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The Press Marches In Lockstep For War, Again!

The public sees no reason to get involved in foreign adventures. So you have to whip them up. And to whip them up you have to frighten them.”
– Noam Chomsky

The Press Marches In Lockstep For War, Again!So here we go again. Nine years after the invasion of Iraq, the mainstream press marches in step to the melodies of our Pied Pipers of war — politicians and media pundits beholden to a world view that perpetually pits the United States against a host of irrational bad guys. The latest target of the “bomb our way to a more peaceful world ” lobby is our old ally Iran.

An alarming number of American legislators are promoting a preemptive military solution to the Iran nuclear problem. Unfazed by a decade of war that has contributed to the depletion of the national treasury and the loss of thousands of American lives these proponents for kinetic action are becoming more vocal by the day. Leader of the pack, Senator Carl Levin, recently called for a military blockade of Iran, a clear act of war that would likely yield a retaliatory response. President Obama expressed concern about the swelling pro-war wave stating recently –

“I’m reminded that the decision that I have to make in terms of sending our young men and women into  battle, and the impacts that has on their lives, the impact it has on our national security, the impact it has on our economy. This is not a game. There’s nothing casual about it. And when I see some of these folks who have a lot of bluster and a lot of big talk”.

According to a New York Times article published a few days ago, American intelligence agencies continue to believe that there is no concrete evidence that the Iranian regime has even decided to build a nuclear bomb. The officials said that their assessment was largely reaffirmed in a 2010 National Intelligence Estimate and that it remains the consensus view of America’s 16 intelligence agencies. So if intelligence experts assess that the Iranians are likely only “thinking about it” why all the pre-game hype surrounding Iran? Are we forgetting that Iran is a developing country that spends less than 10% of what the U.S. spends annually on combat arms.

Though by every metric Iran does not pose a serious threat to the United States, the press merrily plays along with the pro-war orchestra rarely challenging the dominant “the Iranians are out to get us!” mantra. Not to mention the fact that Iran has not invaded any other country in the modern era nor does it possess the power projection capacity the pundits would like us to believe. Israel, our closest ally in the region is more than capable of defending itself, and by the way, Israel does have the trump card in this game – an active nuclear weapons program.

Listening to the “war is imminent” commentary one would think that Iran already had a couple of nuclear tipped missiles in stand-by mode with the coordinates of Israeli cities dialed in. Why does the press corps continue to check its brain at the doors of congress, neglecting to ask even the most rudimentary questions that would yield responses revealing glaring holes in the Pied Pipers’ story line. Sadly, lessons have not been learned from our Iraqi misadventure and corporate media editorial rooms have not broken the bad habit of going along with the flow when it comes to matters of war and peace. Indeed, the press continues to favor the more sensational strands of journalism – scaring the masses and abdicating their responsibility to;

– Facilitate the airing of diverse opinions and contrary points of views
– Fact check and to investigate
– Keep public officials accountable

It has been said that the press is the “fourth power”, keeping the executive, legislature and judiciary powers honest. Americans deserve a more critical media, one that acts responsibly in matters of war and one that makes a serious efforts to question the establishment. Americans deserve a media that is not afraid to ask the Pied Pipers of war tough questions – our lives might well depend on it.

Sources: Defense spending data is from Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (2009). Image: IndependentWorld.com.

 

Author

Oliver Barrett

Oliver Leighton-Barrett is a multi-lingual researcher and a decorated retired military officer specializing in the inter-play between fragile states and national security matters. A former U.S. Marine, and Naval aviator, Oliver is a veteran of several notable U.S. military operations, to include: Operation Restore Hope (Somalia); and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan and Philippines). His functional areas of focus include: U.S. Diplomacy; U.S. Defense; and Climate Change. His geographic areas of focus include: Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).