Your Tax Dollars at Work
“We actually put out a false message to mislead people. . . . The idea was not to give information about the movement of our carrier. We were trying to confuse people.” —Former Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Jay Coupe, acknowledging a 1988 disinformation campaign
“This is the most information-intensive war you can imagine. . . . We’re going to lie about things.”
— Military officer involved in planning the response to the World Trade attack (Washington Post, 9/24/01)
True, False, Whatever
“When we are left mute, dumbstruck by events, like a child in a nightmare unable even to scream, the news becomes our voice. Rumor or fact, idle speculation or hard evidence, what matters most is that we are not left alone. The television has become the fire around which we huddle in times of darkness and cold and uncertainty. It must not he allowed to go out. . . . In times of horror, it may be all that holds hysteria at bay. Against such a primal need, the fallibility of first accounts is a price we seem willing to pay.” —Journalism professor Ted Gup, Washington Post op-ed (9/16/01)
Takes One to Know One
“An attack such as yesterday’s requires systematic planning, a good organization, a lot of money and a base,” wrote Henry Kissinger (Washington Post, 9/12/01). Given his leading role in the bombing of Cambodia, he ought to know.
The Conversion Solution
Ann Coulter (cc photo: Gage Skidmore)
“This is no time to be precious about locating the exact individuals directly involved in this particular terrorist attack. . . . We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren’t punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That’s war. And this is war.” —Syndicated columnist Ann Coulter (National Review Online, 9/12/01)
Getting the Word Out
Snow White
“We’re going to use our own media companies to make sure the word gets out that it’s a good idea to have a good time after a period of mourning—to come to our parks, movies and buy Snow White on IND.” — Walt Disney Co. chair Michael Eisner (LA Times, 9/22/01)
