The Fog of War. Arthur Ponsonby on Falsehood in Wartime
Arthur Ponsonby was a Liberal who opposed the First World War and investigated the truth, or usually otherwise, of anti-German atrocity stories promoted by its opponents in the war. In 1928 he published a book looking at wartime propaganda. The key points were later summarised and are shown below.
Newspaper reporting is rarely worth bothering with, certainly in the mainstream, where narratives are promoted with little or no space for critical and alternative views. These do appear but are exceptions to the general drift of news and opinion.
Approaching all reporting of war with a critical and analytical perspective is essential.
1.We do not want war.
2.The opposite party alone is guilty of war.
3.The enemy is inherently evil and resembles the devil.
4.We defend a noble cause, not our own interests.(Just war theory)
5.The enemy commits atrocities on purpose; our mishaps are involuntary.
6.The enemy uses forbidden weapons.
7.We suffer small losses, those of the enemy are enormous.
8.Recognized artists and intellectuals back our cause.
9.Our cause is sacred.
10.All who doubt our propaganda are traitors.
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