Letters to the Editor
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media too busy
The media has been too busy glorifying Obama to notice anything else.
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SURPISED?
Here is a glaring example of how the MSM is working hand-in-hand with the Neocons to divert the nation's attention away from their failed war.
Can you say PROPAGANDA?
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A quick survey of War Room
will reflect this lack of coverage, also. No surprise, though, because the occasional article that does address Iraq gets few letters, unless it's obvious pandering to Salon's base (See Cheney's recent comments), where the response is predictable and uniform.
Too busy emphasizing those things that drive us on the left apart, I guess.
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Winter Soldiers
Democracy Now has been running testimony from the Soldiers Against the War convention for the last two days. There has been no other coverage of this event that I've seen -- not even in Salon. Check it out and pass it on; MSM won't touch it.
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Who makes the decisions?
Of course, this is all presented to us as some sort of natural phenomenon like the tides or moon phases. There is a vague suggestion of a cause and effect relationship between the Petraeus report and the drop, but no analysis of that relationship.
Could it be that perrenial strawman MoveOn.org's crucifiction for over the top rhetoric in the wake of Petraeus' White House drafted speech caused a reduction in dissent/analysis?
Between the formal declaration of Success and the bipartisan smackdown of dissent, anti-war and anti-surge thought was quickly pigeonholed as the realm of extremist nutters along with anything resembling sober analysis of the situation.
And the media accepted this new status quo. Marching orders were taken from the government and Iraq was suddenly taboo. Who made this decision? Who acquiesced to the party line so willingly?
It's not that there is nothing of interest. Climbing U.S. bodycount, Pentagon reports denying a Saddam-Al Quada link, continued Blackwater presence, contaminated water on U.S. military bases etc. etc. etc.
People in positions to disregard these major stories have opted to do so. Who and why?
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well duh
if i'm not hearing about the war, then it must be going better. that's why i don't watch bbcamerica news any more.
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Winter Soldiers
slate.com is also covering it. way down the list.
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Movies Lines for $400 Alex
Q - "War? What War?"
A - From the opening scene of Sargent York, the WWI movie starring Gary Cooper.
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Sad truth
If the media during the Vietnam era rolled over THEN as our media have NOW, we'd still be fighting in Southeast Asia, nearly 35 years after the end of that conflict.
That thought just gave me a sudden rush of revelation. It explains, clearly and completely, what John McCain meant when he said he expected we'd be in Iraq for 100 years (or words to that effect). With media like we have now, who could doubt it?
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Coverage has dropped off?
That's because we haven't entered the summer season in Iraq. Temperatures and tempers always rise in the summer in Iraq, and now that the five year anniversary of the occupation has arrived, it's doubtful that many Iraqis will celebrate with party streamers, but instead with intensified streams of bullets and bombs aimed at American soldiers.
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It's because
we CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I don't like the war. You don't either. But it's going to continue, whomever we vote for (BTW, I thought the way I voted in 2006 would help, but it didn't).
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More than 4,000
There are more than 4,000 Americans killed in Iraq.
Both service personnel that later die in the U.S. from injuries of some type, or part of the army of contractors from the U.S. They should be included in the total too.
1001 contractors have been killed as of 6/30/2007, according to Iraq Casulties.org. Not all of them are U.S. citizens however, but perhaps more than half.
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A minor point
The number of American soldiers is at almost 4,000. We've sent a lot of civilians over as contractors that have died as well, and although those numbers aren't well documented, they're at a minimum 240 and likely around 1,000.
I do think it's important to keep in mind, along with the number of Iraqis our war has killed.
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Yep,
The tourist season in Iraq is always the most terrible of all.
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they keep repeating the mantra
Just this morning on the news I heard that a female suicide bomber killed a bunch of Iraqis and 9 US solders were killed by a roadside bomb. The story concluded with "over all violence is down in Iraq".
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"As news coverage has evaporated, what Americans know about the war has grown hazier, too. "
Coincidence? I think not.
As this colossal blunder staggers into its fifth year, and the costs ratchet toward 3 trillion dollars- the last thing this administration wants to remind the voting public about is the reality of the situation.
Better for quick and empty platitudes to be given by Darth Cheney. Then we can go back to focusing on what really matters - the sex escapades of governors!!!
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This is the true "success" of the The Surge™
Knocking it out of the news for at least one presidential election. Ironic that the invasion was necessary for the '04 election, yet has to be ignored for the next, unless someone deems it necessary to use Bobo's "post-war period" nonsense to claim all is well.
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If it was not so pathetic I would laugh
I heard a MSM talking head say with a straight face that things are improving, " Figures released on Friday suggested that the number of civilians and security forces killed across Iraq in January - 541 - was the lowest monthly total for nearly two years" How long would any other civilized society tolerate thes kinds of numbers? If it was 3 people a month killed by a random bomb over here there would be non-stop 7-24 coverage to the exclution of all else.
John in Florida
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Need to have politicians having seamy extra-marital affairs while visiting Iraq
If a prominent politician was caught in a sex scandal while visiting Iraq, we'd see a lot more coverage. Wall-to-wall coverage if Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears is involved.
Pelosi, Reid - it's time take one for the team.
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A few exceptions
The McClatchy Newspaper Group is a worthy exception to the MSM habit of ignoring Iraq. And Juan Cole's blog is always good for such news as well. But they are the exception.
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Cheney Credibility = 0
Once upon a time, Dick Cheney was convinced that Iraq had WMD and he stated that numerous times immediately before we invaded that country.
Apparently, he had information to the contrary (as did everyone else) but that did not deter him. Then he went on to say that the abandoned trailers found in Iraq were "mobile weapons labs" while ignoring the fact that the trailers were not used for that purpose according to every US intelligence source. Additionally, photos of the trailers revealed them to be made with canvas sides rendering them useless for the super-clean environment for biological research.
Cheney has the ability to lie while appearing to be honest and forthright. He should be an actor.