George w Quote by Eduardo Galeano
““LIED-ABOUT WARS Advertising campaigns, marketing schemes. The target is public opinion. Wars are sold the same way cars are, by lying. In August 1964, President Lyndon Johnson accused the Vietnamese of attacking two U.S. warships in the Tonkin Gulf. Then the president invaded Vietnam, sending planes and troops. He was acclaimed by journalists and by politicians, and his popularity sky-rocketed. The Democrats in power and the Republicans out of power became a single party united against Communist aggression. After the war had slaughtered Vietnamese in vast numbers, most of them women and children, Johnson’s secretary of defense, Robert McNamara, confessed that the Tonkin Gulf attack had never occurred. The dead did not revive. In March 2003, President George W. Bush accused Iraq of being on the verge of destroying the world with its weapons of mass destruction, “the most lethal weapons ever devised.” Then the president invaded Iraq, sending planes and troops. He was acclaimed by journalists and by politicians, and his popularity sky-rocketed. The Republicans in power and the Democrats out of power became a single party united against terrorist aggression. After the war had slaughtered Iraqis in vast numbers, most of them women and children, Bush confessed that the weapons of mass destruction never existed. “The most lethal weapons ever devised” were his own speeches. In the following elections, he won a second term. In my childhood, my mother used to tell me that a lie has no feet. She was misinformed.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Open Veins of Latin America, Eduardo Galeano, 1971
Political leaders manipulate public opinion by fabricating threats to justify war, using media to gain support and personal power.
In simple terms: Leaders lie to sell war and boost popularity.
Question critically and demand evidence before supporting conflict.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- voting decisions
- activism
- journalism
- education
- policy debate
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify claims before accepting them?
- What responsibilities do media have in reporting war?
Public may resist manipulation if they trust independent sources.