This observation from Cole seemed relevant to the new central theatre of U.S. power projection:
We can now substitute Afghanistan for Iraq in that sentence. We may not realize it, but when, as our military is now admitting, our forces bomb Afghan civilians, much of the world sees the distress of the victims far more vividly than we do.One reason that the Middle East, and the Muslim world more generally, sees Iraq differently from Americans is that they have watched two different wars on their television sets.
Take a look at this report [2:50] from Al-Jazeera English. I'd call it "fair and balanced," if that means allowing "all sides" a chance to comment. They interview our Army's dutiful press deflector in Kabul -- but his stilted comments are overwhelmed by the testimony of the International Red Cross's field officer and scenes of devastation.
President Obama's got himself his imperial quagmire to go with his banking morass.
Can we the people drag him back toward the change we believe in?
Propaganda has always been the tool of the makers of war. I remember that the Japanese were pictured as evil, nearsighted fanatics and the Germans as incredibly cruel during WWII. Fair and balanced has little to do with depicting the realities of the 'other side' in wartime.
ReplyDeleteIt is actually better now because we are able to see real photos of the events along with the propaganda releases.
It is not Obama who is in a quagmire. Obama re-elected or not, will be rich and right now he is The President. It is the People of the U.S.A. who are in a quagmire. And as long as it is not felt like this on a personal level, The Empire will keep taking everybody down with him (him = I feel The Empire as a He).
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