Military Propaganda Pushed Me off TV

[babsbunny]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042808R.shtml

By Jeff Cohen
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Monday 28 April 2008

In the fall of 2002, week after week in debates televised on MSNBC, I argued vigorously against invading Iraq. I used every possible argument that might sway mainstream viewers - no real threat, cost, instability. But as the war neared, my debates were terminated.

In my 2006 book ""Cable News Confidential," I explained why I lost my airtime:

There was no room for me after MSNBC launched "Countdown: Iraq" - a daily one-hour show that seemed more keen on glamorizing a potential war than scrutinizing or debating it. "Countdown: Iraq" featured retired colonels and generals, sometimes resembling boys with war toys as they used props, maps and glitzy graphics to spin invasion scenarios. They reminded me of pumped-up ex-football players doing pre-game analysis and diagramming plays. It was excruciating to be sidelined at MSNBC, watching so many non-debates in which myth and misinformation were served up unchallenged.

It was bad enough to be silenced. Much worse to see that these ex-generals - many working for military corporations - were never in debates, nor asked a tough question by an anchor. (I wasn't allowed on MSNBC unless balanced by at least one truculent right-winger.)

[malaise]

1. Truthout is right

The biggest villain here is not Rumsfeld or the Pentagon. It's the TV networks. In the land of the First Amendment, it was their choice to shut down debate and journalism.

No government agency forced MSNBC to repeatedly feature the hawkish generals unopposed. Or fire Phil Donahue. Or smear weapons expert Scott Ritter. Or blacklist former Attorney General Ramsey Clark. It was top NBC/MSNBC execs, not the feds, who imposed a quota system on the Donahue staff requiring two pro-war guests if we booked one antiwar advocate - affirmative action for hawks.

That is the absolute truth. They are all complicit enablers. They all have blood on their hands. And nothing has changed. The shit spin continues..no apologies, no shame, no firings.

They are brazen {b]LIARS, but they are as naked as Bush. They have not one iota of credibility left.

I watch them to see how they're organizing the lies for the November elections.

There is no mainstream media - they are right wing warmongering hacks with few exceptions.

[ProgressiveFool]

2. K & R

[annabanana]

3. We need a good trust-buster running for office..

It's past time.

[nichomachus]

4. This is nothing new

I used to watch the Today Show in the morning -- up until the mid-'90s. Then, I noticed something. Every time there was a story even remotely related to the military, they would have one of these "analysts" on. They would give their "weighty" opinion on whatever the situation was. Then, they would be given about 30 seconds -- which is like forever on network news -- to bash Bill Clinton. One time -- OK. Two times -- made me a little edgy. But it was every freaking single time. All of them took advantage of the free air time to bash Clinton. And the themes were always the same. You just knew they were getting their material from the same source.

I turned it off and haven't watched it since. In fact, I watch no TV news at all now.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. When I lived in Denmark I was able to watch East German TV

and West German TV. Denmark had one station at that time in the late 70s.
So everyone watched whatever they could. I feel like I'm watching East German
TV these days except the announcers are speaking English.