War Made Easy

I just finished watching a documentary entitled War Made Easy, narrated by Sean Penn. While it may not break any new ground, it is very effective in demonstrating the folly of surrendering one's critical judgment and placing complete faith in the pronouncements of government. At a time when the media frequently seem to be little more than public relations arms of the government, this film is especially timely. I am reproducing a synopsis of the documentary below:

"War Made Easy" reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.

The film brings to the screen Norman Solomon's insightful analysis of the strategies used by administrations, both Democratic and Republican, to promote their agendas for war from Vietnam to Iraq. By familiarizing viewers with the techniques of war propaganda, "War Made Easy" encourages us to think critically about the messages put out by today's spin doctors - messages which are designed to promote and prolong a policy of militarism under the guise of the 'war on terror.'

If you are interested, you can watch the film online here.