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Douglas Kellner

Entities (5)

Iraq

Iraq

Douglas Kellner is a scholar who provides critical analysis of U.S. foreign policy toward Iraq, specifically arguing that the Bush administration manipulated diplomatic and military situations to justify conflict as seen in [1], [2], and [3]. His work further examines how media coverage of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait was influenced by government disinformation and the exclusion of alternative perspectives, as detailed in [4] and [5]. — 9 supporting facts

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Kuwait

Kuwait

Douglas Kellner is related to Kuwait because he provides critical analysis of the George H.W. Bush administration's diplomatic and military responses to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, as detailed in [1], [2], [3], [4], and [5]. — 7 supporting facts

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United States

United States

Douglas Kellner is related to the United States through his critical analysis of its military actions and official narratives during the Persian Gulf conflict, as evidenced by his claims regarding the nature of U.S. troop deployments [1], his assertion that the U.S. spread disinformation to justify intervention [2], and his documentation of soldier accounts that contradicted official U.S. deployment timelines [3]. — 3 supporting facts

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Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein

Douglas Kellner is a scholar who critically analyzes the media's portrayal and the political rhetoric surrounding Saddam Hussein, as evidenced by his critiques of the Bush administration's refusal to negotiate with him [1], his assessment of media disinformation regarding his threats [2], and his analysis of dehumanizing language used to describe him in the press [3]. — 3 supporting facts

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Pentagon

Pentagon

Douglas Kellner frequently analyzes the Pentagon as a central institution within the 'National Security State' [1] and critiques its role in the Bush administration's strategic decisions, such as the invasion of Panama [2] and the justification for military intervention in Iraq [3]. — 3 supporting facts

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Facts (43)

Sources

The Persian Gulf TV War by Douglas Kellner (http://www.gseis.ucla ... pages.gseis.ucla.edu Douglas Kellner · UCLA 43 facts

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that a multicausal model is necessary to interpret the Gulf War, applying the concept of 'overdetermination' to account for political, military, cultural, and psychological factors rather than interpreting the conflict solely as a war for oil.

claimJohn Tower chaired a committee that investigated the Iran/Contra scandals and, according to Douglas Kellner, likely covered up George H.W. Bush's involvement in those scandals.

claimDouglas Kellner claims that the George H.W. Bush administration's assertion that it sought a diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis was a 'Big Lie.'

claimDouglas Kellner asserts that Democratic Party leaders failed to criticize the U.S. military deployment to the Persian Gulf, which he characterizes as a 'crisis of liberalism.'

claimMary McGrory referred to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as a 'beast' in her Washington Post column, which the author Douglas Kellner characterizes as a dehumanizing epithet.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that the New York Times followed the George H.W. Bush administration's line during the early days of the Gulf War crisis, whereas the Washington Post actively promoted a military solution.

claimDouglas Kellner claims that major U.S. newspapers, news magazines, and television networks failed to criticize or debate the wisdom of the George H.W. Bush administration's decision to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia.

claimDouglas Kellner asserts that U.S. claims regarding an imminent Iraqi threat to Saudi Arabia were disinformation intended to justify U.S. military intervention in the Persian Gulf.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that President George H.W. Bush could have prevented the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait by directly contacting Iraq or making a public statement warning Iraq of the consequences of invading its neighbor.

claimDouglas Kellner notes that the alternative press advocated for a UN peacekeeping force instead of a massive U.S. military deployment, but this perspective was largely excluded from mainstream media coverage.

claimDouglas Kellner asserts that mainstream media outlets, including the Washington Post and television networks, acted as conduits for the George H.W. Bush administration's disinformation campaign regarding the Gulf War.

claimDouglas Kellner claims the Washington Post engaged in yellow journalism by advocating for military action against Iraq based on disinformation provided by the government.

perspectiveThe author, Douglas Kellner, suggests that Edward Herman's analysis of the Gulf War may underestimate the extent to which George H.W. Bush and his circle intentionally engineered the crisis and the war.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that Brent Scowcroft was compromised by using U.S. foreign policy to advance his and his associates' economic and political interests regarding the Gulf.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the U.S. State Department's justification for refusing to negotiate with Iraq was questionable because the Bush administration continued to refuse negotiations even after Saddam Hussein agreed to release all hostages.

