Reflections on the 12/16 Veterans for Peace protest & the insufficient coverage in the left media

[Karmadillo]

The article alleges there was insufficient coverage of the Veterans for Peace demonstration by the left media. It notes much greater coverage was given the One Nation gathering. It suggests the left leadership's investment in the Obama brand was the cause of the lack of coverage as the vehement protest illuminated not only the failures of the Obama administration but also the left leadership's serious misjudgments in backing Obama in the first place.

http://www.correntewire.com/why_johnny_cant_protest_reflections_dec_16th#more

Why Johnny Can't Protest: Reflections on Dec. 16th

Thu, 12/23/2010 - 8:38am — john.halle
This was originally commissioned by Truthout which then declined to publish it claiming that too many pieces on the Veterans for Peace demonstration and CD action would be "overkill". In fact, there are reasons to suspect that this is not the real reason-a subject which will be discussed in any upcoming piece on left internet censorship. In any case, that makes this a Corrente exclusive-for better or for worse.

Comments and reactions always appreciated. And of course your support is also welcomed. Please join the 4777 others who have signed onto the "Open Letter to the Left Establishment" at www.protestobama.org. -- John Halle]

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Why Johnny Can't Protest: Reflections on December 16th

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Framed by a searingly prophetic oration of Chris Hedges, alongside a Lincolneque cameo by Daniel Ellsberg, a procession of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans function as a kind of Greek chorus, bearing witness to the human wreckage of war, which they both inflicted and suffer from themselves, living breathing testimonies to Hedges "War is a Force which Gives us Meaning" and his subsequent, even more radical books.

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The reason, as has been noted by Dave Lindorff among others is by now predictable: it was barely mentioned within those channels through which most get their information which is to say through major media: network television, high profile dailies and internet news outlets.

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We need to stop complaining and simply recognize corporate media complicity and censorship as the fact of life it is. And given this fact, we need to redirect our attention to monitoring those media outlets and individuals who claim to offer alternative to the corporate mainstream and give voice to the left, such as it is.

And this means, specifically, that we need to ask certain questions about their relationship to this event.

Among these are why did left media outlets such as commondreams, alternet, counterpunch Znet and others devote relatively little attention to the protest in the days leading up to it, even when it was already clear that it would be a major act of civil disobedience that needed, and deserved to be, reinforced by thousands of others. As for well known left writers such as Thomas Frank, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Katrina van den Heuvel why did they fail to write pieces in support of it, or even mention it, within the high profile platforms they have access to, thus getting the word out to many thousands some of whom were sure to have participated?

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[Karmadillo]

1. Kick

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