RIPPLE SALVO… #881… PROPAGANDA: “IDEAS, FACTS, OR ALLEGATIONS SPREAD DELIBERATELY TO FURTHER ONE’S CAUSE OR TO DAMAGE AN OPPOSING CAUSE”… My RTR post yesterday, 2 August (“A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…”) was an extended quotation from a book (THE TEN THOUSAND DAY WAR) by a Canadian writer-photographer–Michael Maclear– who was under contract to the North Vietnamese government at the time he was writing his book. His first hand reports were made while an approved visitor of the North Vietnamese and the product of his hosted research was a 45-minute documentary on “…the devastated areas in the ‘hope’ that it might have an impact on your American neighbor.” PROPAGANDA. My RTR post of 31 July 1968 suggested viewing the YouTube film on the tunnels and life in Vinh Linh under the bombs of Rolling Thunder. Again, a North Vietnamese documentary for consumption of the American audience. PROPAGANDA. Aimed at the United States and her form of government–democracy. Our enemies then, now and always will exploit our FREEDOM OF THE PRESS to divide us, to attack our unity, which is our greatest strength, and to diminish our resolve and will to fight and win.
During the 1930s and through World War II the infamous JOSEPH GOEBBLES, was the minister of “Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.” He wore many rows of medals from his boss Hitler by brilliantly practicing the principles expounded in Adolph Hitler’s Mein Kampf, such as: “Propaganda must always address itself to the broad masses of the people.”.. “All propaganda must be presented in a popular form and must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellect of those to whom it is directed.”… “Propaganda must not investigate the truth objectively and , is so far as it is favourable to the other side, present it according to the theoretical rules of justice, yet it must present only that aspect of the truth which is favourable to its own side.”.. and… “The art of propaganda consists precisely in being able to awaken the imagination of the public through an appeal to the hearts of the national masses.”.. the masses are… “…but a vacillating crowd of human children who are constantly wavering between one idea and another.”…And Humble Host smiles at this one… “The great majority of a nation is so feminine in its character and outlook that its thought and conduct are ruled by sentiment rather than by sober reasoning.”… This same advice is part and parcel of Saul D. Alinsky’s RULES FOR RADICAL’S, which is in wide use by legions of “community organizers” in our country today.
The Media remains the principle domain for exchanges of PROPAGANDA by all sides, foreign and domestic. To which a whole new conduit for the deliberate spreading of “ideas, facts or allegations to further ones cause or to damage an opposing cause”… It is called “Social Media” and there are no rules or limits other than WHAT EACH PERSON IMPOSES ON HIM OR HER SELF. The unfiltered free flow of information, protected by our Constitution, is polluted with PROPAGANDA from unlimited sources, includes overseas adversaries. The PROPAGANDA spouting Media, including “social media,” where lurks “the mob mentality,” has become a weapon of our nation’s enemies, foreign and domestic. In the words of our President: “Fake news is the enemy of the people.” To which, one media source responded: “The President’s lies are fake news.” Meanwhile, furor reigns as charges of Russian interference in our elections past, present and future has the priority attention of all eleven (?) American intelligence agencies. And the use of FACEBOOK , among other social media nets, is high on their list of “weaponized media.” The Russians are intruding on our elections by twiddling with the minds, and votes, of American citizens. So is FOX, and CNN, and The New York Times, the local newspaper, and the local community organizer.
The target for propaganda remains the mind of the individual, and in turn the masses of individuals. That was true in the 1930s and the 1960s and remains true in the 2010s. The truth is, individuals live in a world of their own choosing. We believe what we want to believe, and our vulnerability to propaganda makes each one of us a target. The Russians are coming in 2018, just as Ho Chi Minh’s propaganda war did in the years of Rolling Thunder.
