UPDATE: Watch it online HERE. Thanks to Mr SeeMore for the catch.
In case you missed it last night, a little bit of history was made. For the first time a hard hitting look at the media's complicity in selling Bush's case for war was aired on national television. And as you can read from the comments below, it's a powerful indictment.
For too long we've focused on the Bush administration's distortions, misuse of intelligence, and outright lies to sell the war while overlooking their very necessary accomplice. This stunning documentary makes the correction.
I know many here have known much of what was presented in this documentary for a long time. But seeing it assembled, through the zoom lens of history, illuminates the scope and severity of what happened. It also corrals the offenders into one convenient stall - for all to see.
There's also new information. For example, I didn't know that Oprah was selling the Iraq war on her show. From the transcript of the documentary:
BILL MOYERS: Even Oprah got in on the act, featuring in October 2002 NEW YORK TIMES reporter Judith Miller.
JUDITH MILLER: (OPRAH 10/9/02) The US intelligence community believes that Saddam Hussein has deadly stocks of anthrax, of botulinium toxin, which is one of the most virulent poisons known to man.
BILL MOYERS: Liberal hawk Kenneth Pollak.
KENNETH POLLAK: And what we know for a fact from a number of defectors who've come out of Iraq over the years is that Saddam Hussein is absolutely determined to acquire nuclear weapons and is building them as fast as he can.
BILL MOYERS: And the right hand man to Ahmed Chalabi.
OPRAH: And so do the Iraqi people want the American people to liberate them?
QUANBAR: Absolutely. In 1991 the Iraqi people were....
WOMAN: I hope it doesn't offend you...
BILL MOYERS: When one guest dared to express doubt Oprah would have none of it
WOMAN: I just don't know what to believe with the media and..
OPRAH: Oh, we're not trying to propaganda -show you propaganda. ..We're just showing you what is.
WOMAN: I understand that, I understand that.
OPRAH: OK, but Ok. You have a right to your opinion.
When you see the footage, you will see how powerful a weapon Oprah can be.
Even if you think you've seen it all about the lies that led to war, watch this amazing documentary. And please, spread it around.
WATCH IT ONLINE