Al Franken on phone from Kuwait right now

[LizW]

on Air America. He says the TVs there on the base are ALWAYS turned to nothing but Fox News. He says it's depressing.

Commercial now, but he's coming back after the break.

Oh I forgot, he says he's making his entrance in the USO show dressed in a flak jacket made entirely of garbage can lids. :D

[Pirate Smile]

1. Rush on the radio and Faux on the TV. Geez. Talk about brain washing!

You would have to have a strong POV already to keep it when immersed in that environment or else you figure out everyone is lying based on personal experience. Most people may not have personal experiences that clearly demonstrate the lies being pushed at them.

[LizW]

2. True.

Al said he realizes what incredible courage the guardsman had who asked Rumsfeld about the armor. It took a lot to ask an unpopular question in that environment.

[Pirate Smile]

3. It didn't seem too unpopular with the other troops. I think the key is

their personal experiences on that issue - but not everything is that obvious.

[Hamsta1]

4. Brain Washing?

Makes you wonder how many bullet-ridden TV's they have sitting out in their "junk piles" that they have to dig through for armor.

[Pirate Smile]

5. Maybe brainwashing isn't the right term. I certainly don't mean to insult

any troops but if you are immersed in that crap and don't already have a really strong political identity and time (or inclination) to be well informed, your views will probably be influenced to some degree.

This is another reason why Democratic commentators and strategists can NOT boycott Faux. Some people have said we should. I usually "boycott" it by not watching it but I think the Democratic Party people should be on spreading our views and fighting their BS.

Some people do better at dealing with their "anchors" and people like Hannity than others. Hopefully, we can get them to go on more often (unless Faux blackballs them).

[newyawker99]

11. Hi Hamsta1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JohnyCanuck]

6. Brainwashing is right.

We are living under the beginning stages of a military dictatorship in precisely the same way that 1930s Germans suffered under the Nazi regime.

As in the case of Nazi Germany, state-sponsored propaganda (brainwashing) is a vital part of the Bush regime's strategy.

<snip>

Personality simulation systems are being used to create political campaigns that apply voter profiles to control their voting behavior. TV commercials and programs use personality simulation to profile viewers to control their purchasing and viewing behaviors. And sophisticated propaganda and brainwashing techniques are being used by the Bush junta to keep American citizens under control.

Brainwashing America by Dr. Norman Livergood, former head of the department of Artificial Intelligence, US Army War College

[SoCalDem]

8. Propaganda is insidious.. That's why it WORKS...

My youngest son is a democrat through and through, but when he was driving a truck for a while on his job, he spent HOURS and HOURS behind the wheel, and of course we all know what's on the radio..Music gets monotonous after a while, and talk stations at least keep your mind "engaged".. In the democratic bastion known as "Kelli-Fore-Nyah", we have 99% hate radio, and after a tseady diet of that nonsense for a few months, I started to hear things coming out of my son's mouth, that were little more than Rush Limbaugh transcripts..

I jumped him about it, and he admitted that "at first he hated the guy (and the others), but "after a while, they started to 'make sense'........"..

Of course when presented with FACTS, the Rush-scenario was blown to bits, and my son deliberately avoided those stations, but I can really see how people grab onto their "message"..

I don't want Rush OFF the air .... I just want an EQUALLY STRONG message to the contrary, so that at least once in a while, people might hear BOTH sides of issues..

There will always be the contrarians who see only their side, but lots of people are just "captives" of the rightwing message machine, and are too lazy to question the message by searching on their own.

[Sara Beverley]

7. Remember, you have to HAVE a brain to have it "washed."

I have my doubts about many of soldiers in uniform and I am certain about the red state voters who voted for Bush. Brainless!

[walldude]

9. I posted this yesterday about

some propaganda I ran into at my kids 3rd grade holiday concert.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2832269

They are starting the brainwashing really early these days...

[IHeart1993]

10. Good reason to bring back the Fairness Doctrine

There's a way to support the troops!