Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries

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Propaganda and Its Uses By Countries, Especially During War


In order to gain the support of the public, countries use propaganda. During the Gulf War, Saddam Hussein and George Bush used propaganda to gain the support of their respective public. Propaganda was everywhere. It was on the radio and television and it brought the war into millions of homes. Propaganda was a vital part of the Gulf War because it provided the US and Iraq with the support of their public. Propaganda is always geared towards the populace claiming that the other country is the oppressor. The truth is often stretched or even fabricated to garner a public outcry for justice. The real truth, however, is very difficult to distinguish from fiction.
The blame is often pushed to towards the other country. Iraq claimed that they were the victims and that the United States was the aggressor. Hussein declared that they had been victimized by Kuwait. According to Iraq, they had to pay back money that they did not have and Kuwait was responsible for the cutback on healthcare and other vital services. Since Kuwait voted against raising the price of oil, Iraq was unable to receive any revenue. It was because of this that Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United States claimed that Iraq was the aggressor. In the American media, Iraqi tanks were shown to enter a defenseless Kuwait amidst destroyed buildings. The American public was convinced that their troops were only there to protect and that Iraq was harassing Kuwait. Iraq quickly retaliated with their own propaganda.
Hussein showed footage of the damage that the US had supposedly inflicted on innocent people. Images of a bombed milk factory and a starving child provided the Iraqi public with enough “evidence” to accuse the US of being a ruthless military power. The main targets of propaganda were those that were presumed most innocent: women and children. When women and children are killed, it...