Fox News: Iraq Civil War “Made Up By The Media?”
Fox News continues its crackerjack analysis of sectarian strife in Iraq. Previously, it explored whether “an all-out civil war in Iraq” could be “a good thing.”

Now they have an new theory.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/03/01/fox-media-civil-war/

Where Did SPIN Originate?
This is of American origin and came about during the 1980s, when the need for 'sound bites' became pressing enough to require a new class of publicist to provide them. The earliest printed references are from that period, For example, this from the New York Times, Oct. 1984:

"A dozen men in good suits and women in silk dresses will circulate smoothly among the reporters, spouting confident opinions. They won't be just press agents trying to impart a favorable spin to a routine release. They'll be the Spin Doctors, senior advisers to the candidates."

So, why 'spin'? For the derivation of that we need to go back to yarn. We know that sailors and other storytellers have a reputation for spinning yarns. Given a phrase in the language like 'spin a yarn', we might expect to assume that a yarn was a tall tale and that the tellers spun it out. That's not quite right though. Until the phrase was coined, yarn was just thread. The phrase was coined as an entity, just meaning 'tell a tale'. That came about in the early 19th century and was first written down in James Hardy Vaux's 'A new and comprehensive vocabulary of the flash language', in 1812:

"Yarning or spinning a yarn, signifying to relate their various adventures, exploits, and escapes to each other."

So, spin became associated with telling a story. It began to be used in a political and promotional context in the late 1980s. For example, in the Guardian Weekly, Jan. 1978:

"The CIA can be an excellent source [of information], though, like every other, its offerings must be weighed for factuality and spin."

From there it is a small step for the people employed to weave reports of factual events into palatable stories to be called 'spin doctors'.
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060901165821AAdjwPH

GIs Told 'Spin Iraq War'
Specialist Leonard Clark, a National Guardsman, was demoted to private and fined $1,640 for posting anti-war statements on an Internet blog. Clark wrote entries describing the company's commander as a "glory seeker" and the battalion sergeant major an "inhuman monster". His last entry before the blog was shut down told how his fellow soldiers were becoming increasingly opposed to the US operation in Iraq.
Pentagon Orders Soldiers to Promote Iraq War While on Leave
///////////////////////////////////////////////////
by Doug Thompson
Capitol Hill Blue
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7918.shtml 
December 29, 2005


Good soldiers follow orders and hundreds of American military men and women returned to the United States on holiday leave this month with orders to sell the Iraq war to a skeptical public.

The program, coordinated through a Pentagon operation dubbed “Operation Homefront,” ordered military personnel to give interviews to their hometown newspapers, television stations and other media outlets and praise the American war effort in Iraq.

Initial reports back to the Pentagon deem the operation a success with dozens of front page stories in daily and weekly newspapers around the country along with upbeat reports on local television stations.

“We've learned as a military how to do this better,” Captain David Diaz, a military reservist, told his hometown paper, The Roanoke (VA) Times. “My worry is that we have the right military strategy and political strategies now but the patience of the American public is wearing thin.”

When pressed by the paper on whether or not his commanding officers told him to talk to the press, Diaz admitted he was “encouraged” to do so. So reporter Duncan Adams asked:

“Did Diaz return to the U.S. on emergency leave with an agenda -- to offer a positive spin that could help counter growing concerns among Americans about the U.S. exit strategy? How do we know that's not his strategy, especially after he discloses that superior officers encouraged him to talk about his experiences in Iraq?”

Replied Diaz:

“You don't. I can tell you that the direction we've gotten from on high is that there is a concern about public opinion out there and they want to set the record straight.”

Diaz, an intelligence officer, knows how to avoid a direct answer. Other military personnel, however, tell Capitol Hill Blue privately that the pressure to “sell the war” back home is enormous.

“I’ve been promised an early release if I do a good job promoting the war,” says one reservist who asked not to be identified.

In interviews with a number of reservists home for the holidays, a pattern emerges on the Pentagon’s propaganda effort. Soldiers are encouraged to contact their local news media outlets to offer interviews about the war. A detailed set of talking points encourages them to:

--Admit initial doubts about the war but claim conversion to a belief in the American mission;

--Praise military leadership in Iraq and throw in a few words of support for the Bush administration;

--Claim the mission to turn security of the country over to the Iraqis is working;

--Reiterate that America must not abandon its mission and must stay until the “job is finished.”

--Talk about how “things are better” now in Iraq.

“My worry is that we have the right military strategy and political strategies now but the patience of the American public is wearing thin,” Diaz told The Roanoke Times.

“It’s way better now (in Iraq). People are friendlier. They seem more relaxed, and they say, ’Thank you, mister,’” Sgt. Christopher Desierto told his hometown paper, The Maui News.

But soldiers who are home and don’t have to return to Iraq tell a different story.

“I've just been focused on trying to get the rest of these guys home,” says Sgt. Major Floyd Dubose of Jackson, MS, who returned home after 11 months in Iraq with the Mississippi Army National Guard's 155th Combat Brigade.

And the Army is cracking down on soldiers who go on the record opposing the war.

Specialist Leonard Clark, a National Guardsman, was demoted to private and fined $1,640 for posting anti-war statements on an Internet blog. Clark wrote entries describing the company's commander as a "glory seeker" and the battalion sergeant major an "inhuman monster". His last entry before the blog was shut down told how his fellow soldiers were becoming increasingly opposed to the US operation in Iraq.

