Commercial News Beats the War Drum

By Marc 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 is the founder and former 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.