Dear Editor,
As the November election approaches, the U.S. propaganda machine swings into full gear.
The last three years have not been absent of a myriad of methods to try and persuade the American public of our noble aims of defense, ridding the world of terrorists and bringing democracy to a “free” Iraq.
This is not a new story. Woodrow Wilson employed many of the same tactics to convince the American public that entering WWI was necessary. To compliment Wilson’s propaganda, he had to keep opposition quiet.
Consider the Espionage Act, Sedition Act and the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 and 1918. These laws were enacted to prevent opinions of opposition to the war from being voiced.
These attempts occur today: think about The Patriot Act. It’s the current government attempting to squelch dissent by framing any such person as a supporter of terrorism, along with the lack of underreporting of the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The precedent for such treatment of the American public was set at the onset of American entry into WWI by Woodrow Wilson and continues today. I am left wondering if our government will ever have enough regard for its citizens to trust us with the truth.
Laura Cross

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