Good article.

I need to add that:

"The Pentagon ...winning the hearts and minds not of recalcitrant Afghan tribesmen but of Americans." also extends to persuasion of us non-US foreigners:

1. I received an eery emailed pat on the back, years back, from a military media monitor from Centcom (the Pentagon/US command covering Iraq and Iran) for my blog coverage of those countries - see http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2006/06/oil-unspeakable-foreign-policy-factor.html . I read his "praise" more as we're keeping an eye on you boyo" due to that blog's ongoing criticism of the Oil Crusading Dubya Doctrine; and

2. The Pentagon ensuring the continuing Australian presence in Afghanistan by supplying copy and persuasive General's speeches to the Australian media. Conservative Australian media pundits then regurgitate these Pentagon media/PR products onto a gullible Australian public. This makes us accept increasing Australian deaths in Afghanistan as part of some grandiose democracy aid plan for appreciative Afghan gunmen.

The Petagon has decreed how long Australia will stay in the Afghan kill zone.

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2010/06/afghanistan-differing-indian-and.html

Yes and the Pentagon is also a major producer of bang-bang-you-are-dead video games for young males, pre-adolescents, adolescents, and "grown-up" or retarded adolescents.

It also has much input and influence on Hollywood war films too.

Pilger's article should be read by every Australian. Perhaps then our ignorance about America's advanced attempt to gain military control of the world would be lessened!

Most Australians have no idea of what America is up to. We in this country are drowning in a flood of American propaganda and our MSM doesn't tell us the ugly truth about the warmongering 'Yanks.'

Our politicians are in lockstep with the American war-machine and we follow them wherever they go like lapdogs.

While America rules the world, war will never stop!

John Pilger what do you expect? a dictatorship for cheap?

How much did Hitler or Stalin spent for theirs?

And, do you have any figures on how much Popes spend on the Propagation of their faith?

I have been following this subject for years and I am
alarmed at the way that we are following "all things American"
to the extent that we are now sending our youth to fight and die
for their causes.
All the work of our Australian pioneers to build up a feeling of national pride vanished when we joined America in Vietnam and in the invasion of Iraq with the killing of millions, men, women and children. Today Australia has nothing to be proud of.
Instead we are trying to manufacture some sort of artificial pride in our country though military events in our country's history.

What a load of tripe. Self-regarding twaddle like is no way to criticise so poor a set of decisions as those made by our warmongering politicians.

Good article.
I wish you had mentioned "operation Northwoods" as well. This was operational policy and it sets the tone of just how insane these folks are. These guys have obtained a psychopathic attitude to their role that should be regarded as criminal in any sane society.
The media's role is just as criminal: Iraq was an excellent example of the lies being pretty obvious the whole time, yet the media played the “Narrative” with a straight face! Some of the BS was so stunningly obvious I kept waiting for someone to crack...but all resistance was marginalised and labelled "Left wing paranoia"...and it worked!! Holy C#%p are we *really* that stupid? Sadly in Howard's Australia and Bush's USA, yes, we really were that stupid. Has anything improved? Nope. All current politicians *still* hold the US oil company line.
I still remember Howard saying "I've seen the evidence of WMDs and we need to go in for the safety of the world...blah". I guess Americans are used to this but I found it quite disgusting that *our* PM would beat the jingoistic war drums, and be allowed to lie and get away with it.
I wish our media would start calling it like it is:
Occupation of oil rich countries is *not* "defence".
"Contractors" with guns are called Mercenaries.
"Collateral damage" is "civilian deaths"
"information warfare" is lying for our side.
Iraq was about oil. They have all but admitted it.
Apologies are due from those who called opponents "cynical", "ignorant" or just "Anti-US". Too many misconceptions have been allowed to ride and remain part of popular culture because some US general wanted them there.
God help us if we let US military educate us as to world events!