accountAn anonymous soldier told Douglas Kellner in December 1990 that he had been sent to the Persian Gulf region some days before the official U.S. deployment was announced.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that reports of an imminent Iraqi threat to Saudi Arabia were disinformation intended to legitimize U.S. military deployment and mobilize public consent for the Bush administration's policy.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that Jim Hoagland failed to acknowledge that the Bush administration was producing a 'Big Lie' regarding the alleged Iraqi threat to Saudi Arabia.

claimDouglas Kellner uses the U.S. spelling 'Jidda' for the Middle Eastern site, while Salinger and Laurent (1991) use the British spelling 'Jeddah'.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that the Pentagon and the Bush administration consistently exaggerated or manufactured the Iraqi threat to Saudi Arabia to justify military intervention.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that the United States government blocked diplomatic solutions and ignored Iraqi and international peace initiatives during the Persian Gulf crisis, despite claiming to seek a peaceful resolution.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner characterizes the Washington Post's reporting on Saddam Hussein's threats as 'sheer disinformation' and argues the newspaper merely repeated Bush administration claims as fact.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the mainstream media in the United States uncritically promoted the policies of the Bush administration and the military during the Gulf War, thereby strengthening the power of the National Security State.

claimDouglas Kellner asserts that Brent Scowcroft had an economic relationship with the Kuwaiti government, whose interests Scowcroft promoted during the Gulf crisis and the Gulf War.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that George Bush and the U.S. military-industrial establishment required a war to bolster Bush's presidency and to maintain the U.S. military budget and defense industries following the end of the Cold War.

claimDouglas Kellner asserts that the George H.W. Bush administration actively blocked or ignored diplomatic efforts aimed at avoiding war during the Gulf crisis.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner posits that the Gulf War was a venture designed to advance the interests of the U.S. military and the National Security State.

claimDouglas Kellner claims that the George H.W. Bush administration exaggerated the number of Iraqi troops in Kuwait and the threat to Saudi Arabia to scare the Saudis into accepting U.S. troops and to justify the U.S. military buildup and eventual military action.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the Bush administration set the stage for the Gulf War by failing to warn Iraq of the consequences of invading Kuwait, quickly sending troops to Saudi Arabia, and undercutting diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the Panama invasion was partially an attempt by the Bush administration and the Pentagon to prevent extensive defense budget cuts and demonstrate the utility of U.S. military force.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the Washington Post engaged in 'yellow journalism' and participated in a disinformation campaign to legitimate U.S. military intervention in Saudi Arabia.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the United States' claim that its troop deployment in the Persian Gulf was merely a defensive force was a cover for a planned offensive military strike intended to destroy Iraq.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that Jim Hoagland's article manifests an 'Orientalist' mentality, as described by Edward Said in 1978, in which white Westerners establish superiority through generalizations about the Arab world.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that mainstream media outlets limit public policy debate by privileging the perspectives of administration officials and top Democratic Party leaders while excluding other viewpoints.

claimDouglas Kellner observes that Washington Post editorial writers and columnists advocated for a military attack on Baghdad prior to President George H.W. Bush's announcement of troop deployments to Saudi Arabia.

claimDouglas Kellner distinguishes between historical yellow journalism, where William Randolph Hearst's papers produced lies to sell papers, and the Washington Post's role during the Gulf War, where the media reproduced government-provided disinformation.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that George H.W. Bush's role in the Gulf War was an extension of his career serving the interests of the military, intelligence apparatus, and aggressive U.S. foreign policy.

claimDouglas Kellner defines the 'National Security State' as the set of political, military, and intelligence institutions—including the Pentagon and the CIA—that promote an aggressive foreign policy involving covert operations, military intervention, and war as instruments of state policy.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner argues that the Bush administration's official rationale for the Gulf War was ideological camouflage for the economic and political interests of a small group of people who planned and would benefit from the conflict.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner asserts that the mainstream media uncritically presented Bush administration positions as 'facts' while independent journalists and scholars offered different and more compelling versions of events.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner claims the Bush administration deliberately overestimated the size and competency of the Iraqi army in Kuwait and that mainstream media uncritically reproduced these figures.

perspectiveDouglas Kellner suggests that George H.W. Bush appointed John Tower as Secretary of Defense and Brent Scowcroft as National Security Adviser to keep individuals with potentially damaging knowledge about the Iran/Contra scandal within his administration.

claimDouglas Kellner claims that mainstream media exclusion of oppositional voices prevented serious public debate regarding the appropriate U.S. response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.