From Thom Hartmann
Why the Media isn't Talking about the War...You need to know this. A new study by the Pew Research Center may explain why outrage isn't growing around the country over the unpopular war in Afghanistan. Simply - the media is not talking about it. This year - Afghanistan surpassed Vietnam as the longest military engagement in American history. It was also the bloodiest year on record in the 9-year war. In great detail - a release of wikileaks cables illuminated the conflict for Americans to see the brutality clearer. And - a strategy review released by President Obama stated the US military will likely be involved in the country for at least another 4 years. Yet - according to the new Pew study - the American media has only devoted 4% of it's coverage to Afghanistan. The war costs taxpayers more than $160 billion a year - but it's not even talked about in the public sphere - even in terms of deficit reduction - which has been a hot-button topic all year. Media outlets claim the story of the war simply doesn't interest people - so they don't cover it. And therein lies the problem with our news media - instead of reporting the news we NEED to know - they report what we WANT to know like partisan politics - or the royal wedding - or bed bugs. Ending this war is one of the greatest challenges facing all of us right now. Unfortunately - Americans can't take a stand against the war if corporations who own our news media - and have interlocking boards of directors or company divisions in the defense industry - won't cover it.
There is a hell of a lot of things that could be done with $160 billion dollars per year. That's $1.6 TRILLION DOLLARS over 10 years. And people bitch about extending unemployment benefit which are a fraction of the $160 billion a year that this war is costing us, not to mention the lives of thousands of people.
It is disgusting and we should get out, NOW!
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I think they are just staging for an invasion into Pakistan. The new hundred year war. Man I wish we had some real leaders that had our interest at heart.
ReplyDeletePeople aren't outraged because the sons and daughters of the white middle class aren't being drafted and sent to Afghanistan. That's the only story the media would cover.
ReplyDeleteK,
ReplyDeleteIf we had a draft, we would have been out of Iraq and Afghanistan long ago.
Tim,
I'm not sure what we are staging for, if anything. There is a lot of profit to be made with the existing wars, let alone any new ones.
It boggles my mind that with all the rhetoric about the size of the deficit, and the unwillngness to fund extended unemployment for Americans, benefits for 9/11 responders, health benefits for the poor, etc, because it costs too much, that no one is screaming about $160 BILLION dollars being spend in Afghanistan or a $725 BILLION defense budget passed without any obvious objections.
We are willing to spend unlimited amounts of money on KILLING people, and virtually nothing on HELPING people.
Have we lost all humanity?
We are not going to get much this country really needs or wants. Not from these people. Days like that are over for good. Anybody thinks this can be taken back from then is wrong. Wait till 012.
ReplyDeleteAs I have been informed by liberals:
ReplyDelete"You progressives are never happy!" :)
Here is the best one....
Eric Holder announces yesterday that homegrown terrorists are our biggest threat now...
So, the longer we stay in Afghanistan fighting terrorism the more terrorists we create and now we are creating terrorists who do not have to spend money on airfare to fly here...
Brillant!
What better way to perpetuate war than to perpetuate terrorism?
ReplyDeletehttp://gonzalolira.blogspot.com/2010/12/has-american-military-spending-really.html
ReplyDeleteWe are a Nation based on war.
Take the money factor out of war.
Then the wars will end.
We keep funding wars and the insane size of our military.
These wars, and our military is in place to protect our Multi National Corps. Not our citizens.
The MIC prospers, while our people are being sent to the poor house.
Instead of taking the money factor out of war, we have taken the people factor out of war by getting rid of the draft.
ReplyDeleteAgreed:
ReplyDeleteThey learned one thing and one thing only from Nam.
NO DRAFT.
They have out sourced as much as they possibly can. DynCorp just got another Billion $ deal.
50K troops still in Iraq. Not a word said.
They are itching to go into Pakistan.
Yemen, and Somalia are major targets.
Beware of false flags come the spring time.
"My son in law ain't no Senators son"
He just got deployed to the U.A.E.
WHY??
The Corporate States of America have turned this war into one big money grab. They'll NEVER let us get out!
ReplyDelete