They are longing for a war with Iran. Iran is no more a harm to us than was Iraq or Afghanistan. They invented an enemy, they tell lies, lies, lies. The New York Times goes along with their lies, lies, lies. And they don't stop. When the public that's lied to 30 times a day it's apt to believe the lies, is not it?
Interpretation
The quote criticizes the media and politicians for perpetuating falsehoods that lead to unnecessary conflict.
Gore Vidal emphasizes how the relentless propagation of lies by media and political figures creates a fabricated enemy, leading the public to believe in these deceptive narratives. He suggests that the continuous exposure to falsehoods conditions people to accept these lies as reality, ultimately steering the nation towards unwanted wars, similar to previous conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about media responsibility in war reporting.
We must declare ourselves, become known; allow the world to discover this subterranean life of ours which connects kings and farm boys, artists and clerks. Let them see that the important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
American writers want to be not good but great; and so are neither.
Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.
The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.
Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.
Throughout history, when societies face tough economic times, we have seen democratic reforms deferred, decreased trust in government, persecution of minority groups, and a general shrinking of the democratic space.
Fascism is capitalism plus murder.
This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.
Romania, which had the worst dictator in Eastern Europe, Ceausescu, he was a darling of the West. The United States and Britain loved him. He was supported until the last minute.
The atrocities in Cambodia are a direct and understandable response to the violence of the imperial system.
If you're worried about the deficit, pay attention to the fact that it's almost all attributable to military spending and the totally dysfunctional health program.
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