THE MEDIA EDITION: ISSUE 56, VOLUME 86
MISTAKES WERE MADE
by Malik Isasis






















“All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” - Voltaire

Bush began his farewell tour just as he had his presidency, on lies and the rewriting of history. He is able to accomplish the whitewashing of history because of media malfeasance.

It was during the 2002-2003 build up to the Iraq invasion that the corporate media had begun folding itself into the Department of Defense’s propaganda wing by blindly supporting the Bush Public Relations Administration’s talking points and subverting opposition to the initial Iraq Invasion and subsequent Iraq Occupation. Like a virus in its host, the corporate media had methodically carried the neocons’ message to the masses, infecting the American people with fear and submission. The corporate media also has helped the Republican Party and its right-wing hate machine, to politically box in the Democratic Party with two choices: supporting the terrorists or supporting the troops.

The corporate media assimilation was not difficult after September 11, 2001. The corporate media was looking to create heroes, and in the age of smoke and mirrors, had found exactly what they were looking for in New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, playing it cool under pressure and President Bush with the bullhorn, standing atop of the rubble of the World Trade Towers.

The Trumpets

In a U.S. Army War College strategy research paper, Colonel Glenn T. Starnes wrote:
Margaret Belknap writing in Parameters in 2002 commented, “The fourth estate [the media] offers a superb mechanism for strategic leaders and war fighters to transmit operational objectives and goals, as well as to reinforce policy objectives.” Ms Belknap stated that strategic leaders must be proactive in leveraging the media in order to inform audiences concerning objectives and end-states. She warned that if the military failed to leverage the media, they risked having the graphic images of war shown to the world and the American people in a distorted manner. Inaccurate or deceitful reporting of military actions could drastically affect the will and support of the American people, which is the strategic center of gravity for the United States (US). Loss of public support for a war could also affect the decision-making process at the strategic level. Essentially, Ms Belknap echoed the sentiment of many others who recommend the military cease holding the press at arm’s length. Instead, the military should embrace the press and leverage the media’s technology and worldwide reach to further strategic goals.

On CNN’S “This Week At War”—isn’t that a peculiar title for a news program? The title alone makes me think that the show needs to produce pro war material in order to justify its existence. During the height of trumped up charges (WMDs) brought by the Israeli officials and US government during 2007-2008, the program asked the question, “What is Iran’s real role in Iraq?” And then proceeded to use pro war, retired generals as consultants on its panel—all of which supported and justified the escalation of the Iraq Occupation. Iran was framed in the discussion as a threat using only computer graphics of its weapons and on hearsay as proof Iran had Weapons of Mass Destruction.

The program like its kin in the rest of corporate media, discussed Iraq in a parallel universe. A universe in which the effects of the occupation, the chaos in Baghdad, the financial costs of the occupation, and the death and lives of soldiers are discussed, but host, John Roberts at the time and his colleagues continued to disconnect the death and destruction from Bush’s policy.

Taken from CNN’s own transcript, here is an example of the disconnection:
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks John. Here is what is going on right now. Let's bring you up to date on some of the stories that we're following. More death, destruction, shocking even by Iraqi standards, 128 people killed all at once. Nearly 350 others were wounded. This one a suicide bomber in a truck targeted a Baghdad market with a huge explosion. __The U.S. military announced today the deaths of six more American soldiers in Iraq. According to the military's statement, two died from combat wounds Friday. Two more died in a roadside bombing and two others died from apparent heart attacks.

Presto! No culpability for George Bush.

After the occupation in Iraq went to shit, the Bush administration stated that mistakes were made, after the occupation in Afghanistan went to shit, the Bush administration stated that mistakes were made, after Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration stated that mistakes were made, after the revelation of torture in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo the administration stated that mistakes were made.

Damn, that’s a lot of ‘mistakes were made’ and big ones too. No one in the Bush administration has been held accountable for his or her actions and/or crimes; the Democratic Party nor the corporate media made Bush accountable either.

So, the illegal occupations of two countries, the sell of arms to various militia, mass murder of millions, the displacement of millions, and the total collapse of the US and world banking systems, the devalued dollar, torture, and domestic spying on Americans...Bush said it all was about keeping us safe, and the ruse worked.

Presto! No culpability for George Bush.

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