelling evidence, Susan Brewer documents the rhetorical strategies by which the U.S. government, often with the complicity of the media and key opinion-molding groups, has mobilized popular support for every major U.S. conflict from the Spanish-American war to the invasion of Iraq. Well written and deeply researched, this timely work should be read by all those concerned with issues of war and peace and with how propaganda can coarsen and debase civic discourse on vital public issues."--Paul Boyer, editor of The Oxford Companion to United States History "Susan Brewer's lively account of wartime propaganda from 1898 to the war in Iraq, Why America Fights, could well be sub-titled, Why America Is Still Fighting. May its account of the mobilization of patriotism for dubious purposes serve as a prophylactic for the future."--Marilyn Young, New York University "Susan Brewer writes that U.S. war propaganda since the dawn of the twentieth century has been both necessary and misleading. Judiciously argued and well researched, this engaging narrative examines the claims that policymakers advanced in their speeches, newspapers, radio programs, and films to sell America's wars. Brewer's provocative book deserves a wide readership from Americans who so often wonder how their lofty goals in war can end in disillusionment."--Emily S. Rosenberg, author of A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory Product Description On the evening of September 11, 2002, with the Statue of Liberty shimmering in the background, television cameras captured President George W. Bush as he advocated war against Iraq. This carefully stage-managed performance, writes Susan A. Brewer, was the culmination of a long tradition of sophisticated wartime propaganda in America. In Why America Fights, Brewer offers a fascinating history of how successive presidents have conducted what Donald Rumsfeld calls "perception management," from McKinley's war in the Philippines to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Brewer's intriguing account ranges from analyses of wartime messages to descriptions of the actual operations, from the dissemination of patriotic ads and posters to the management of newspaper, radio, and TV media. When Woodrow Wilson took the nation into World War I, he created the Committee on Public Information, led by George Creel, who called his job "the world's greatest adventure in advertising." In World War II, Roosevelt's Office of War Information avowed a "strategy of truth," though government propaganda still depicted Japanese soldiers as buck-toothed savages. In the Korean War, the Truman administration delineated differences between "good" and "evil" Asians, while portraying the conflict as a global battle between the Free World and Communism. After examining the ultimately failed struggle to cast the Vietnam War in a favorable light, Brewer shows how the Bush White House drew explicit lessons from that history as it engaged in an unprecedented effort to sell a preemptive war in Iraq. Yet the thrust of its message was not much different from McKinley's pronouncements about America's civilizing mission. Impressively researched and argued, filled with surprising details, Why America Fights shows how presidents consistently have drummed up support for foreign wars by appealing to what Americans want to believe about themselves. Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 2009) Language: English
Seeders: 3
Leeches: 1