CommentsCOMMENTARY - Media hype helped drive the United States into the failed wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Today we face a crisis that seems to have escalated out of control if it wasn’t actually created by American news. Barons of the industry have their minions focusing on every little opinion about potential war.
The drums beat: War. War. War.
That sells papers, and eyeballs sell airtime for commercials.
Every bit of coverage I’ve seen leads with the threat of Russia invading Ukraine: “Biden Warns…,” “US Says Putin Intransigent…”, or implies the invasion has begun: “Shelling Escalates as Thousands Flee…,” and “Schools in Eastern Ukraine Hit by Shells…”
What they don’t come out and clearly say is that the shelling is part of an ongoing civil war between separatists and nationalists that has been going on for eight years.
Yes, the separatists want to join Russia – the area has a mixed population of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians from the years that it was part of the old Soviet Union – and yes, they are undoubtedly using shells of Russian manufacture, but Russia is NOT shelling Ukraine.
Media outlets looking to score high ratings by warmongering should be ashamed of putting profit ahead of responsibility journalism.
One rarely sees any emphasis on diplomatic approaches other than to imply these would be unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the separatists of the eastern Ukraine have welcomed the opportunity for amplified news coverage of their grievances by putting on a show with photo-ops for the foreign press.
Instead of soldiers with guns in snow gear – most likely those who have been protecting Ukrainian civilians during the ongoing civil conflict, why aren’t we shown the ordinary Ukrainian citizens non-aligned journalists report as continuing to live normal lives with no sense of imminent danger?
And who are annoyed by American interference.
Furthermore, American media avoids the fact that Vladimir Putin has repeatedly requested discussion of legitimate security concerns and been rebuffed, or that the Russian ambassador to the United Nations has called the imminence of invasion “ridiculous.”
Or, that the United States has engaged in similar provocative actions time and again against other legitimate governments.
Perhaps the talking heads should be held personally responsible and they and those of the social media echo chambers, not the U.S. taxpayer, should have to pay the costs of US aggression. Because chances are that those costs will be incurred as a fulfillment of media expectations, NOT diplomacy.
Biden sending troops to Poland and B-52 bombers to the U.K. is an attempt to look powerful for a drum-beating press and warmongers in his own government.
These actions are NOT in the interests of the American people who need a president focused on rebuilding the American economy and infrastructure, not playing dick games with Putin.
Withdrawing at least some of its embassy staff from Kyiv and telling American citizens to leave the country is probably a wise move given the amount of irresponsible speculation by members of the Biden administration.
But by trying to put the blame on the other guy first, amplified by Saturday’s New York Times headline: “Biden Says Putin Has Chosen ‘Catastrophic’ War Over Diplomacy,” he – and the New York Times – are creating the political brinkmanship that will lead to war and is the sign of poor leadership.
Instead of laying the groundwork for future resolution of differences, our President is further escalating tensions in the region, possibly precipitating the very invasion that “could ignite the biggest conflict in Europe in decades.”
That will spill American blood and bleed the American taxpayer dry.
War is the ultimate political failing. Wise leaders don’t waste political capital, people’s lives or investment in our future on foreign wars.
In vainly trying to appear presidential Biden and Kamala Harris, channeling her inner Hillary, are projecting their failure as politicians, and of having selected and listened to the type of poor advisors who mired the U.S. military in Iraq twenty years ago.
Wise leaders don’t stick pins in proud opponents unless they are willing to face the backlash.
Biden/Harris might be willing to prod the Russian bear.
But are we?
Russia has a legitimate concern about a country on its border, one who lost part of its territory to Putin and his merry men eight years ago, becoming allied with Russia’s enemies now that the malleable Mr. Trump has been deposed.
Washington sources continue to make bellicose claims that cannot be substantiated making it sound more and more like the lies promulgated by the administration of the Shrub (aka George W.) that embroiled America in its Middle East debacle 18 years ago.
Meanwhile European nations are jockeying for positions they believe will be most favorable for their economic futures.
Families in the United States should not lose more sons and daughters to foreign wars, and taxpayers should not see money necessary for post-pandemic recovery squandered yet again on the military-industrial complex and a false American exceptionalism.
And if World War III breaks out, it will be as much on the heads of the American press and those pursuing clicks on social media as on any Russian.
I will leave you with some disturbing observations from investigative reporter, Jeremy Scahill, who has decades-long experience in covering the United States and its military conflicts:
The talking heads on cable news are almost drooling over the prospect of a ratings-boosting war. Retired Pentagon officials on the payroll of the defense industry are presented as "experts," often with no disclosure of their financial conflicts of interest.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is the world's largest arms dealer and it spends more on "defense" than China, Russia, India, the U.K., Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, and Australia combined.
(Liz Amsden is an activist from Northeast Los Angeles with opinions on much of what goes on in our lives. She has written extensively on the City's budget and services as well as her many other interests and passions. In her real life she works on budgets for film and television where fiction can rarely be as strange as the truth of living in today's world.)