American people Quote by Peter P. Mahoney
“Lieutenants lied to captains, captains lied to colonels, colonels lied to generals, generals lied to politicians, politicians lied to the people. Right on up and down the line. It was like a complete and total, not a total lie, but just like so much, it was like PR, in other words it was like okay, we've got to sell the war to the American people.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public address on war propaganda, 2005
It describes a chain of deception from soldiers up to politicians, framing war as a product sold to the public.
In simple terms: People at every level lie to sell war.
Question the narratives presented by authority.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- election campaigns
- military recruitment
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits from war narratives?
- How can citizens verify information?
The claim may oversimplify complex motivations behind policy decisions.