[Loy]

*writes note to self reminding to log on more often*

seeing as how this topic has brought forth quite a bit of debate, I figured I'd backstep a bit and retort to a previous question-

Binkie-Your bringing up of the CIA (in your retort to my statement about the Americans being just as guilty of disseminating similar propaganda).....well, the CIA wasn't directly involved with this program. However, I never mentioned the CIA in the first place, so your line of questioning seems more of a deflective manouver than an actual retort.

However, you forgot to mention that the US government has quite a few departments. The one involved with the spreading of propaganda-the state department.

Here's the lowdown-the Sandinista revolution, as much as the fucktarded right would like to deny so, was actually supported by the populace of Nicaragua. Now, why would the populace support a bunch of commies? Well, in actuality, whilst being leftists, they weren't commies. In fact, the basis of their ideology is based upon Liberation Theology, which critics have called a combination of christianity and Marxism. However, considering that the theological exponents and followers of LT were unfamiliar with the works of Marx (and Lenin, and...well, any other commie leader you could bring up), this analogy is fairly misleading.

Now, this theology (which goes against most of the material-based theologies running rampant in the US) was seen as "a communist agenda tool" by such religious leaders as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell (in actuality, they were pissed about another form of christianity being a major influence on "their" hemisphere), they started a propaganda program within the US (which is where the myth of "sandinista=commie" comes from...not to mention all the other myths) and throughout Central America. One of the products of this propaganda program? Comic books.

Much like the so-far-off-the-mark-that-they're-hilarious Chick tracks, they were filled with the most blatent forms of racism/sexism/homophobia/xenophobia. However, unlike Chick tracks, which tries to scare the living shit out of the reader into converting, the comic books were used to scare the living crap out of the reader into fighting the Sandinistas ("they're not real christians....they're agents of the anti-christ, and it's the job of good christians to kill off agents of the anti-christ"....so ended one of said books). And who were these books trageted towards? That's right, indiginious children.

Now, why were kids being targeted? Well, would you have a harder time shooting an adult or a child? Also, even if a child soldier failed and got killed, it would work well for propaganda purposes within the US ("these Sandinistas are so evil that they....GASP....KILL CHILDREN!!!!")

Now, how does the state department tie into all of this? Well, the State Dept actually GAVE the front organizations set up by the Christian Coalition the funding they needed to print/distribute these fun little books. (And since this was considered "work done overseas", this funding fell under the "foreign aid" auspices...yes, gving american companies money is one way we give "foreign aid"). This might sound as if Fallwell and Robertson were pullign a fast one, until you realise one thing-Falwell was an advisor to "President" Reagan, who also didn't care for the Sandinistas. Falwell "convinced" Reagan to have the State Department give "foreign aid".

Any other questions?