Reagan Anderson-Wag the Dog

I am reading Wag the Dog by Larry Beinhart for my summer APUSH assignment. A novel rooted in factual history mixed with Beinhart's opinions and imagination leaves the reader muddled in thought about what is actually historically accurate and what is pure fiction. The key to ensure George H. W. Bush's re-election is in the scrawl of Bush's political adviser's last letter before he dies. An insanely genius idea, Bush's adviser proposes starting a war to rally public support of Bush's re-election. This war, however is not real. It will be masked as an authentic dispute to the public but the people on a "need to know" basis understand that it is really just a Hollywood production put on by some of the nation's most notable filmmakers. Easily swayed by meticulously created footage propaganda, patriotic songs, and a need for justice, the support of Bush resulted by this idea is greater than ever imagined. This book leaves one wondering; is a war's victory determined by the media? How far will the government go to get there way?