Magic City Morning Star: Selling War to a Willing Public

Magic City Morning Star: Selling War to a Willing Public: "Welcome to 21st Century America. We’re pursuing two active wars, with another one - possibly more - brewing in the background. We’ve declared every soldier a hero (with the possible exception of those photogenic few from Abu Ghraib). A heavily distributed e-mail attack on John Kerry’s wife claims she "supports numerous antiwar groups" as if this, in itself, is a reprehensible thing. Our two top contenders for the November presidential election both support the Iraq war - although both draw distinctions on the tactics of the other - for to do otherwise would be political suicide.
To be antiwar is generally perceived to be weak, naïve or blatantly un-American.

And the perception is not unfounded. Considering the number of military conflicts we’ve fought in the last hundred years, it would be difficult to argue that "peace" is an American value.

The current issue is Iraq. Blaming George W. Bush and his administration of militarists only goes so far. America is still enough of a democracy that the people can have an impact on governmental policy. If sixty percent of constituents had contacted their national representatives to express outrage at Mr. Bush’s rush to war, over 900 of their fellow citizens might still be alive today.

There is a self-serving inconsistency here, just as we saw with Lila Lipscomb - the woman featured in Michael Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. She supported the war - putting blind faith in the government - until her son was killed in Iraq. Now she blames Mr. Bush, and his deception, for the death of her son. Up to a point, she’s right. But the unquestioning patriotism she instilled in her son was a contributing factor as well; that, and the blank check of trust she wrote out to Mr. Bush. Her grief is understandable; but didn’t she realize that her son’s job would be to kill other mother’s sons (and daughters)? Watching the pain of her loss, it’s easy to sympathize emotionally - but not morally."


By Charles Cutter
Magic City Morning Star