It is truly disgusting watching the mainstream media falling all over themselves trying to sell this war. My past blog on the media’s culpability in selling Iraq….
As yet, I haven’t seen any of them mention the Russian warships en route to Syria. Putin states that Russia will help Syria. Note that “help” includes weaponry.
Last night, CBS shows a visual of people being forced to kneel as the captors aim their rifles. Scott Pelley then says “we won’t show you them being shot….but you will hear the gunfire…” and then proceeds to air the execution. Shame on you, CBS, for using such graphic tactics.
It’s hard for anyone to ignore that. You want to help these people. You don’t want to see anyone suffer.
…but what you don’t see is the media’s same concern, for, say, Chicago. To take a nod from Stephen Colbert, who rightly pointed out that “if we were going to war over people being shot, we should invade Chicago. ”
Why isn’t the media that concerned with what is going on at home?
Dianne Feinstein said that her constituents are very much against us bombing Syria….but with a smug smile on her face says, “…but they don’t know what I know….” She reminded me of a middle schooler who says “I know something you don’t know.” ::giggle giggle:: It was patronizing and once again shows how little D.C. is concerned with the opinions of war weary Americans.
Has anybody else noticed that they’re not talking about the uptick in the stocks since the announcement of going into Syria?
This just in from Canada’s Global News. Note that other world leaders are questioning whether Assad is to blame for chemical use.
Anytime anyone involves ego in a decision, you can bet it is a bad decision. Going to war over a warped perception of credibility is wrong. And America’s credibility was seriously damaged with going to war in Iraq. We were perceived as bullies and liars. The whole world rejoiced when Barack Obama was elected because the whole world disagreed with our invasion.
But the world’s perception of us didn’t seem to bother Congress before now, eh?
And what exactly does “protect our values” mean?? Because I don’t value war.
Kerry tries to shut up opposing voices by throwing out ” this is not the time for armchair isolationists”….that’s you and me, folks, the American public that speaks out against war. We’re sick of war and we’re sick of millionaire politicians telling us that our opinions don’t matter.
He asks if one would be comfortable if we don’t act and Assad gasses his people. Hello? Are we alone in the world? Israel and Saudi Arabia have a stake in this and they should be expected to bear the brunt of it–skin in the game, as they say…they are both wealthy nations, and we are fast losing our wealth. Well, it’s still there, technically, but in the hands of a few who don’t want to pay taxes….that… fund… wars. So Saudi Arabia and Israel need to ante up.
Note how Kerry asserts that there will be no boots on the ground, but from what I was watching yesterday, he once again flip-flopped and stated that he did not want that put in writing because it may become necessary if things escalate. Mighty suspicious….
Tell me again why Kerry was trying to interfere with U.N. gathering evidence on chemical weapons? And why aren’t we waiting for the U.N. to get the results bacK? The Syria situation is not new–this has been happening for over a year now….so why the rush, rush, rush to bomb?
And tell me why those pictures of the dead keep nagging at me–like I have seen them before…? That they were from a chemical weapons attack, but not the current event with Syria?? I just can’t shake that feeling.
Here’s the view from emptywheel. During the hearing, Kerry was drumming his fingers on the table with impatience that they were questioning him. John McCain was caught playing computer games….on taxpayer’s dime. If those same taxpayers were caught playing computer games during company time, they would be fired.
Another take here on it from the Israelis:
Note the sentiment if the U.S. doesn’t strike, Israel will. Is that supposed to be a threat of some sort?
Lastly, John Kerry’s testimony as a Vietnam veteran before Congress, below. He stated yesterday that no chemicals had been used since WWI…I was stunned that he chose to ignore Agent Orange used in Vietnam. In this video, he acknowledges the horror of them and how we “destroyed villages in order to save them…” Note also the reference to Nixon, who stated he “did not want to be the first president to lose a war…” Doesn’t that sound eerily similar to “we have to go in to Syria to save our credibility…”?? The Communism threat was a lie, btw, as only 25% of the people in Vietnam were Communists. The rest were peaceful Buddhists. Pretty sad, eh?
**Edited to fix stupid link to Kerry’s Vietnam Testimony:
While watching the talking heads push for war, I look at President Obama and I am reminded of the Native American tale of the two wolves:
I can sense there is a fight going on inside Obama. I am afraid that the dark one will win, because if he goes to war, that is the side he will feed.
**Edited to add: One can’t lay this only on Obama if we go to war—because there are the warmongers in Congress, on Wall Street, in Israel, in Syria, who are playing their parts in this, too. Just wanted to be clear on that. And it takes those of us opposed to war to speak out to feed the light.
I wanted to add how the talking head worded her comments on CNN–as she talked about Pres. Obama getting us into yet another war, she didn’t ask “Is this a good idea?” Rather, she says the repubs are going to vote “no”…will the Dems support Pres. Obama?
Note how the viewer is trained to look at the debate as one between dems and repubs….and NOT the points on why we should or shouldn’t go to war again.
I was just watching CNN, and they showed a clip of President Obama with members of Congress. Nancy “off the table” Pelosi and John Boehner by his side. He is now pushing for war in Syria. He states that “this will be limited, with no boots on the ground…”
If you believe that, I’ve got oceanfront property in Indiana I want to sell you. Let Israel fight their own damn wars and leave us out of it.
And Let John McCain sell his million dollar homes to finance the war. And open his homes up to the widows and orphans that war creates, if he wants war so damn bad.
The Indignant Teacher has a post up highlighting Diane Ravitch and her letter to Bostonians.
Bostonians being recently threatened with the bombing perhaps can understand a bomb has gone off in the public school system–put there by billionaires who wish to destroy it for their own greed. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to see as a bombing in a public space…it’s much more stealth than that…and the damage done is not felt in real time, but in years past it. It will be hard for some to realize the connection to the destruction to society and democracy…making it easier for those doing it to not be held accountable.
Eagle 
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