[Marxism] "Jeremiah Wright in the Propaganda System"

[Dbachmozart@xxxxxxx]

Edward S. Herman and David Peterson, Monthly Review, September, 2008

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From the jingoistic right the denunciations were unrestrained:  â
anti-American, racist rantingsâ (National Review); âvenomous and  
paranoidâ (Ron 
Kessler); âgrievance-mongering preacher animated by the voracity  of hateâ 
(Michelle 
Malkin); âhate-filled, anti-American black nationalismâ  (Shelby Steele); 
â
black hate speechâ and âracist rantsâ (Charles Krauthammer),  
âanti-American 
black supremacistâ (London Times), âfatuous clerical  rantings,â âblack 
chauvinist rhetoric,â âfoaming pastor,â âconceited old  fanaticâ 
(Christopher 
Hitchens); âstuck in a late-Sixties time warpâ (Stanley  Kurtz); among 
countless 
others like them.  
But these were often matched and sometimes surpassed by the language of  
liberals: âhistrionics of a loony preacher from the South Side of Chicagoâ 
(Bob  
Herbert); ârantingâ and âfire-breathing pastorâ (Frank Rich); 
ârace-baiting  
diatribeâ (Cynthia Tucker); a âself-centered jerkâ who believes âItâs 
all 
about  meâ and whose âself-indulgent anticsâ belong on the American Idol  
television show (Rosa Brooks); the âjibberjabber from the crazy 
ex-ministerâ  
(Patricia Williams); âbigoted and paranoid rantingsâ (New York Times);  â
weirdness, wrath, insult, blowhardiness, vanity, paranoia, divisiveness and  
troubleâ 
(Katha Pollitt). Last but not least, Barack Obama himself referred to  Wrightâ
s âridiculous propositions,â âoutrageous comments,â âvery different  
vision 
of America,â as âdivisive and destructive,â âsomething that not only  
makes 
me angry but also saddens me.â_18_ 
(http://www.monthlyreview.org/080901herman-peterson.php#18f)   
There were no comparable levels of anger and denunciation by the  
establishment media, or even by the liberals and left, over Parsley, Hagee, or  
Robertson, despite their prolific records of atrocious statements, their years  
of 
right-wing activism on behalf of the Republican Party, and the fact that  
McCain 
actively sought Hageeâs endorsement and referred to Parsley while  
campaigning 
with him in Ohio as âone of the truly great leaders in America, a  moral 
compass, a spiritual guide.â_19_ 
(http://www.monthlyreview.org/080901herman-peterson.php#19f)  (Obama  did not 
seek Wrightâs endorsement or declare him a moral 
compass and guide.)  Thus for the same ninety-six-day period beginning February 
27, snippets from  Wright were characterized negatively as âranting,â â
raving,â or âcrazyâ (and the  like) dozens of times as frequently as 
statements by 
Hagee and Robertson, and  literally hundreds of times more often than those 
by Parsley. (See tables 3-A  and 3-B.)     Table 3âA: Differential treatment 
of 
the religious figures,  by terms of abuse (ârant,â ârave,â âcrazy,â 
etc.*), February 27âJune  1â  Rod Parsley 0  John Hagee 18  Pat Robertson 9 
 
Jeremiah Wright 750   
*We used the database operator * to include all variations of these  words. 
âNinety-six-day period from Wednesday, February 27, through Sunday,  June 1. 
NewsBank database searches carried out under the  âAll Papersâ category on 
June 2. Actual parameters were: (first name ADJ2  last name) AND (rant* or rav* 
or craz*) NOT (last name).     Table 3âB: Differential treatment of the 
religious figures,  by terms of abuse (ârant,â ârave,â âcrazy,â 
etc. *), February 
27âJune 1â    Rod Parsley 1  John Hagee 36  Pat Robertson 17  Jeremiah 
Wright 700   
*We used the database operator * to include all variations of these  words. 
âNinety-six-day period from Wednesday, February 27, through Sunday,  June 1. 
Factiva database searches carried out under the  âNewspapers: Allâ category 
on June 2. -- Actual parameters were:  [rst=TNWP] AND [first name w/2 last 
name] AND [rant*** or rav*** or crazy]  NOT [last name].  
full ---
<http://www.monthlyreview.org/080901herman-peterson.php>
 


We have it in our power to begin the world  over again âThomas Paine



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