Why Are We the Good Guys?: Reclaiming Your Mind from the Delusions of Propaganda
 | |
| Author | David Cromwell |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Foreign policy, Western world, Human rights |
| Published | Winchester |
| Publisher | Zero Books |
Publication date | 2012 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 316 |
| ISBN | 9781780993652 |
| 320.5 | |
Why Are We The Good Guys?: Reclaiming Your Mind from the Delusions of Propaganda is a 2012 book by British media campaigner and author David Cromwell.
Background
Making use of the propaganda model developed by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky,[1] Cromwell is critical in the book of the inherent assumption that the Western world is superior, and a great defender of human rights. The book analyses standard accounts on "foreign policy, climate change and the constant struggle between state-corporate power and genuine democracy". The book discusses US manipulation of the British Government to prevent nationalisation of industry, the Iraq War and the media's reaction to it and makes accusations of Western hypocrisy, particularly over Iran. The book is strongly critical of the failure of the mainstream media to hold power to account, whether government, military or corporate. Cromwell is the co-editor of the Media Lens website, and part of the book discusses the founding of Media Lens in 2001 and the struggle to publish independent journalism.
Reception
In Peace News Pascal Ansell praised the book commending the "powerful examples" of its arguments.[1] It received a mixed review in Red Pepper, with the reviewer Richard Goulding observing that "sometimes eye-opening information is uncovered". He criticised the author for not considering the rape allegations made against Julian Assange while Cromwell accuses the media of attempting to "silence or vilify" the Wikileaks founder.[2] The book was also reviewed by the Morning Star[3] and the Southern Daily Echo.[4]
References
- 1 2 Ansell, Pascal (November 2013). "David Cromwell, Why are we the good guys? Reclaiming Your Mind from the Delusions of Propaganda AND Patrick Chalmers, Fraudcast News: How Bad Journalism Supports Our Bogus Democracies". Peace News. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ↑ Goulding, Richard (August 2013). "Personal critique – Why are We the Good Guys?". Red Pepper. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ↑ "Morning Star". Morning Star.
- ↑ Churchward, Sally (28 January 2013). "Is this the most controversial book of the 21st century?". Daily Echo. Retrieved 13 July 2015.