Support the Tropes

[Disir]

In an earlier piece (FAIR.org, 3/3/21), we explored some country case study examples of how the press helps to manufacture consent for regime change and other US actions abroad among left-leaning audiences, a traditionally conflict-skeptical group.

Some level of buy-in, or at least a hesitancy to resist, among the United States’ more left-leaning half is necessary to ensure that US interventions are carried out with a minimum of domestic opposition. To this end, corporate media invoke the language of human rights and humanitarianism to convince those to the left of center to accept, if not support, US actions abroad—a treatment of sorts for the country’s 50-year-long Vietnam syndrome.

What follows are some of the common tropes used by establishment outlets to convince skeptical leftists that this time, things might be different, selling a progressive intervention everyone can get behind.

..... If well-paid US columnists start becoming preoccupied with human rights in your country, it is a pretty good sign that you are about to get bombed. It is also remarkable how quickly those same pundits will lose their acute interest in human rights in a nation after a US intervention. Therefore, the next time you hear freedom, human rights and democracy in another country being endlessly discussed, be on your guard for ulterior motives; these cold-blooded media figures may just be crying crocodile tears in the service of empire.

Support the Tropes - FAIR

Corporate media invoke the language of human rights and humanitarianism to convince those to the left of center to accept, if not support, US actions abroad.

fair.org

That last paragraph is so true that other countries have been throwing out the "human rights organizations" that are in their country.

 

[Auld Phart]

tropes?

 

[Disir]

In this sense, overused theme or device.

 

[Tommy Tainant]

I sort of agree with the overall theme of the article but some of the detail I am not so sure of. In the UK the "left" was certainly not supportive of dubyas wars and there were loud protests. Even today blair is the most hated politician in the UK. after thatcher.

But you can see this approach in Ukraine a couple of years back where the US helped unseat an elected government and today in Venezuela.

The issue is that US interests tend to drive policy in the rest of the "free" world and that those interests are questionable at best.

US foreign policy is not particularly party driven and both sides fail repeatedly. 20 years in the Stan is a stunning failure for the US and has not moved the country forward at all. You went in without a plan and bumbled along without one whilst looking for an exit. Similar in Iraq.

You had 100k troops in Afghanistan at one stage, what the fuck were they all doing apart from bombing weddings ?

 

[White 6]

In an earlier piece (FAIR.org, 3/3/21), we explored some country case study examples of how the press helps to manufacture consent for regime change and other US actions abroad among left-leaning audiences, a traditionally conflict-skeptical group.

Some level of buy-in, or at least a hesitancy to resist, among the United States’ more left-leaning half is necessary to ensure that US interventions are carried out with a minimum of domestic opposition. To this end, corporate media invoke the language of human rights and humanitarianism to convince those to the left of center to accept, if not support, US actions abroad—a treatment of sorts for the country’s 50-year-long Vietnam syndrome.

What follows are some of the common tropes used by establishment outlets to convince skeptical leftists that this time, things might be different, selling a progressive intervention everyone can get behind.

..... If well-paid US columnists start becoming preoccupied with human rights in your country, it is a pretty good sign that you are about to get bombed. It is also remarkable how quickly those same pundits will lose their acute interest in human rights in a nation after a US intervention. Therefore, the next time you hear freedom, human rights and democracy in another country being endlessly discussed, be on your guard for ulterior motives; these cold-blooded media figures may just be crying crocodile tears in the service of empire.

Support the Tropes - FAIR

Corporate media invoke the language of human rights and humanitarianism to convince those to the left of center to accept, if not support, US actions abroad.

fair.org

That last paragraph is so true that other countries have been throwing out the "human rights organizations" that are in their country.

Another nice article. Thanks.