Mark Weisbrot had a good column in the London Guardian (10/23/09) about the highly circumscribed “debate” over the Afghanistan War (FAIR Action Alert, 8/25/09). He breaks down the lineup of a recent Meet the Press (10/11/09):
Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, former Army general and drug czar (under President Clinton) turned defense industry lobbyist. In a news article on McCaffrey entitled “One Man’s Military-Industrial-Media Complex,” the New York Times reported that McCaffrey had “earned at least $500,000 from his work for Veritas Capital, a private equity firm in New York that has grown into a defense industry powerhouse by buying contractors whose profits soared from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.” McCaffrey has appeared on NBC more than 1,000 times since 9/11/2001.
Retired Gen. Richard Meyers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Bush (2002–05). He is currently on the Board of Directors of Northrop Grumman Corporation, one of the largest military contractors in the world, and also of United Technologies Corporation, another large military contractor.
Sen. Lindsay Graham, Republican from South Carolina, a pro-war spokesperson who is one of the most regular guests on the Sunday talkshows.
Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, a Democrat, was apparently intended to represent the “other side” of the debate. Here is what he said: “Clearly we should keep the number of forces that we have. No one’s talking about removing forces.”
“No one,” in the above sentence refers to the American people, whom Levin understandably sees as nobody in the eyes of the U.S. media and political leaders. According to the latest (September 24) NYT/CBS News poll, 32 percent of those polled wanted U.S. troops out of Afghanistan within one year or right now. That was the largest group. Another 24 percent wants the troops “removed within one to two years.” For comparison, the leadership of the Taliban is willing to grant foreign troops 18 months to get out of their country.
In other words, a majority of 56 percent of Americans wants U.S. troops out of Afghanistan about as soon as is practically feasible or even sooner. Yet Meet the Press—a mainstream network news talkshow since 1947—does not see fit to find one person to represent that point of view. The other major TV and radio talkshows that the right also labels “liberal” in the United States make similar choices almost every day.
When asked whether the U.S. should set a timeline for withdrawal, Levin answered “no.”
This phenomenon of the non-debate is not confined to broadcast journalism; see recent FAIR Blog posts on fake Afghanistan debates in Time magazine (10/2/09), USA Today (9/17/09) and the Washington Post (9/01/09, 8/17/09).
I’m not surprised. Until most recently NPR covrtage of Afghanistan played out the same way. NO anti-war voices allowed. No statistics showing that 50%or so Americans want troops out of there as soon as possible. Another thing that NPR does is replace critical inquiry into the war with “hero” myths about fallen soldiers.How many more will NPR have to mythologize before someone starts asking questions befitting a journalist?
Is NPR starting to come to its senses. Matthew Ho (?) was interviewed the other day on WNYC-AM. A genuine war hero, he had the moral courage to resign his civilian assignment and refuse to take another one because he so deeply objects to sending more troops into Afghanistan. He knows the Afghans want the occupiers out, knows that our presence is causing more Al Queada enlistments, that most of AL Quaeda is based in many other countries, that the price of some kind of military “victory” will not be worth the personal and financial sacrifices. The President owes it to us to tell the truth. Don’t we ever learn? Isn’t it time to see that the cost of wars such as this one is too high a price to everyone to pay?
Esther Confino
Something I wrote last summer:
We have been screwed most of our lives—it is time to say to all the politicians—get the hell out of my government and start sending real progressives to DC.
There are protests just about everyday here in Portland, Oregon get off your ass and join in the revolution, the revolution that will not kiss the democratic or republican asses. The revolution will be to send independent candidates to do the work of representing us. If you are not ready to say this is a deal breaker for me, you will! These corrupt bastards will let people die in the next few months and laugh at how stupid we all have been. It is time!
Can’t quit your job and go into the streets, then send some cash to those who can. Can’t figure how to make a phone call to your Congressperson—-ask. Can’t or will not get involved in politics, than get the hell out of the way, we are losing our republic and you are a big part of the problem. President obama will not save you—-you will save yourself or we all go down the tubes.
It is time.
Don’t bother getting pissed at this, just do something or not. You will get the kind of government you demand. In the coming months you can watch or fight for our democracy, think I am exaggerating the problems:
We are still occupying Iraq.
We are increasing our troops in Afghanistan.
We are borrowing more money to pay for both of the above from dictators!
We don’t have the votes for a real Healthcare Program, Congress is bought and paid for.
We don’t have enough money to run the states, just ask our legislators in Salem.
We have not arrested one of the main players in the Torture Scandal
We have not arrested Cheney, even though he has committed Treason and Perjury.
We have given billions to the banks, and the banks have given their executives bonuses; isn’t that special.
Wyden, Murkley, Blumenauer are all saying no to Single Payer Healthcare. You voted them in because they were progressive democrats—-ha! A vote for any of them is insanity.
I will be on the Hawthorne Bridge from 0730-0900 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with my Lone Vet signs, fighting for real healthcare, against occupation, against the slaughter in Gaza by the Israelis. Stop the damn money to support occupations, wars and corruption. Want to join me just go a little east of the bus stop going into Portland. I have found this to be the least intrusive to the cyclists who ride during the morning rush hour. If I am not there, start without me, bring a sign of what you are saying under your breath. Sometime it is good, and others not so good, but do it anyway.
I will continue until the day I cannot get out of bed, sometimes you will see me on oxygen, not to worry I am on the mend but from time to time I need a little oxygen to get me through the protest or vigil. We still are doing our 9th Circuit Court of Appeals protest to get Judeg **jay bybee to resign or be booted off the bench by impeachment. There are lots of other things going on and you must do something. NOW.
