“A belligerent President Bush comes to the United Nations to impress
upon the world that the U.S. is in the Middle East to stay, that the
war on terror will be endless, and to threaten a murderous war on Iran.”
This message is being censored. We”re calling on you to stand up to suppression of political dissent.
On Thursday Metro newspaper in NYC refused to run an ad headlined “Who
is the Real Nuclear Threat” from the World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the
Bush regime in its September 21 issue. The reason given by the
publisher was that the content was “too inflammatory” for the prominent
back page. On Friday, a second ad “One Million Dead in Iraq” was first
rejected for placement on the September 25 back page explicitly because
of its content. Then they offered placement on the back page at a price almost four times higher than what was originally agreed upon.
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This move by Metro is undoubtedly related to the “watch what you say” atmosphere created by the White House. Also on Thursday, George Bush said to the White House press, “I thought the [MoveOn] ad was disgusting. I felt like the ad was an attack not only on General Petraeus, but on the U.S. military. And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad. And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org — or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military. That was a sorry deal.”
Hours after Bush’s remarks, the Senate passed a resolution condemning the ad in The New York Times by MoveOn titled “General Betray-Us” (the ad predicted Petraeus would give the White House version in reporting on the troop surge in Iraq). Republican senators are threatening an investigation of The New York Times policy of offering discounts for stand-by advocacy ads.
This Senate condemned MoveOn for a paid ad which dissents from the ongoing war, but won’t censure George Bush, a proven liar, for repeatedly using falsified intelligence to justify the war on Iraq. Now there is another wave of White House propaganda geared to justifying a war on Iran. The major media repeated their lies about Iraq for years. And now they”re doing it all over again on Iran.
We do not know if the Metro publisher opposes in principle the content of these ads, or is reacting with cowardice to defending the principle of freedom of expression. We don’t know, but it doesn’t matter, ultimately, because the effect is the same. One of the few avenues to get the truth into the major media – buying advocacy ads-will be in effect closed down if publishers are afraid to sell space. The White House will be the strong-arm arbiter of what is acceptable in terms of political criticism.
What will the consequences be if publishers and political opinion makers back down on something so fundamental to protecting dissent in society”not to mention stopping the monstrous crimes that are being done by this government in our name? Where is society going if people do what they”re told and allow this?
Dan Rather raised the alarm this week about the danger to news reporting when he announced a lawsuit against CBS for firing him over his story about Bush’s phony military reserve career. He said, “You can’t have freedom of the press if you’re going to have large, big corporations and big government intruding and intimidating in newsrooms. The chilling effect on investigative reporting is going to be something we don’t want to see.”
World Can’t Wait has bought many ads in The New York Times, USA Today, and in local weeklies, including NY Metro, aimed at reaching the people who want stop what the Bush regime is doing. This ad focuses on making such opposition visible by organizing millions of people to declare it by wearing orange. We are fighting for space in the public sphere, and all our efforts indicate that there’s the basis to win this battle for ad space, including raising the necessary money. Another indication is the fact that MoveOn raised half a million dollars in one day from people who told them “don’t back down!”
Here is a message for you to send the publisher of The Metro:
We know you are feeling the chill of the threat to publishers because of the MoveOn ad.
1) If your reason for refusing to run the World Can’t Wait ad is just monetary, then shame on you. 2) If you have political objections to the content, we would like to know them.
3) If you are worried about the chill Bush is trying to send through the advertising world, and you want to stand up to it, there are thousands of us ready to support you.
Call the Metro Publisher Daniel Magnus 212-952-1500 to ask that they publish on Tuesday 9/25.
You can reach World Can’t Wait at 866 973 4463.
And, donate generously to get these ads published in more newspaper. Write me if you have ideas and can help.
Debra Sweet, Director, The World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime
SO the land of the free is no longer so free. Freedom of expression apparently does no longer apply. All the lives that were given to protect liberty and justice and freedom seem to have been in vain. You besmirch their memory!