the propaganda is to portray us as the victim of agression, in need of someone else's help for a change. after all, we're the hegemon. as my son said a couple of years ago when there was talk of some possibility of war, "But we rule the world, right mom?"
also, the victim thing seems to be playing well in peoria. i don't know how many friggin' times someone has compared 9-11 to a rape.
i crap you negative!
"would you say that a woman wearing a mini skirt should be raped? that's just what happened here. you're trying to tell me that we deserved to get attacked, but i'll bet you wouldn't say a woman deserved to get raped!"
"what would you do if you or your daughter was raped."
it fits so nicely into the whole, 'why do they hate us' crap: this attack was so horrendous that FOR THE FIRST TIME we are going to be protected by NATO AWACS! for the first time, WE'RE the ones to be protected by NATO. Remember the Gordon Sinclair Glurge! People loved it. Poor unappreciated 'merikans!
and, not to mention, if you want to whip up strong, unquestioning support there's nothing like making us appear just a little weak while talking tough. what better way to snap people in line, to make them feel like they need to fall into lockstep to support the war against EVIL!
then there is the Gulf War effect. remember how everyone was certain that there was no way we were going to do well in that situation? a lot of the US public was sure that it was another Vietnam quagmire. A lot of folks weren't esp. confidant in our military, despite--HUZZAH--Raygun. But, then look what happened.
I think Papa Shrub learned a big lesson from that one: lower expectations, so that whatever you accomplish it will seem even better by contrast. So, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and said, "We are GREAT after all! HUZZAH!!"
beats me jordy! but, i think they figure that the first rule of propaganda is this: if you repeat often enough and with the right tone of voice, people will believe it!