Liberal Talk Radio

I’ve got to come back to this one more time, not to beat a dead horse, but just because it’s become increasingly relevant as criticism of Farenheit 9/11 mounts. Here’s an excerpt from the official 2002 State of the Union Address:

Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike? If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words, and all recriminations would come too late.

There’s that phrase, “terrorists and tyrants.” Bush repeats it here:

“All nations that decide for aggression and terror will pay a price. We will not leave the safety of America and the peace of the planet at the mercy of a few mad terrorists and tyrants,” he said.

It’s a neat rhetorical trick. Both start with the letter “t”, and the alliteration makes them seem linked together. But they’re not. At all. In fact, terrorists’ main objective tends to be OPPOSING tyrants, not working with them! That’s what a terrorist is. A tyrant has an army, a terrorist does not.

I bring this up again, two years later, because most of criticism of Farenheit 9/11 accuses Moore of innuendo. And he’s heavy on the innuendo, no doubt! He’ll say something, and then show you an image, leading you to a conclusion that ’s not necessarily supported by the facts. Bush’s propaganda leading up to the Iraq war worked in much the same way.

Fox News works this way, too. Fox is the only network that uses it’s “War on Terror” graphic when they’re doing a piece on the Iraq war. And it’s the only network that has an ubiquitous American Flag flowing in the upper left corner of the screen. Again, innuendo.

Now, I’m one who belives the average viewer is smart enough to see through this. They know that Fox has an agenda, and they can more or less navigate the propaganda. Same for Michael Moore. I have faith in the audience to see through the b.s.

However, when it comes to the President, I expect more. I don’t think Fox or Moore should necessarily have to justify their innuendo, but our President should.