Among comments on the RTRs of the past two days was this from a wise old Marine who should write a book. He wrote: “Once again, this one evokes doubt an questions about the validity of the history presented. Bear, don’t know where I read it… some years ago; but it wa an article that stipulated that in fact, far fewer North Vietnamese civilians were killed during the war than one would want to believe.” Shadow, I am with you 100%. Both sides were blatant in their “spreading ideas, facts and allegations that deliberately further their cause or damaged the opposing cause.” Body counts were fungible numbers that were adjusted to suit the messenger’s purpose. We were waging a war of attrition that called for many enemy bodies as a “measure of effectiveness” of the strategy, as well as to demonstrate that the enemy was paying a much higher price than the good guys. On the other hand, North Vietnam had to show heavy civilian casualties in their campaign to convince the world Rolling Thunder aviators were baby killers and immoral men. Anything to stop the bombing. With Shadow’s permission RTR will post his full remarks in a “Mighty Thunder” post shortly…..
On 3 August 1968 on page 1 of The New York Times: the headline and article: “3 U.S.PILOTS ARRIVE IN LAOS FROM HANOI.” Pure PROPAGANDA… SEE BELOW…
Good Morning…Day EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE of a return to a yester-year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war and the events and bravery of the men of Operation Rolling Thunder…
3 August 1968…OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER… New York Times (4 August reporting 3 Aug ops) Page 7: “In the air war over the North, United States pilots flew 112 missions through moderate antiaircraft fire, striking trucks, supply boats, bridges, and storage structures. The military command target was a highway bridge two miles south of the 19th Parallel. In a major night strike, A-4 pilots of the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard dropped 500-pound bombs on a storage site east of Vinh and destroyed a highway bridge 23 miles northwest of the port city.”... VIETNAM: AIR LOSSES (Chris Hobson) There were no fixed wing aircraft lost in Southeast Asia on 3 August 1968…
SUMMARY OF ROLLING THUNDER LOSSES (KIA/MIA/POW) ON THE FOUR 3 AUGUST DATES FOR THE FOUR YEARS OF THE OPERATION…
1965… MAJOR JOSEPH EDWARD BOWER, USAF… (KIA)…
1966… NONE…
1967… CAPTAIN WALLACE GRANT NEWCOMB, USAF… (POW)… AMONG THE BRAVE… Honorable and courageous service as a POW for 2,051 days and the award of the Silver Star was preceded by gallant and intrepid performance as an F-105 fighter-bomber warrior resulting in the award of four Distinguished Flying Crosses… oohrah…
1968… NONE…
RIPPLE SALVO… #881… PROPAGANDA AS A WEAPON… 3 August 1968…New York Times, Page 1: “3 U.S. PILOTS ARRIVE IN LAOS FROM HANOI” (AP)…
“Vientiane, Laos, Aug.2– Three United States pilots freed by North Vietnam arrived from Hanoi today and reported that they had been well treated during their months of captivity. They decided to return to the United States by commercial airline, apparently to avoid endangering chances for the release of other pilots held in North Vietnam.
“When three other pilots were released in February, they were taken to a United States base in Thailand before they were returned home. Anti-war groups in the United States charged that this procedure would imperil the chances of other captured airmen. The three who reached Vientiane today are Major James F. Low, 43 years old, of Sausalito, Calif., a Korean war ace shot down by a missile Dec. 16, 1967; Major Fred N. Thompson, 32, of Taylors, S.C., captured last March 20, and Captain Joe V. Carpenter, 37, of Victorville, Calif., captured last Feb.15.
“Hanoi announced July 18 that the three had been released to peace group of four Americans. They arrived today on the International Control Commission plane, which flies to Hanoi once a week. Dressed in white, short-sleeved shirts, slacks and sandals, the three emerged from the commission plane to face correspondents and cameramen. Major Low, acting as spokesman, said that they had been well treated. Asked if he was opposed to the war as a result of his experiences as a prisoner, he replied, ‘That’s not my bailiwick.’
“Major Low fended off questions about whether he would fly more missions over North Vietnam, saying that this was not the time to discuss the question. He said that he and his companions would leave for the United States tomorrow, but he would give no details. The only three commercial flights from Vientiane tomorrow are to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Saigon. When the plane arrived, the United States Ambassador William H. Sullivan, and two aides boarded and talked with the pilots and the American peace group for 45 minutes.”The pilots were offered the choice of flying home by commercial plane or to Udorn air base in northeast Thailand where a United States Air Force plane was standing by, ready for takeoff for Vientiane.
