Edwin Land Quotes
Does an American, when he represents all Americans, have to tell the truth at any cost? The answer is yes, and the consequence of the answer is that our techniques for influencing the rest of the world cannot be rich and flexible like the techniques of our competitors. We can be dramatic, even theatrical; we can be persuasive; but the message we are telling must be true.
President Eisenhower, who had a very high degree of trust—domestically and internationally—was persuaded to lie to the country and the world about U-2 Spy Plane Program. As soon as the nation and the world, had accepted Eisenhowers word for the program, the Russians not only displayed a U-2 that they had shot down over Soviet territory, but trotted out the pilot who they had captured. Generally, American Presidents since have avoided lies until LBJ lied about the Gulf of Tonkin, Ronald Reagan lied about Irangate, Bill Clinton lied about his sex life, and George W. Bush lied about the reason for invading Iran. All these lies have turned out badly for the President and the nation.
Edwin Land, 1909–1991, Scientist & Inventor, Founder, Polaroid Corporation, “Lessons of the U-2 crisis,” address in 1960
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This quotation has been taken as sound advice not only for a propaganda agency but also of nations, national leaders, politicians in general, newspapers, and other media.
The original charge of biological weapons was made by the Afghan Mudhjadeen, who had retrieved a substance from an area the Russians had shelled. Some Americans echoed the charges and upon inspection, the substance turned out to be bees wax and droppings. Some CIA officials thought that true of not, the charge amounted to good propaganda eliciting the ambassador’s response.
Edwin Herbert Land, ForMemRS, FRPS, Hon.MRI was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. He invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography, and the retinex theory of color vision, among other things. His Polaroid instant camera went on sale in late 1948 and made it possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds or less.
