I try to respond to as many of the comments and as much of the email that I receive as I can. Here’s my response to one of the comments on yesterday’s post, Media watch: Iraq.
Dear Kingelvis:
Thank you for your comment on The Glittering Eye.
“Given the corporate media’s complete surrender of objectivity during its fevered drum beating for the Iraq war…”
I certainly don’t recall such a drum beat. Could you please provide citations from, in particular, the New York Times, the Washington Post, ABC, CBS, or NBC? I’m sincerely interested.
“it is simply laughable now to call the corporate media “liberal.” “
Although I’ve seen them characterized that way quite a bit, if you examine my post you won’t see me saying that. Why the quotation marks?
“The profit motive would incent them to push the war…”
Yes, you’d think that wouldn’t you? I think if you examine Pinch Sulzberger’s record the profit motive isn’t that high on his list.
“The writer presumes that “keeping secret” an alleged Iranian connection to Sadr is somehow hurting the right wing cause…”
First, I am absolutely not right wing nor do I support right wing causes. I am a moderate. I am politically centrist by virtually every measure. Since I didn’t claim that Big Media was, as you say, “keeping secret”, may I assume that these are either scare quotes or used for emphasis? Moqtada al Sadr’s connection to Iran has been confirmed by multiple independent sources. It cannot be characterized as an allegation. Without refutation it must be considered a fact. I would sincerely appreciate citations disproving this.
I’m indifferent to whether Big Media covering or failing to cover what is obviously an important story helps or hinders the “right wing cause” you refer to. An impartial press is a human impossibility–every human being has his or her own agenda and that agenda will inevitably be reflected in his or her writing. But a balanced press is not only a possibility, I believe it’s a necessity to maintain a free and democratic society.
“when the impossibility of the Iraq occupation…”
That remains to be seen. I’ve never been a staunch advocate of the invasion of Iraq–I’ve always been a skeptic. But we’re there now and really need to do our best to accomplish whatever objective we’re trying to achieve.
“tenuous hold on power by the US puppet regime in Afghanistan…”
Although I was a skeptic on Afghanistan as well on prudential grounds, it’s not hard to make the argument in favor of invading Afghanistan. We had world-wide–although not unanimous–support for this invasion. For both logistical and political reasons we went in with a small-footprint force. I believe that what’s going on there right now is what can reasonably be expected under the circumstances.
“the US simply doesn’t have the resources to invade and occupy yet one more nation…
This is an argument I’ve made myself. It doesn’t invalidate the fact that Iran’s support for insurgency in Iraq is a problem.
“…portrayal of Sadr as a mere “thug” …”
Not my portrayal. Scare quotes again?
“…neo-con fantasy of infinite American dominion over the earth…”
This is an extremely serious charge. Do you have proof of this? Military superiority is not ipso facto dominion.
Once again, thanks for your comment.
Dave Schuler
The Glittering Eye
Relevant to this whole subject there’s a really important discussion on the war in Iraq and the War on Terror going on over at Winds of Change. Be sure to read the comments.
On your last point, Paul Wolfowitz, drafting the Defense Planing Guidance, writes, “There are three additional aspects to this objective: First the U.S must show the leadership necessary to establish and protect a new order that holds the promise of convincing potential competitors that they need not aspire to a greater role or pursue a more aggressive posture to protect their legitimate interests. Second, in the non-defense areas, we must account sufficiently for the interests of the advanced industrial nations to discourage them from challenging our leadership or seeking to overturn the established political and economic order. Finally, we must maintain the mechanisms for deterring potential competitors from even aspiring to a larger regional or global role.”
So, how do you keep people, globally, from aspiring?
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