The Power of Propaganda - 99% of Americans Consider Iranian Nukes a Threat

[Adele Edisen]

The Power Of Propaganda
99% of Americans Consider Iranian Nukes a Threat
By Haviv Rettig Gur

The Gallup poll found that 99 percent of Americans believe the Islamic Republic's
nuclear program is a threat "to the vital interests of the United States in the
next 10 years," with 83% saying it was a "critical threat"

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info...e34047.htm [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XeFNqi5eY...sYGfmrHx3Y

Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter


The Power Of Propaganda

99% of Americans Consider Iranian Nukes a Threat


North Korean nuclear program also widely preceived as critical' danger, poll finds; Republicans fear Islamism more than do Democrats

By Haviv Rettig Gur

February 21, 2013 "Information Clearing House" (Times Of Israel) - NEW YORK A huge majority of Americans view Iran's nuclear program as a "critical threat," alongside the North Korean nuclear program and "international terrorism," according to a poll released Monday.

The Gallup poll found that 99 percent of Americans believe the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is a threat "to the vital interests of the United States in the next 10 years," with 83% saying it was a "critical threat" and another 16% saying it was an "important, [but] not critical" one. Just 1% declined to say it was at least an important threat.

The poll was conducted February 7-10 among 1,015 respondents aged 18 and older. It has a margin of error of 4%.

The poll asked respondents to comment on nine possible threats. Iranian nuclear weapons generated the most concern, though only by the slimmest of margins.

North Korean nuclear weapons garnered nearly identical levels of concern, with 83% calling them a "critical threat" and 14% an "important" one, though these answers came before last week's nuclear test by the communist regime.

"International terrorism" rounded out the three leading threats perceived by the American public, with 81% and 17% calling it a "critical" and "important" threat, respectively. The remaining threats included Islamic fundamentalism (53%-28%), China's economic and military power (52%-39%), the military power of Russia (29%-53%) and the conflict between India and Pakistan (25%-55%).

The widest gap by party affiliation related to the perception of the threat from Islamic fundamentalism, with 70% of Republicans saying it was a critical threat, compared to 46% of Democrats.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has continued to decline as a perceived threat, with 44% of those polled saying it was a "critical threat" to US interests, a drop from 58% in a 2004 poll. Forty-four percent said the conflict was an "important" threat, and 9% said it was not important.

Islamic fundamentalism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict both ranked lower as threats among the young compared with older Americans. Among Americans under 34 years old, just 35% said Islamic fundamentalism was a critical threat, compared with 64% among those 55 and older. When it came to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 32% of the young saw it as a critical threat, compared to 54% of those over 55.

According to Gallup, "this year's poll marked the first time Gallup asked about North Korean and Iranian nuclear weapons specifically. In 2010 Gallup asked about the two countries' military power,' and found 61% rating each as a critical threat to the United States, second only to international terrorism. In 2004, the spread of weapons of mass destruction to unfriendly powers' ranked second only to terrorism. Thus, Americans have previously seen North Korea and Iran, and nuclear weapons in general, as serious threats to the US."

The findings on American perception of Iran correspond to other polling in recent years. A Gallup poll conducted in early February 2012 asked Americans whom they considered to be the United States' "greatest enemy today." The question was open-ended. Nearly one-third, or 32%, named Iran more than any other country.

"The high level of concern Americans give to North Korea, as well as to Iran and to international terrorism, suggest these are areas on which the public would like the Obama administration and its new foreign policy team to focus its efforts," Gallup noted.

This article was originally posted at Times Of Israel

Adele

[Adele Edisen]

Why do Americans always have to live with some sort of 'enemy'? I see that based on these poll results, Russia has lost its 'enemy' status. Is War always such a necessity? Can't Wall Street find a better way to make its profits without killing other people - and ourselves? Pretty soon there may be no one to build the machines and bombs of war or fight the wars.

Propagandists and politicians and their media friends should start looking for truth and stop lying all the time about non-existing threats to us. Iraq and Afghanistan were lessons enough. And so was Vietnam.

