China and Japan fought the first modern naval battle in the western Pacific, for control of Korea. Both sides bought modern ships from the Europeans but the smart money was on China. However, the Chinese admiral was an old cavalry officer, and in the decisive battle of that war he brought his ships out line-abreast, like a cavalry charge. The Japanese blew them to bits, and all of Korea became a slave-labor camp for the Japanese, culminating in the "comfort women" of WW II.
Admiral Ding Ruchang indeed had a powerful weapon at his disposal, but he did not know how to use it. Disaster followed.
Alan Dershowitz is not an old cavalry officer, he is an old trial lawyer and a professor of law who uses the truth like a defense attorney. But, just as Ding Ruchan was not in a land battle, we are not in an American courtroom (or in the Oxford Union). We are in a global propaganda war. In a propaganda war, if you play defense you will lose. Israel has been losing the propaganda war for 40 yrs.
In a propaganda war, the only winning strategy---not the best strategy, the only strategy, if you want to win---is attack. To paraphrase Georges Danton, in a propaganda war it is "l'attack, encoure l'attack, toujours l'attack!" Or, as we might say in English: Attack! Attack! Attack!
The other side says we eat babies for breakfast? Alan Dershowitz says, "No, we don't." He lost that battle. And, if you lose enough battles, you lose the war.
When the other side says that Jews use the blood of Muslim children to bake Purim pastries (the Blood Libel is very much alive and well in Muslim lands) the only effective response is to say that Muslims bugger little girls. And then produce photographs, videos, testimonials, etc. It's the truth.
If the other side organizes an annual Israel Apartheid Week, we organize a monthly Apartheid Week. In January it is Saudi Arabia Apartheid Week, in February it is Pakistan Apartheid Week, in March it is Iran Apartheid Week, etc., for every month colleges are in session. And we show pictures and videos of women being stoned, 12 yr old girls getting married, gays being thrown off roofs, Christian girls being kidnapped and raped, etc., etc., etc.
In 1967, Israel was the darling of the global community. Today, it is a pariah. How did that happen? The Muslims and anti-Semites have been winning the propaganda war for 40 years. We must figure out how, and learn the lesson. And they do not even have Truth on their side, but they attack, attack, attack.
I would bet most of you reading this hate my suggestion. You are wondering how will we ever make them our friends. Do not worry about being their friends. Let them worry about being our friends. Get over yourselves. This is not about you and your delicate sensibilities. We are in a real war. Real people really are dying and propaganda is an essential part of that war. The only question is: Do you want to win?
Yes? The rest follows.
I leave you with that awesome introductory speech by George C. Scott in the movie "Patton". At one moment, Patton says,
Some of you boys are wondering if you are going to chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood, shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do.After 40 years of losing the propaganda war, surely we know what to do. And we had better get to it.
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