Bluntly stated, one of the experts stated that weapons of mass destruction and democracy are simply "convenient rhetorical arguments that helped rally public support." Once again, this SCOM 353 issue of ideographs has resurfaced.
According to "Media Politics" by Shanto Lyengar and Jennifer A. McGrady, Going Public is "a strategy used by presidents and other politicians to promote their policies by appealing to the American public for support. If a president enjoys strong public support, that president creates an important bargaining advantage and is capable of persuading congressional members to rally in support of him/her."
According to this evening's symposium experts, The Bush Administration used common, positive ideographs to inform the public and gather support. The public was fed a message it was likely to support. Looking back now, we know there are no weapons of mass destruction. The public was misinformed...but was this intentional and did this message simply make it easier for the Bush Administration to carry out its plan?
The sad thing is though, according to these experts, this war is not about Weapons of Mass Destruction or Democracy...this war is about our environment and about the United States' influence in an important region. According to the experts, this war and the wars to follow will all focus on "Fossil Fuels"; also when given a choice, the current administration has consistently focused on expansion instead of conservation.
While our SCOM 353 class saw that IRAQ was a hot topic in the recent State of the Union Address...it is apparent that the underlying issue of the Environment will be an important issue for the next president elect.
Also, the market demand must change. We as a public must take our own steps towards change. Congress acts as our representatives...if we don't demand a change, one will never come.
Which candidate will be the most influential in resolving this crisis?
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