War Is Sell

If you're in Madison, Wisconsin on December 7, don't miss the world premiere of War Is Sell, a new documentary by Madison-based filmmaker Brian Standing. The film examines the role of propaganda in promoting war and features the Center for Media and Democracy's Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, discussing their book Weapons of Mass Deception. "At least since World War I, governments have used sophisticated Madison Avenue techniques to rally the troops, not to mention the public, and Standing both analyzes those techniques and traces their history. ... Then he delves into the anthropology of violence, asks whether we're hard-wired for it or have to be persuaded. Then, having diagnosed the problem, he offers a cure: education. We visit a social studies class at a Wausau high school in which students are taught how to read an Uncle Sam poster," Isthmus' Kent Williams writes.