“The American anti-war representatives, who had taken custody of the pilots in Hanoi, are Stewart Meacham of Philadelphia, peace secretary of the American Friends Service Committee; Mrs. Anne Scheer of Berkeley, Calif., wife of the editor of Ramparts magazine, Robert Scheer, and Vernon Grizzard, an anti-draft organizer from Cambridge, Mass. Robert Scheer said yesterday that the State Department has assured him that the three pilots would be flown to the United States by a commercial airline. Mr. Scheer said that this was ‘an important victory for those in the United States who are interested in stopping the war. It shows that those who are working for peace have better success in negotiations than the State Department and the Pentagon. And that is obviously because the Government is not willing to make concessions.’
“Mr. Scheer, an editor of Ramparts, is the husband of one of the three Americans who accompanied the pilots out of North Vietnam. Mr. Scheer said he expected that the pilots, his wife, and the two other American peace workers would arrive at Kennedy International Airport at 4:30 P.M. tomorrow aboard a Trans World Airlines plane.”… End NYT report…
Humble Host cites a page of HONOR BOUND that reveals a portion of the damage inflicted by this propaganda coup…
“Low, a Korean War ace with a reputation as a nonconformist, had been captured in December 1967, Carpenter and Thompson in February and March 1968. Their experiences were similar: initial grilling at Heartbreak (Low was the only one subjected to torture), early transfer to Plantation and intensive indoctrination prior to repatriation. All received favored treatment at the show camp, but kept under tight wraps, they may not have realized how privileged it was. Moreover, except for Low, whom Stockman had specifically instructed to ‘alter his conduct,’ it is possible they did not receive the SRO’s (Senior Officer) policy messages. All denied any wrongdoing, believing they had been chosen at random and not because of any special pleadings or concessions. Of Low, Hegdahl, who roomed with him for several months, later said the officer was ‘perfectly candid’: he ‘did not like the Vietnamese, he did not relish captivity, and he would speedily quit Hanoi if he could. In a replay of the February scenario, the three were run though a gauntlet of farewell ceremonies, tapings and press conferences before being delivered to an American pacifist delegation on 18 July. Whether last-minute transportation snags intruded, as the Vietnamese professed, or Hanoi was intent on prolonging the occasion for propaganda mileage, the actual release did not occur until two weeks later on 2 August, when the party was finally permitted to board an aircraft to begin the trip to the United States.
“The last releases, although less stunning (than the releases in February), triggered another wave of tension and malaise as word spread through the (POW) camps. Now at the Zoo, Bud Day heard the tapes on the radio and reacted with a mixture of disgust and sadness, ashamed that the three were all Air Force officers. Guy remembers seeing Plantation inmates shuffling by his cell ‘with heads hung low.’ To stop the hemorrhaging of morale and discipline, Guy took Stockman’s edict one step further: no one was to go home regardless of their condition (with the possible exception of McCain) or shootdown date. If they could not leave together and honorably, Guy felt, ‘we would all stay if it took another twenty-five years. The senior was fortunate to have a solid nucleus of resistors still around after the spring–summer purge–besides Stratton, there were Stafford, Hegdahl, Crecca, McCain, Craner, W ebb, and Baker among others–who remained steadfast through all the tumult.”…
End excerpt from HONOR BOUND: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973, by Stuart I. Rochester and Frederick Kiley. (A must book for a library covering the Vietnam war….).
RTR QUOTE FOR 3 AUGUST: BENJAMIN P. HARDY: “Your beliefs don’t happen to you, they come from you. Whether you’d like to admit it or not, you’ve chosen your beliefs. Your current beliefs started with curiosity and appeal, but have become increasingly solidified as you’ve gathered selective evidence to validate those beliefs–what psychologists call confirmation bias. Consequently, your perception of the world is not objective, and never will be.”…
Lest we forget… Bear