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About this episode

These days, many Americans have access to the internet. Indeed, you wouldn't be here if you didn't. With this vast information superhighway at our fingertips we as individuals have more power than ever before. We have the power to find truth. And in an age where the corporate media seems more and more lack luster in their duties, merely focusing on issues that have greatest entertainment value and leaning more towards the sensational, it is important for you, the voting public, to be able to research issues that are important to you.Background: I studied film theory at UCSB and completed my degree in 2001. While I was there I studied World War II propaganda and focused intently on the use of Disney animation within newsreels and other government medium. Maybe for this reason I was tuned into the Bush administration's rhetoric when it began on the anniversary of September 11th. That or pretty much anyone who didn't vote for Bush, including myself, was waiting for him to finish the job after his father's Gulf War in 1991. As I listened, I was alarmed to see the major onslaught of a common disinformation technique of intermingling unrelated topics to create the illusion of relation, without directly stating that this relation specifically existed. The speeches made by Bush were carefully worded with 'half truths' (and even lies) and were heavy on accusations which hinged on verbiage like 'could','might' and 'maybe'. Even more alarming was the mindless banter amongst many of the pro-war public that came after the sudden invasion in March. Suddenly anyone who spoke out against the war was no longer a 'patriot' or was 'against the troops' and any such talk against the war was immediately shot down. As Herman Goering said:"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, 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 tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials And that's how it went. We were attacked on September 11th and those attacks were being used as justification for a new policy of preemption. The war with Afghanistan made sense since it harbored the Taliban regime responsible for supporting Al Qaeda, but with Iraq it seemed like they were stretching. So I decided to take a harder look at WHY we had gone and analyze exactly what was said by the Administration before the war. As my research continued, many important bits of information were revealed to the public regarding these justifications and their subsequent stand against 'the test of time'. So after over a year and a half of researching and collecting data regarding the Iraq war, I present to you "War of the Words" in the hopes that you, the American voting public, will glean some very crucial knowledge from my hard work.

• Release Date

  Dec 20, 2008

• Runtime

  01:30:18