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In reply to the discussion: Chime in if you remember how the "press" in this country pushed for war [View all]rosesaylavee
(12,126 posts)81. William Rivers Pitt's piece titled: "I See Four Lights" stands out for me from that time...
It was the first thing I ever read of his and made me weep with relief that I was not alone and that the relatively small group of people I knew were not the only ones in the world thinking it had all gone crazy...
Still a good piece... took me a few minutes to track it down for some reason but here it is from Wednesday, 16 October, 2002:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0210/S00130.htm
The news media, however, tells us there are five lights. The business reporters on CNBC and CNN still speak of "recovery from recession," despite the fact that the Dow Jones has lost some 3,000 points in the last two years, despite the fact that the federal government has dived into deficit spending, despite the fact that there are millions and millions of newly unemployed workers from sea to shining sea. According to the reporters, everything is sunshine and roses. The people on the street, the ones with no jobs and worthless stock options, know better. This reality is not reported. Stories describing the very real links between the Bush administration and the worst of the corporate robber barons have, simply, ceased to exist.
One of the main reasons the dismal truths of business and economy in present-day America go unreported is the fact that we have us a war coming on. CNN, MSNBC and Fox have crafted various permutations of a 'SHOWDOWN WITH IRAQ' graphic, coupled with suitably dramatic music. This is a boon to the media - stories of financial ruin and stock schemes that bilked investors of billions are complicated. Compared to grainy images of explosions, fluttering American flags, and stalwart American troops preparing to step into harm's way, the economic news is plain boring. People were changing the channel back in July and August because it was too painful, and because it was not sexy. Now, with the war graphics in full cry, they are back. CNN's viewership increased by 500% after September 11th, and you can bet the executives down in Atlanta noted that well. War is good for the media business.
There is a gulf between the reporting of economic realities and the truth felt by the American people. There is also a gulf between the stridently patriotic war talk proffered by the television news, and the feelings within the citizenry regarding this impending conflict. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Americans have taken to the streets in cities all across the nation. Bush arrived in Boston some weeks ago and was greeted with 500 protesters at one spot, and several thousand more at another. A recent anti-war rally in Chicago drew 3,000 protesters. An anti-war rally in Central Park drew between 20,000 and 30,000 people. Protests in Australia and London have drawn hundreds of thousands more. This pattern has been repeated over and over, and will reach a peak on October 26th, when a massive anti-war rally is planned in Washington, D.C.
Again, however, there are five lights. The thousands of protesters in Boston were reported to number "a couple dozen" by the local CBS affiliate. The thousands in Chicago were reduced in the reporting to a couple hundred people. The huge rally in Central park was reported nationally not at all. Hundreds of thousands of letters, phone calls and emails sent to Congressional representatives on the eve of the Iraq resolution vote received a similar blackout treatment. C-SPAN is planning to cover the October 26th rally, but it will be wildly out of character if the national media covers the event. An American unconnected with the vigorous and growing network of anti-Iraq war activism across the country would have no idea of the vast opposition being raised against the Bush administration in this matter. As far as the news media is concerned, that opposition does not exist.
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Chime in if you remember how the "press" in this country pushed for war [View all]
senseandsensibility
Feb 2013
OP
I remember this well. I used to listen to NPR during my lunch break and that
senseandsensibility
Feb 2013
#17
Very good point. All the "news" companies have weapons manufacturing divisions.
yardwork
Feb 2013
#23
My husband was in the military, so I knew it would affect us--but I wasn't certain that
TwilightGardener
Feb 2013
#10
I remember Tweety gushing over Shrub's strut on the Mission Accomplished carrier.
kairos12
Feb 2013
#16
I remember at an anti-Bush, anti-war protest I got interviewed by a local TV station
Arugula Latte
Feb 2013
#21
you just have to go back to last election, or even current Benghazi BS being pushed by Wingnuts
JI7
Feb 2013
#30
William Rivers Pitt's piece titled: "I See Four Lights" stands out for me from that time...
rosesaylavee
Feb 2013
#81
Then the presswhores gleefully asked people to call in and "tell us how you feel about torture"
just1voice
Feb 2013
#85
I lost my voice often then, screaming LIARS at the television. I sure as hell will never forget what
Mnemosyne
Feb 2013
#89
I remember Operation Iraqi Liberation lasted for about a day until they realized it spelled OIL.
CrispyQ
Feb 2013
#100
Still waiting for the expose and mea culpa from the NYTimes on their role in the conspiracy
on point
Feb 2013
#111
I remember it like it was yesterday. ALL the cable news channels were on the war bandwagon
Blaukraut
Feb 2013
#117
I remember the press claiming Iraq had missiles capable of dumping chemical weapons
Fire Walk With Me
Feb 2013
#137