Norman Solomon

Political aphorisms don’t get any more cogent: "Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past." George Orwell’s famous observation goes a long way toward explaining why – a full year after the invasion of Iraq – the media battles over prewar lies are so ferocious in the United States. … Continue reading “Spinning the Past, Threatening the Future”

To encourage restraint in war coverage, governments don’t need to shoot journalists – though sometimes that’s helpful. Thirteen journalists were killed while covering the war and occupation in Iraq last year, says a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The deaths were a subset of 36 on-the-job fatalities related to journalistic work across … Continue reading “They Shoot Journalists, Don’t They?”

Tony Blair and George W. Bush want the issue of spying at the United Nations to go away. That’s one of the reasons the Blair government ended its prosecution of whistleblower Katharine Gun on Wednesday. But within 24 hours, the scandal of U.N. spying exploded further when one of Blair’s former cabinet ministers said that … Continue reading “UN Spying and Evasions of American Journalism”

Ninety-five days before the invasion of Iraq began, I sat in the ornate Baghdad office of the deputy prime minister as he talked about the U.N. weapons inspectors in his country. "They are doing their jobs freely, without any interruption," Tariq Aziz said. "And still the warmongering language in Washington is keeping on." The White … Continue reading “The Deadly Lies of Reliable Sources”

Reuters is one of the more independent wire services. So, a recent news story from Reuters – flatly describing American military activities in Iraq as part of "the broader U.S. war on terrorism" – is a barometer of how powerfully the pressure systems of rhetoric from top U.S. officials have swayed mainstream news coverage. Such … Continue reading “Linking the Occupation of Iraq With the ‘War on Terrorism’”

We can argue about George Will’s political views. But there’s no need to debate his professional ethics. Late December brought to light a pair of self-inflicted wounds to the famous columnist’s ethical pretensions. He broke an elementary rule of journalism – and then, when the New York Times called him on it, proclaimed the transgression … Continue reading “George Will’s Ethics: None of Our Business?”

Media outlets are filled with bad news about Iraq. A theme is emerging: This administration doesn’t know how to run an occupation! Those who oppose President Bush may welcome the recent shift in the media climate. But when war-makers get frustrated, they’re inclined to heighten the violence. And some critics of the occupation’s management are … Continue reading “The Iraq Trap: Watch Out What You Ask For”

Strong critics of U.S. foreign policy often encounter charges of "anti-Americanism." Even though vast numbers of people in the United States disagree with Washington’s assumptions and military actions, some pundits can’t resist grabbing onto a timeworn handle of pseudo-patriotic demagoguery. In a typical outburst before the war on Iraq last spring, Rush Limbaugh told his … Continue reading “Unmasking the Ugly ‘Anti-American’”

Here’s the real-life plot: A famous documentary filmmaker puts out a letter to a retired four-star general urging him to run for president. The essay quickly zooms through cyberspace and causes a big stir. For Michael Moore, the reaction is gratifying. Three days later, he thanks readers "for the astounding response to the Wesley Clark … Continue reading “‘Wesley & Me’: A Real-Life Docudrama”