Between the Lies

Between the Lies by Stan Winer gives a devastating analysis of some key military and intelligence operations of modern times. On the basis of convincing research and first-hand observation, Winer identifies the replication in "peacetime" of wartime methods of news and information management. With unnerving clarity, the book unravels the story of how the management of public perceptions has served to transport many people into a safe moral universe of Good v Evil, uncomplicated by the moral dilemmas of the real world. Between the Lies shows that this real world is actually a morally questionable world. Various axes of evil straddle this morally questionable world, the exact centres of which depend entirely on where you are standing at any given time. And where you are standing is largely determined by the symbiotic relationship that exists between the media and the military-industrial complex. Between the Lies is concerned with the remarkable historical and institutional continuity of that relationship, and the way it feeds off prevailing heroic myths about war. If more British and American people knew about that relationship, they might not have supported their countries' infamous rush to invade Iraq. The book forces a reassessment of where humanity has been, where it is heading, and the role of media in allowing history to unfold in the certain way it has. To that end, Between the Lies shows how the British and American secret services went in for "news" management in a big way during World War II and the Cold War, and continues to do so in the "war against terrorism". Disinformation is a large part of their strategic capability, while official information agencies, functioning with almost limitless funds, are left to do as they please, against friend and foe alike - just so long as their leaders are free to deny it. If there are dark secrets to be kept or dirty deeds to be done, most lawmakers do not even want to know about them. Parliamentary and congressional oversight are essentially non-existent, and many reporters are more willing to collaborate with the secret services than expose their secrets.