Adele

[Magda Hassan]

I heard a really good talk on the radio by Gore Vidal some many years ago on this subject. I wish I could find it to post. The siege mentality of the US and the psychological need to pull the wagons in a circle. When in fact there has never been any enemy but they have been the enemy of others. Ultimately, imho, it is just an old trick of any ruling class to get others, who otherwise have nothing to gain, to identify with them by creating a shared enemy. Part of the American founding mythology is the history of 'persecution' by the Pilgrims. Good god fearing people seeking peace and space to worship their god but unable to do so by corrupt and powerful papists and monarchs. Then there is the open theft of other people's land who were unsurprisingly unwilling to go quietly or 'give up' their land. I think this goes deep to the soul, for lack of a better word, of a people, a country, its basic illegitimacy in existing at the destruction of some one else and the cognitive dissonance this creates. Like having ripped some one off and always having to look over your shoulder in case justice or karma catches up.

My friends from the East tell me that any attempts their nation states made to control people through propaganda and dictates etc were nothing compared to what the Hollywood dream machine can do to people's brains.

[Peter Lemkin]

Why do Americans always have to live with some sort of 'enemy'? I see that based on these poll results, Russia has lost its 'enemy' status. Is War always such a necessity? Can't Wall Street find a better way to make its profits without killing other people - and ourselves? Pretty soon there may be no one to build the machines and bombs of war or fight the wars.Propagandists and politicians and their media friends should start looking for truth and stop lying all the time about non-existing threats to us. Iraq and Afghanistan were lessons enough. And so was Vietnam.Adele

"In dictatorships we are more fortunate that you in the West in one respect. We believe nothing of what we read in the newspapers and nothing of what we watch on television, because we know its propaganda and lies. We've learned to look behind the propaganda and to read between the lines, and unlike you, we know that the truth is always subversive." - Urbanek

"Why of course the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ... Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Hermann Goering, Nazi leader.

"The easiest way to gain control of a population is to carry out acts of terror. [The public] will clamor for such laws if their personal security is threatened". - Josef Stalin

[Adele Edisen]

Thank you for your comments, Magda.

Maybe its some form of collective guilt, because of living with an economic system that is based on a form of thievery (exploitation of workers, etc.), plus a history of being persecuted, as in the case of the Puritans. Or maybe because of having very strict religious beliefs and the controls such religions impose, which could make anyone a bit paranoid and scared most of the time. And, of course, much of such fear is artificially amplified by propaganda and media right-wing news pushing toward war and its profits..

Your last sentences summed it up really well, I think:

Then there is the open theft of other people's land who were unsurprisingly unwilling to go quietly or 'give up' their land. I think this goes deep to the soul, for lack of a better word, of a people, a country, its basic illegitimacy in existing at the destruction of some one else and the cognitive dissonance this creates. Like having ripped some one off and always having to look over your shoulder in case justice or karma catches up.

We are seeing major paranoid reactions on the part of some gun owners who fear that their guns will be taken from them, and the govenment is now the enemy. Probably the only other country that competes with the US in all this is South Africa. I understand they have a lot of gun violence and other forms of violence. Unhappy people there, too.

Adele

[Magda Hassan]

We are seeing major paranoid reactions on the part of some gun owners who fear that their guns will be taken from them, and the govenment is now the enemy. Probably the only other country that competes with the US in all this is South Africa. I understand they have a lot of gun violence and other forms of violence. Unhappy people there, too.

Adele

An excellent parallel Adele. In the Boer tradition South Africa was also founded on religious principles, a god given country etc, and it was also a very dour and repressive religion. In the English tradition just pure mercenary greed and colonialism. Also the racist underpinnings of both societies which neither of them have truly acknowledged. Or at least a significant section of the privileged part of those societies. Hence the need for arms to repress and 'defend' and the dubious mythology that justifies it.

Many years ago, about the same time I listed to that Gore Vidal interview on the radio, I was considering enrolling in overseas universities one of which was in South Africa. The exchange rate with the Rand was very good and the courses were quite cheap as well besides that. Along with the wonderful courses in exotic animal husbandry, nature park management, Xhosa, Venda, Sotho and Zulu language and anthropology studies the course book was half taken up with various degrees in police and security studies which were a real eye opener to me. Quite a little earner it seems.