“The message is clear,” says one reservist who is home for the holidays but has to return and asked not to be identified. “If you want to get out of this man’s Army with an honorable (discharge) and full benefits you better not tell the truth about what is happening in-country.”

But Sgt. Johnathan Wilson, a reservist, got his honorable discharge after he returned home earlier this month and he’s not afraid to talk on the record.

“Iraq is a classic FUBAR,” he says. “The country is out of control and we can’t stop it. Anybody who tries to sell a good news story about the war is blowing it out his ass. We don’t win and eventually we will leave the country in a worse shape than it was when we invaded.”
http://colorado.indymedia.org/newswire/display/12256/index.php

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9/10/06 ...SUNDAY 9/11 SPIN SHOWS
MEET THE PRESS: V.P. DICK CHENEY...KEEPS UP THE LIES!
AUDIO:
http://www.apfn.net/pogo/L001-tv-news-911a.MP3

9/10/06...CNN 9/11 CONSPIRACY FOLKS CRAZY
CNN: WOLF INTERVIEW:  SEC. RICE...BACKS UP THE LIES!
AUDIO
http://www.apfn.net/pogo/L002-tv-news-911b.MP3

9/10/06...ABC'S THIS WEEK...
INTERVIEW: FOUR OF THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION
"YOU LIE AND I'LL SWEAR TOO IT!"
AUDIO:
http://www.apfn.net/pogo/L003-tv-news-911c.MP3

9/10/06...MORE CLIPS 9/11 SUNDAY SHOWS
FOX NEWS MAKES JOKE: INTERVIEW 9/11 DISBELIBERS....
AUDIO:
http://www.apfn.net/pogo/L004-tv-news-911-d.MP3

9/11 EYEWITNESS
http://www.apfn.org/APFN/911_eyewitness1.htm

(NEW) Media "SPIN" Doctors & Their Tactics
'SPIN'
Part 1 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Spin1.htm
Part 2 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Spin2.htm

 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 06:37:06 -0500
From: Carolyn Kay caro@makethemaccountable.com

A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Air America Radio’s programming, all day on Monday, September 11, 2006, will be in remembrance of the day, five years ago, that put horror in our hearts, but that gave us the opportunity to be one nation again.

Click here to find a local station that carries the programming. Or listen on XM satellite, channel 167. Or to listen on the internet, go to the Air America Radio website, and click on the Listen Live text.

What happened to the unity?
The Huffington Post

Brent Budowsky

Historians Will Morally Impeach George W. Bush For Exploiting, Not Honoring, 9-11

09.09.2006

Who was not moved by the courage of our police and fire fighters rushing into burning buildings to save our fellow Americans? Who wasn't inspired by the courage and valor of Pentagon workers who rushed out of the building when the attack first struck and then, realizing their collagues and friends were in grave danger, turned around and rushed right back in, to save them?

The infamy of the crime was met with the united will and the united spirit of a United America, backed by the decent opinion of men and women in every corner of the world.

Never before in our history have our people been more hurt by a single act that struck on our shores.

Never before in our history have our people reacted to such infamy, to such hurt, with a greater and more powerful proof of our courage and nobility.

Never before in our history has the patriotism and honor of our people inspired such respect and admiration throughout the free world.

And never before in our history has any leader of our Nation exploited such an event with such smallness, such partisanship, such disunity, such contempt and such vindictiveness...

[Click here for more.—Caro]
Lots more really good stuff at MakeThemAccountable.com.

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves.
– Eric Hoffer
========================================

Media "SPIN" Doctors & Their Tactics
'SPIN'
Part 1 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Spin1.htm
Part 2 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Spin2.htm


MSNBC Poll - Most Think 9/11 Was INSIDE JOB !!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14727720/

Do you believe any of the conspiracy theories suggesting the U.S. government
was somehow involved in 9/11? * 62186 responses

Yes. The government has left many questions unanswered about that day.
58%

No. These theories are absurd and disrespectful -- especially to those who
lost their lives on 9/11.
37%

I'm not sure.
5.9%

=================

"PROOF "THEY KNOW".... HERE'S THE ALERT TO AIRLINES!
http://disc.server.com/Indices/149495.html

Media & Government E-mail Addresses
http://www.venusproject.com/ethics_in_action/Media_Email_Addresses.html


9/11 FIVE YEARS LATER: WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED?
An Assessment of the 9/11 Truth Movement
http://www.septembereleventh.org/five_years_later.php
 

"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others. . .they send forth a ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

- Robert F. Kennedy

--------------------------------------------------------
 

FACE THE TRUTH:
For some of us, the events of September 11th brought a devastating personal loss. We lost spouses, parents,
children, grandchildren, colleagues, and close friends. Nonetheless, we are grateful for the spontaneous outpouring
of goodwill from friends and strangers that has helped sustain us over the past several years. 

We, like many others, are determined to generate even more good in the world out of our tragedy.

Our Voices Together
Honors those who lost their lives through terrorist attacks by supporting worthwhile
international projects, fostering goodwill and promoting understanding.
http://www.ourvoicestogether.org/

# # #
 

CIA/Media Propaganda
Operation Mockingbird: CIA Media Manipulation  
Part 1 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/mockingbird.htm
Part 2 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/mockingbird2.htm
Part 3 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/mockingbird3.htm
Part 4 http://www.apfn.org/apfn/Mockingbird4.htm

SpinWatch
http://www.spinwatch.org/modules.php?name=News&file=categories&catid=50

Media Spin and Misperception
http://www.heartheissues.com/mediaspin.html

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