How Hollywood Soaps Threaten America s Security
ow many Americans are someone had set out to create a
aware that the most powerful propaganda strategy to
sophisticated tools of completely discredit a nation,
modern communication are being they could have come up with
used on a daily basis in a vast nothing more effective than the
program of disinformation about garbage stewed up in Hollywood,
this country and its people that marketed abroad and shown daily
is beamed into almost every to billions of global citizens.
country on earth?
Our soaps show on a daily basis
Every time I travel abroad I see in the slums of Rio de Janeiro,
this program at work and witness Cape Town, Nairobi, Bangkok, and
its results. "I am so grateful thousands of other cities
for this opportunity to get to globally. Re-selling these shows
know you and your family," said a makes nice profits for Hollywood.
Muslim woman in India in 2000.
"We thought that Americans have As Americans, we ourselves are
no values, that they are cheapened by their presence in
materialistic, and care only our homes. But at least most of
about themselves. We thought us know that neither we nor our
there is no commitment to neighbors live in glistening
children and families, that mansions filled with lustful
everyone lives in immorality. It people looking for their next
is so wonderful to see that these liaison.
things are not true!"
Unfortunately most of the world
Our own self-created does not know this. When this
propaganda wages daily war realization first dawned on me
against us. living abroad in the 1980s I was
Whence this image of America? If stunned.
or claim to seek the welfare of
People really think that what others, we are eyed with
they see on TV is real life in suspicion. People have pictures
America? Today, there is no before their very eyes that, they
question in my mind. Over and believe, show who we are and how
over again, after they have had we live. Why should they trust
enough chance to get to know me nice words? Our inclination to
that they feel free to speak lecture others on right and wrong
honestly, I have had the makes us look especially
experience of people in Africa hypocritical.
and Asia saying, "I didn't
realize there are ordinary, Worse yet, our vast military
decent people living in the US. I network - bases in 60 countries -
thought everyone was....." and our history of frequent use
of violence to advance "national
To the world we are Sin interests" - we have dropped
City. bombs in 23 countries since the
Hollywood's profiteering means end of World War II - makes us
that to the world we are Sin look like not only an immoral but
City. We create and peddle, also a ruthless giant.
people believe, cheap and immoral
sensations whose only design is Can we blame Muslims, for whom
to arouse unseemly hungers. We sexual modesty and purity is an
are unprincipled; materialistic; important value, for finding it
we indulge ourselves without easy to consider us servants of
thought, they believe, in our Satan? Luckily, most Muslims
lusts. oppose violence against America
and know the Koran teaches
This means that whenever against attacks on innocent
Americans point to high standards civilians. But given the picture
of us that Hollywood places on of human beings believe we are
the screens of our globe every morally corrupt and selfish.
day of the year, a percentage are Sadly, the truth is that moral
stirred in righteous anger. If corruption and selfishness do
anything, it is amazing that exist within us. But could we not
there is not more hatred towards at least curb the peddling of
us than already exists. wicked exaggeration to the world?
Many Americans are disappointed Because we are not trusted at the
with the response of Iraqis to most basic level of social
our occupation. Why do they not integrity, the grim truth right
have a little patience, people now is that any military move we
wonder? make that is not clearly
supported by the majority of the
Part of the answer is that, like world works against us. Not only
most of the world, Iraqis have do we look immoral, we look
long been skeptical of American ruthless and unaccountable.
intentions. Because they wanted
to be rid of Saddam, many hoped What it will take to build
for the best when the US invaded. sustainable security.
But because their trust was so Our security can never rest in
low to begin with, it took only a futile efforts to destroy with
few months of errors on our part violence every threat that dwells
to convince Iraqis that their abroad. We cannot, as the saying
long-standing doubts were true. goes, "chop off the head of the
snake" that now threatens. When
In an age of weapons portable and the majority distrust us, every
powerful, no military force on strike, even "successful" ones,
earth can create security for multiples our foes.
Americans as long as the majority
Sustainable security will come murmur and rail against us from
when people of the world see that the margins of their communities,
we, the wealthiest and most but the world will handicap and
influential nation in history, neutralize them far more
take seriously the daily effectively than our bombs and
well-being of others; when they marauding Special Forces.
believe that we care deeply about
the ability of their children to In the meantime, could we insist
get basic healthcare, good that the entertainment moguls
education, and jobs. show some responsibility to their
fellow citizens and ease off on
When the majority see evidence of the disinformation they are
this - and right now no honest peddling abroad?
person could point to much - the
extremists of the world will gain Copyright Ron Kraybill 2006.
few followers. In that day,
scattered rabblerousers may still
About the Author:
Ron Kraybill has lived in Germany, South Africa and India, and served as advisor and trainer in peace processes throughout the world. He is a professor at Eastern Mennonite University. For more essays on conflict resolution, security, group facilitation, and a culturally sensitive conflict style inventory go to http://www.RiverhouseEpress.com
Read more articles by: Ron Kraybill, Ph.D.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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