With propaganda having such negative connotations, it's understandable why we get irritated with the rank (and sometimes subtle) propaganda coming out of countries such as China, North Korea, or Iran. But when our own government gets caught repeatedly using public funds to issue questionable video news releases (a.k.a. "VNRs"), why don't we just own up and call it propaganda? I've noticed extreme conservative sources such as Accuracy In Media, rather than trying to defend the current administration, are saying Bill Clinton did it, the UN does it, Bill Clinton did it (this time with a dig at Hillary Clinton, the woman the right loves to hate) and it's CBS' fault! Yup. That's right. The folks who talk about personal responsibility are, once again, failing to demonstrate it.
It's astonishing watching them attack, attack and attack without ever giving a thought to defense. Though I've looked, I've read virtually nothing defending the administration's practices. Saying it's "business as usual" does nothing to justify this behavior.
Attacking at every turn is the oldest tactic in the book. It is effective because:
Defending always implies, however vaguely, an admission of fault.
Attacking turns the attention to others’ faults.
One has to admit that the right in general have their rhetoric strategy down pat. The only effective way to respond would be counterattack, but the left are not nearly concerted enough to mount a front that can polarize anyone against the right.
It would be nice if this media war – because that’s what it is – could be won on the basis of argument, debate and evidence. But that’s not possible, and the left take blow for blow for trying to stick to those guns.
