Dem. Now today: War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death

[babylonsister]

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/29/1322235

War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death


Protests against the Bush administration and the Iraq War continued across the country over the Memorial Day Weekend. Today we spend the hour looking at how presidents from Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush sold wars to the American public. Media critic Norman Solomon and the Media Education Foundation have released a documentary titled "War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death." The film is based on Solomon's book of the same name. The film features extended commentary by Solomon and is narrated by Sean Penn. Protests against the Bush administration and the Iraq War continued across the country over the Memorial Day Weekend.

In New York City, members of Iraq Veterans Against the War re-enacted scenes from Occupied Iraq in a series of street theater actions. The veterans wore camouflage fatigues and pointed imaginary guns at a crowd of protesters playing Iraqi civilians.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in upstate New York to demonstrate against Vice President Cheney who delivered the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The activists were forced to rally outside the gates of West Point after a federal judge ruled anti-war protesters could not march on campus.

Meanwhile there were also protests on Friday at the commencement ceremony at University of Massachusetts-Amherst when President Bush's former chief of staff Andrew Card was given an honorary degree. Hundreds of students pinned anti-Card messages on their gowns and held yellow signs protesting his presence. When Card was introduced a thunderous round of boos filled the stadium.

Faculty members, who were on stage with Card, joined in the protest. Several professors unfurled large signs that read "War Criminal Go Home" and "No Honor, No Degree." Much of the criticism of Card centered on his role as head of White House Iraq Group which helped sell the Iraq war to the American people



* "War Made Easy" - excerpt of documentary. More info at WarMadeEasyTheMovie.org
* Norman Solomon, author of the book and documentary "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death." He is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He has written several others book including "Target Iraq."

[deutsey]

1. Link for movie

http://warmadeeasythemovie.org/

[babylonsister]

2. Kickin'-on now, REALLY GOOD! nt