Tag: media

2011

”Dissent is what rescues democracy from a quiet death behind closed doors.” – Lewis H. Lapham The year 2011 will bring Americans a larger and more intrusive police state, more unemployment and home foreclosures, no economic recovery, more disregard by the U.S. government of U.S. law, international law, the Constitution, and truth, more suspicion and … Continue reading “2011”

The Face of War (Don’t Look!)

You’d think that people always seeking “lessons” from war would draw one from our latest wonder weapon, which fights our wars for us without an American in sight. I’m talking, of course, about the drone aircraft that have, in recent years, become a signature form of American war-making. They represent truly advanced technology, with ever … Continue reading “The Face of War (Don’t Look!)”

All the King’s Bull Feather Merchants

Uber-journalist Bob Woodward is once again telling us exactly what we need to hear long after we needed to hear it. On Friday, Sept. 24, two days before its release, Woodward’s new book Obama’s Wars was Amazon’s number two best-selling book. It’s amazing how many people will line up to be among the first to … Continue reading “All the King’s Bull Feather Merchants”

Will Our Generals Ever Shut Up?

The fall issue of Foreign Policy magazine features Fred Kaplan’s “The Transformer,” an article-cum-interview with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. It received a flurry of attention because Gates indicated he might leave his post “sometime in 2011.” The most significant two lines in the piece, however, were so ordinary that the usual pundits thought them … Continue reading “Will Our Generals Ever Shut Up?”

Media Didn’t Buy Story of Low Taliban Morale

In an effort to introduce a story of “progress” into media coverage, Gen. David Petraeus’s command claimed last week that the Taliban is suffering from reduced morale in Marjah and elsewhere, despite evidence that the population of Marjah still believes the Taliban controls that district. But the news media ignored the command’s handout on the … Continue reading “Media Didn’t Buy Story of Low Taliban Morale”