Norman Solomon

In front of TV cameras, Pentagon officials do their best to make war sound wise and noble. Most of all, they lie. Sometimes they do it with bold assertions, other times with intentionally tangled syntax. But those who give the orders that consign young soldiers to participation in horror must assure the folks back home … Continue reading “The Fake Optimism of Washington’s Warriors”

When the French government suggested a diplomatic initiative that might interfere with the White House agenda for war, the president responded by saying that the proposed scenario would "ratify terror." The date was July 24, 1964, the president was Lyndon Johnson and the war was in Vietnam. Four decades later, the anti-terror rationale is not … Continue reading “Terrorism, the ‘War on Terror’ and the Message of Carnage”

Judy, it’s been so many wars since we’ve talked. Now people are hailing your dedication to the principle of journalistic independence. For many, you will always be the courageous reporter who went to jail. But I’ll always remember what happened when we met under hot lights and you showed your stuff. Far from today’s headlines, … Continue reading “Judith Miller, Drum Major for War”

Obsession with seeming unequivocal and immovable has been frequent in the Oval Office. During the Vietnam War, such fixations were indifferent to the fact that the war was losing the U.S. government moral credibility around the world. But from the outset, Lyndon Johnson invoked credibility as an argument for staying the course. "If we are … Continue reading “‘Withdrawal Would Cripple US Credibility’”

On the propaganda front, it’s been another tough week for Washington’s war makers. But for them, where there’s hope there’s death. Let’s address the Iraq war directly: It’s too soon to know whether the Bush administration’s new PR offensive will do anything for you in terms of public opinion. But rest assured that the U.S. … Continue reading “Memo to the Iraq War”

Ten days ago, in one of southern Tehran’s poor neighborhoods, I interviewed some voters in line to cast ballots for Iran’s next president. After a while, when an official at the polling station asked who I thought would win, I repeated the conventional media wisdom: "Rafsanjani." "It will never happen," he replied flatly. "I promise … Continue reading “From Tehran to Washington, Demagogues Rule”

Forget it! That seems to be an unstated motto for American media coverage of the Iranian presidential election. The axiom comes down to: "Don’t let history get in the way of spin." Evasion smooths the way to the next war. For maximum propaganda effect, the agenda-setting must be decoupled as much as possible from clear … Continue reading “Voluntary Amnesia in the Service of War”

Keep them behind the war curve. While some Americans are exposing the deception for the latest war, steadily lay the groundwork for the next one. Focus plenty of news reports on alienated youth in Iran, spotlighting despair that borders on nihilism. Meanwhile, give scant media attention to the growth of civil society, with many thousands … Continue reading “Behind the War Curve”

Iran’s most repressive clerics and the USA’s most militaristic neocons share a common interest: They’re very eager to see the failure of Iranian activism for democracy and human rights. On the surface, no outlook could be further from Washington’s reigning mentality than the ayatollah-led chant of “Death to America” that I heard at a big … Continue reading “Iran’s Theocrats and America’s Neocons Need Each Other”

Washington keeps condemning Iran’s government and making thinly veiled threats. But in Iran, many people are in the midst of challenging the country’s rulers, in the streets and at the ballot box. The June 17 election for president could be a turning point or a hollow spectacle – no one knows which – but the … Continue reading “Rooting for Iran’s Theocrats”