Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq
The attacks of 9/11 led to a war on Iraq, although there was neither tangible evidence that the nation's leader, Saddam Hussein, was linked to Osama bin Laden nor proof of weapons of mass destruction. Why, then, did the Iraq war garner so much acceptance in the United States during its primary stages?
Mass Deception argues that the George W. Bush administration manufactured public support for the war on Iraq. Scott A. Bonn introduces a unique, integrated, and interdisciplinary theory called "critical communication" to explain how and why political elites and the news media periodically create public panics that benefit both parties. Using quantitative analysis of public opinion polls and presidential rhetoric pre- and post-9/11 in the news media, Bonn applies the moral panic concept to the Iraq war. He critiques the war and occupation of Iraq as violations of domestic and international law. Finally, Mass Deception connects propaganda and distortion efforts by the Bush administration to more general theories of elite deviance and state crime. |
Contents
1 George W Bush and the Drums of War
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1 |
2 Why Do Many in Society Drink the KoolAid Served in a Moral Panic?
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17 |
3 Empirical Evidence of an EliteEngineered Moral Panic over Iraq
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46 |
4 How the Bush Administration Sold the Iraq War to the US Public
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80 |
5 The Power Elite State Crime and War Crime
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101 |
6 The Higher Immorality and Crimes of the Bush Administration
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121 |
7 What Are the Lessons of the Iraq War?
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148 |
Appendix
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173 |
177 | |
187 | |
About the Author
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191 |
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Common terms and phrases
admin agenda agenda-setting alleged threat Americans analyses argued articles with quotes attacks of 9/11 Ben-Yehuda Bush adminis Bush administration Bush administration’s Bush’s Cheney Cohen concerning Iraq coverage crime defined devils drug elite deviance elite-engineered moral panic five criteria folk devils G. W. Bush G. W. Bush administration Gallup polls Geneva Conventions Hawdon higher immorality International Criminal Court international law invading Iraq invasion of Iraq Iraq war Iraq’s issue Kramer lags logistic regression mass media military model of moral moral panic concept nonadministration sources number of articles Nuremberg Charter occupation of Iraq Odds Ratio panic over Iraq perspective political elites power elite President Bush President G. W. Bush presidential rhetoric prior public concern public opinion public support punitive rhetoric regarding Iraq Rothe & Muzzatti Saddam Hussein social construction source of rhetoric support for invading terrorist attacks theoretical U.S. public U.S. society United war crimes Welch word evil