Episode 47: American Magnanimity - Spinning Crimes Against Humanity as Benevolence
Added 2018-08-08 16:03:39 +0000 UTCSince there's been America, there have been American war crimes, and since there have been American war crimes, there's been a parallel cottage industry of hacks, shills and propagandists willing to not only apologize for, deny and downplay these crimes, but actually spin them as benevolent charity.
While Karl Rove mastered the art of taking a politician's weakness and projecting it onto one’s opponent, the American political and media class has mastered the art of taking the most blatant crimes and injustices and spinning them as something actually good for the subject being oppressed, cleansed or killed.
From family separation to slavery to cutting people off welfare to endless war abroad, step into the Citations Needed Hall of Funhouse Mirrors to see how the most egregious offenses to human decency get turned into evidence of innate American humanitarianism.
We are joined by friend of the show, The Intercept's Jon Schwarz.
Production note: This is the Season 1 Finale of Citations Needed. Thank you for listening, sharing, supporting and funding the show. We couldn't have made it this far without you.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you in September!
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Guest
Jon Schwarz is Senior Writer at The Intercept.
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Show Notes
Jon Schwarz | July 12, 2018 | The Intercept
It’s Been Over a Year Since MSNBC Has Mentioned US War in Yemen
Adam Johnson | July 23, 2018 | FAIR
Ignoring Washington’s Role in Yemen Carnage, 60 Minutes Paints US as Savior
Adam Johnson | November 20, 2017 | FAIR
Third Annual Message to Congress on the State of the Union
James Buchanan | December 19, 1859
George Orwell | October 1945 | Polemic
The World; Remember Yellow Journalism.
Clifford Krauss | February 15, 1998 | The New York Times
Selling Empire: American Propaganda and War in the Philippines
Susan A. Brewer | October 1, 2013 | The Asia-Pacific Journal
Niall Ferguson | January 5, 2003
Niall Ferguson's ignorant defence of British rule in India
Paul Cotterill | August 16, 2012 | New Statesman
A Quick Reminder Of Why Colonialism Was Bad
Nathan J. Robinson | September 14, 2017 | Current Affairs
'Fox Hunt' writer details his daring escape from Yemen
Morning Joe | April 25, 2018 | MSNBC
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Further Reading
Denmark Vesey’s Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy - Ethan J. Kytle and Blain Roberts (The New Press, 2018)
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States - Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (Beacon Press, 2014)
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Transcript
For a full transcript of this episode, go here.
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