WikiLeaks Cable: David Letterman More Effective Against Terrorism Than American Propaganda

David Letterman and "Desperate Housewives" do more to reduce terrorism than American government propaganda, according to informants whose views were relayed in leaked State Department cables.

The cable, titled "David Letterman, Agent of Influence," was among the latest batch of WikiLeaks documents released by the Guardian. In it, two informants to the American embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia told officials that unrestricted satellite transmissions of programs such as Letterman's, along with "Desperate Housewives," "Friends" and other news shows, were very popular:

12. (S) Over coffee in a Jeddah Starbucks, XXXXXXXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXXXXX elaborated on the changes in the Saudi media environment. "The government is pushing this new openness as a means of countering the extremists," XXXXXXXXXXXX told Riyadh press officer. "It's still all about the War of Ideas here, and the American programming on MBC and Rotana is winning over ordinary Saudis in a way that 'Al Hurra' and other US propaganda never could. Saudis are now very interested in the outside world, and everybody wants to study in the US if they can. They are fascinated by US culture in a way they never were before.

So effective was the American programming, the informants said, that "it is widely assumed that the [United States government] must be behind it. Some believe...that Prince Talal's relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and its sister company Twentieth Century Fox has a clear ideological motive behind it."

Comments

[mbsfrg]

06:01 PM on 12/19/2010

This is pretty obvious. Goverment paid-for propaganda usually is just not entertaining enough, so not wonder overseas viewers prefer the same kind of shows that are successful in the US, too.

And when you connect with the shows, you automatically learn to like the American way and have positive feelings towards Americans in general (even if you still hate the American goverment) - of course only if the real Americans you meet in your daily life are just as friendly as the ones on TV....

[GraniteSkyline]

08:59 AM on 12/15/2010

And Sarah Palin tried to get him off the air with her "fire Dave" spiel.

Letterman fights terror. Now look who is un-American Sarah! BWAHAHAHA

[ebanks84]

07:12 PM on 12/14/2010

"Some believe...that Prince Talal's relationship with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and its sister company Twentieth Century Fox has a clear ideological motive behind it."

And they would be SO RIGHT in that belief. Thank goodness for Letterman and the other programs that are not propagandized like everything Murdoch has his hands in. The truth prevails.

[USCOASTGUARDVET]

11:27 AM on 12/12/2010

Wow, I'm sure Jay Leno will now try to bring some anti-terrorist jokes in to his show! Good for you Dave, a true Patriot.

[Dennis Yuen]

10:09 AM on 12/12/2010

I'd like to think of this as a good thing, the fact that American television entertainment has a positive impact on a Muslim conservative society. But having "Desperate Housewives" as representative of (mostly) the American culture doesn't do the idea justice... I mean, come on!

Might I suggest "Seinfeld", "Mad Men", "House", "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson", and definitely NOT "24", as some quality shows the Saudi Arabian viewers might enjoy.

[filiusj]

06:28 AM on 12/12/2010

I bet they don't get Fox news, or they'd hate us. Can you imagine their responce to billo saying muslims are terrorists?

[Charismatron]

02:19 AM on 12/12/2010

This is an interesting insight that would not otherwise be known if not for WikiLeaks.

I think this is quite fascinating in that it reveals how Saudi's are developing an interest in Western media culture and how this, in turn (now that we know), might actually generate a Western interest in Saudi's interest in the West.

WikiLeaks: I'm Lovin' It.

[jaredbrain]

10:21 PM on 12/11/2010

So we let Murdoch convert them from strict islam to strict christianity...not a huge leap for mankind in my opinion...

[lucylou]

11:10 AM on 12/11/2010

Yeah? So why hasn't it helped with N. Korea? Hell, they even get the Playboy channel!

[phredralf]

06:55 PM on 12/10/2010

Another bit of proof that 'democracy' is best promoted via voluntary means than a gun to someone's head (or their neighbor's). If we simply do the right thing, our efforts to thwart terrorism will be exponentially more effective. Act respectfully to earn respect.

[cameron d]

01:34 PM on 12/10/2010

David Letterman: Gift to Democracy.

[blingladen]

11:38 AM on 12/13/2010

...or, as he sometimes describes himself: A beacon for humanity.

[Paul Conrad]

12:16 PM on 12/10/2010

Well Letterman is a lot more likeable than all the lunatics on the right saying that every Muslim is a terrorist.

[Coco Lily]

11:15 AM on 12/10/2010

I've read that a lot of terrorists love verboten Western influences. In addition to the shows listed above they also love American cartoons, movies and comic books.

[Blodo]

09:48 AM on 12/10/2010

Freedom of thought is addictive. We want people in these countries to become addicted to openness. We want them to become junkies of the free-flow if ideas. The force that can accomplish that most effectively is media that communicates western culture, warts and all. Haliburton mercenaries in dark shades and flak jackets accomplish just the opposite. The question then becomes "What is the US really trying to develop....new democracies that choose their own paths, or compliant dictatorships that will enrich the interests of large US corporations?"

[RebootTheMedia]

11:13 PM on 12/09/2010

The American entertainment industry is possibly one of our biggest and best exports. Nothing wrong with an industry that fosters goodwill, especially from those who might otherwise be enemies. For more on winning the "War of Ideas" see http://wp.me/pV6qJ-cv