[Occupymendocino] Commercial News Beats the War Drum

Mon Sep 2 09:11:38 PDT 2013

Commercial News Beats the War Drum
By Mark Ash, Reader Supported News
02 September 13

ou need to know that "the world" is nervous that US president Barack Obama did not ignore the US Constitution and unilaterally bomb a sovereign nation without the approval of Congress. That makes "the world" nervous. Apparently we are left to assume that if Obama did take it upon himself to bomb Syria at his own discretion everybody in the world would feel reassured.

Further, you should be aware that consulting Congress prior to bombing Syria amounts to an act of "retreat" on the part of the US commander in chief - and that "Syria" is celebrating that retreat. Please ignore the diversity and complexity of Syrian opinion - that's outside the rules of the theater.

These are broadcast media's talking points, their mantra.

Don't worry if you missed Secretary of State John Kerry on the mainstream media's Sunday talk show circuit laying out the case for war, just as Colin Powell did before the United Nations a decade ago - you will be hearing and seeing Kerry over and over again in the days to come.

Should you require further guidance in making up your mind, you can also rely on The New York Times. The Times, following in the great tradition of Washington correspondent extraordinaire Judith Miller, is busy rationalizing and explaining the White House's mind on the upcoming military action. The point of the proposed attack, explains the Times, is to "Restore a 'Red Line' That Became Blurred." Presumably the mission will then be accomplished.

So we have a corporate press - beholden to large multi-national corporations that stand to reap enormous profit from the proposed military campaign - busy selling to the American people the notion that yet another military campaign is justified. Creating a groundswell of support for the president, and pressure on a Congress just as beholden to the very same corporations as the media giants are. Perfect! Why destroy democracy when you can orchestrate it?

Here's a shocker: Your voice does matter. It matters in public comments directed to the networks and to members of Congress. Make their radar screen and you will make a difference.

Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

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0# Barbara K 2013-09-02 06:56
I've always noticed how eager the big news corps are about sending us to war. They tout it as if it were a wonderful picnic. Well, here is news for them. Our kids are the ones who get sent to these wars. They get killed and permanent disabled in them. Let's see you guys go over and do the fighting and leave the rest of us out of it. We've already lost enough in Bush's unnecessary wars, this is another unnecessary one and I hope that the President doesn't take us into another war. We lose so many lives and treasure in these senseless wars. No one wins. Our kids end up having to kill by the hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands to feed your bloodthirstines s, is it ratings you are after? My kids are worth more than all your ratings. Stop pushing for war and get smart about looking for peace. Also, stop making it like like a day at the beach. It is blood that runs, not water.

..

0# Milarepa 2013-09-02 06:58
Well, we know the POTUS has acted a but capriciously lately.
He may, he may not, he will if Congress ... and if Congress won't he may anyway, unless he changes his mind. The President can turn on a dime. From always having been a fine basketball player he has advanced to the status of premiere danseuse. He is now the world's prima ballerina assoluta. Visiting Stockholm with a small army (32 airplanes, 5 helicopters, 40 automobiles, 800 security personnel) shows there is method in his madness. Syria may just be a smokescreen. Actually, he's invading Sweden. With the kind cooperation of Sweden's trio of leaders, Bildt, Borg and Reinfeldt. Sweden's politico-corpor ate press will make this look like a natural development, a simple buyout rather than a hostile takeover. If you think this is some sort of fantasy, think again.

0# fredboy 2013-09-02 07:37
They still think this crap sells papers. Like the New York Times' Iraq "war." 
Remember their extensive WMD claims?

0# CoyoteMan50 2013-09-02 07:42
CNN and Fox Noise have been beating the war drums for the entire week! But people are starting to get the picture that both those so-called news companies area after money not facts. 
To these so-called news agencies war is profit. Just like to a few businesses like military contractors. 
But the American public, over 80% of us, have told everyone No More Wars.
Again the majority of Americans prove smarter than so-called news agencies.

0# Depressionborn 2013-09-02 07:45
Imperial war is an old story.

The following may help understand why the constitution allows Congress and only Congress ("the people") to declare war; and too to realise that now war guys have purchased Congress and media- but maybe not yet the army. 

The Virus of Imperialism (Part 1)
by Thomas J. DiLorenzo on September 2, 2013 

“War is the health of the state,” Randolph Bourne explained in his famous essay of that title. But to the average citizen war means heavy taxation, conscription, censorship, dictatorship, and death. War enriches the state like nothing else can, while impoverishing, enslaving, and ending the lives of many of its citizens. Hence lies, myths, superstitions, and propaganda have always been the essential ingredient of the warfare state. Without them, the public would never acquiesce in the never-ending wars of conquest and imperialism that have long characterized the American state. 

"Looks fade, but funny is forever."                                                                             
                      Heard on  NPR's Fresh Air

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