** will not capitalize due to disrespect and/or dissappointment
For Justice and Peace
Joe, Lone Vet
It will be a surprise indeed when CMSM actually opens up the discussion beyond the usual narrow spectrum. If it is war it is how to fight it not if we should be there at all. We might be seeing some sunlight for the first time.
Unfortunately, like all other crises, battles and wars for the good— namely the civil war, women’s sufferage, labor unions and labor laws, civil rights movement and even fortunately or unfortunately (not sure which-maybe a little of both) the american revolution—it will take an “en masse” type of action, rebellion, demonstration before things REALLY change. The powers of money control our congress, our president, our day to day lives-we let them, b/c we don’t protest loudly enough. When enough people have had enough, a swell of people will descend upon our government to demand change. Until then, we just need to scream loudly, send letters, do our own protests, boycotts and just keep talking, reaching out, keep trying to get others involved to do the same. Unfortunately, it appears that there will have to be millions more suffering before people are ready to make some noise and change!
Majority of us, Americans, prefers or demands withdrawal from Afghanistan. So does overwhelming majority of Afghans. So do pluralities or majorities in all other countries whose soldiers serve in Afghanistan and in many other countries of the world. Our continued warring and killing in Afghanistan is ruining our image worldwide and strengthening our enemies. Of the countries polled, only in Israel and Kenya do majorities approve of American warring. Even this irrational support would vanish if their soldiers were engaged there.
I am a vet from Canada. I hope you don’t mind me commenting. We (over 70% of Canadians) have also expressed the desire that our troops leave Afghanistan. Our politicians also seem to have a deliberate and obstinate insistence on maintaining our troops there. It is incredible that we continue to allow them to run on their own agendas.
There seems something serious underlying our elected representatives attitudes that they no longer represent their constituents. They represent their party to the public.
Is it any wonder then that we have so few eligible voters turning out at elections? I know many otherwise inteligent people who just shrug and say “what does it matter. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, their all the same.”
I agree Joe, we HAVE TO keep trying, insisting that we get rid of the corruption.
Afghanistan is not a country. Afghanistan is not a nation. Afghanistan is a string of valleys strung together by a harsh, rugged, sometimes impassable mountain range. Afghanistan is scattered villages of tribal and familial groups loosely connected by trade, a common language and a common religious tradition. Even in the cities the people congregate into neighborhoods of common tribal, familial and/or religious groups.
If you are not of their village or neighborhood, if you do not speak their language you are a foreigner, an outsider, a stranger. If you are a stranger with a gun you are an enemy. As long as there are foreigners with guns on Afghan soil there will be Afghans to fight them. Many have learned that hard lesson the Persians, the Greeks, the Moghuls, the Mongols, the Chinese, the British, the Soviets and now the Americans, us.
Military action is a failure of diplomacy. The Afghans will never be defeated by force. The Afghans will never be subdued by force. They must be charmed, cajoled, enticed, courted family by family, tribe by tribe, village by village, marketplace by marketplace, neighborhood by neighborhood. Nation building must start with trust and respect on the most local levels. It will only happen by diplomacy.
Perhaps it is not being reported. I am hearing nothing about anyone getting out of their cushy embassy offices and going out to the valleys, villages, marketplaces and neighborhoods. Breaking bread, sitting down over a cup of coffee or tea, to ask the Afghan people what they want for their country. Instead of telling them what we think they should have.
They need roads. Are we building roads? Are they building roads? How many Afghans are employed building those road?
Road building in the ruggeg Afghan mountains will be a slow, tedious, expensive proposition. Most Afghans walk, ride donkeys and camels. What is being done to improve the tracks, paths and trails between villages that Afghans have used for millenia until roads are built in those rugged, forbidding mountains.
They need and want electricity. Why are we not contracting with American companies to provide windmills, solar panels and small generating plants that run on biofuels and animal power to supply that need, particularly in their remote mountainous regions and villages. Train Afghans to install, service, repair and run them.
Afghanistan is the perfect laboratory for developing local green alternative energy. Not just for use in Afghanistan, but also for use in the United States and for export to many third world and remote locales. A way to provide power in a remote mountain village in Afghanistan will certainly work in the African bush, the remotest Australian outback or an Inuit village on the edge of the tundra in Alaska. It will give a major boost to our alternative green energy industry. Give the Afghans the power they need. Provide jobs for Afghanistan and the United States.
It will provide alternatives to the poppy production. They can grow cash crops for their biofuel industry, as well as food, in the poppy fields. We can also provide alternative fuel buses and cars so they won’t be dependent on foreign fossil fuel products as are we.
They need and want education. Let Afghan labor build Schools with materials and support we supply them. Find and train Afghans to teach in them. Train local Afghans to protect their schools and their children.
Find moderate and liberal clerics to serve as alternatives for the fundamentalists, violent, angry male bovine excrement that dominates in many parts of Afghanistan. As well as to teach in the madras’ a more moderate, peaceful Islam.
The best kind of business deal is where both sides walk away from the table feeling as though they have gained something. This proposal is a win-win situation. The only losers will be the officials of a corrupt government that will be bypassed and lose their cut.
If this kind of effort is going on I am not hearing any of it in the mainstream media, the alternative press or the internet. Is it because it is not being reported? OR is it because it is not happening.
The approach I propose requires humility rather than arrogance. This so-called ‘christian’ country has never been very big on humility. However, this is a positive approach that has a real chance of success.
~;^}>
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