Our Troops Must Leave Iraq
The American people no longer support the war in Iraq. The war is being carried on by a stubborn president who, like Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon during the Vietnam War, does not want to lose. But from the beginning this has been an ill-considered and poorly prosecuted war that, like the Vietnam War, has diminished respect for America. We believe Mr. Bush would like to drag the war on long enough to hand it off to another president.
The war in Iraq reminds us of the tragedy of the Vietnam War. Both wars began with false assertions by the president to the American people and the Congress. Like Vietnam, the Iraq War has introduced a new vocabulary: “shock and awe,” “mission accomplished,” “the surge.” Like Vietnam, we have destroyed cities in order to save them. It is not a strategy for success.
The Bush administration has attempted to forestall ending the war by putting in more troops, but more troops will not solve the problem. We have lost the hearts and minds of most of the Iraqi people, and victory no longer seems to be even a remote possibility. It is time to end our occupation of Iraq, and bring our troops home.
This war has had only limited body counts. There are reports that more than one million Iraqis have died in the war. These reports cannot be corroborated because the US military does not make public the number of the Iraqi dead and injured. There are also reports that some four million Iraqis have been displaced and are refugees either abroad or within their own country. Iraqis with the resources to leave the country have left. They are frightened. They don’t trust the US, its allies or its mercenaries to protect them and their interests.
We know more about the body counts of American soldiers in Iraq. Some 4,000 American soldiers have been killed in this war, about a third more than the number of people who died in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. And some 28,000 American soldiers have suffered debilitating injuries. Many more have been affected by the trauma of war in ways that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives - ways that will have serious effects not only on their lives and the lives of their loved ones, but on society as a whole. Due to woefully inadequate resources being provided, our injured soldiers are not receiving the medical treatment and mental health care that they deserve.
The invasion of Iraq was illegal from the start. Not only was Congress lied to in order to secure its support for the invasion of Iraq, but the war lacked the support of the United Nations Security Council and thus was an aggressive war initiated on the false pretenses of weapons of mass destruction. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Nor has any assertion of a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda proven to be true. In the end, democracy has not come to Iraq. Its government is still being forced to bend to the will of the US administration.
What the war has accomplished is the undermining of US credibility throughout the world, the weakening of our military forces, and the erosion of our Bill of Rights. Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz calculates that the war is costing American tax payers more than $1 trillion. This amount could double if we continue the war. Each minute we are spending $500,000 in Iraq. Our losses are incalculable. It is time to remove our military forces from Iraq.
We must ask ourselves whether continuing to pursue this war is benefiting the American people or weakening us. We must ask whether continuing the war is benefiting the Iraqi people or inflicting greater suffering upon them. We believe the answer to these inquiries is that both the American and Iraqi people would benefit by ending the US military presence in Iraq.
Moving forward is not complicated, but it will require courage. Step one is to proceed with the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and hand over the responsibility for the security of Iraq to Iraqi forces. Step two is to remove our military bases from Iraq and to turn Iraqi oil over to Iraqis. Step three is to provide resources to the Iraqis to rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed in the war.
Congress must act. Although Congress never declared war, as required by the Constitution, they did give the president the authority to invade Iraq. Congress must now withdraw that authority and cease its funding of the war.
It is not likely, however, that Congress will act unless the American people make their voices heard with unmistakable clarity. That is the way the Vietnam War was brought to an end. It is the way that the Iraq War will also be brought to an end. The only question is whether it will be now, or whether the war will drag on, with all the suffering that implies, to an even more tragic, costly and degrading defeat. We will be a better, stronger and more decent country to bring the troops home now.
Walter Cronkite is the former long-time anchor for CBS Evening News. David Krieger is President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
We love you, Walter Cronkite!
Et tu, Walter…?
Walter, you get your butt back on TV right now!!!Show the Cowardly News Network and the Fake News Channel what a true journalist really is!!!
Nice to hear Walter confirm what most of the world has known since the start of the “war”. But don’t forget what Jack London wrote in his IRON HEEL: “You have forgotten the editors. They draw their salaries for the policy they maintain. Their policy is to print nothing that is a vital menace to the established. The newspapers will purge his heresy in the oblivion of silence. The press of the United States? It is a parasitic growth that battens on the capitalist class. Its function is to serve the established by moulding public opinion, and right well it serves it.”
Hoa binh
“Although Congress never declared war…”
Then why call it a war, Mr. Cronkite and Mr. Krieger? Why give it a status that it does not deserve?
Congress sort-of declared war with Public Law 107-243. Since the Constitution does not detail what language actually declares war it is reasonable to accept that an AUMF (Authorization to Use Military Force) is a declaration of war.
Doesn’t matter, anyway, the war ended 4 years ago. We met our war goals and the C-in-C declared victory (sort-of).
Don’t call it a war. That allows the “but we’re at war so we have to obey our leader” argument.
It is an occupation at the official request of the occupied.
Calling it war also helps those who want to confuse the issue by conflating our actions in Iraq with the other 2 wars we fight, the Constitutionally-declared fight against those who attacked us on 9/11 and the unConstitutional ‘war on terror’.
“End the occupation of Iraq”
Walter Cronkite was one of the last remaining national journalists. Now all we have are “news actors” shilling embedded propaganda — with the exception of Keith Olberman.
Cronkite’s dignitas adds much weight to the call for a withdrawl from Iraq and ad inquiry into the crimes of this administration.
Unfortunately this will be ignored by the media.
walter cronkite has been a well respected father figure for years…perhaps that is not what we should expect from out media, but he is and has been a voice of calm reason for decades….mr. cronkite, bill moyers and howard zinn should go on a national tour together….end the war with the people’s will….how the hell do we organize everyone to get out at the same time on the same day in cities across the country? what better day that the one we call christmas? a sacrifice worth ending the wars in iraq and afghanistan….
God Bless Our Walter Cronkite! If he hasn’t been given this nation’s highest honor as a civilian, it should be done before he dies. The Truth is the Truth is the Truth!
God Bless You, Walter!
A fine piece and they are correct.
However, there is one number which is very suspect and I wish someone would get the facts correct. I believe that it has been contended for some years now that there are injured soldiers to the tune of the upper 20 thousands. How could such a number be static for all these years of intense attacks against our soldiers? I wouldn’t be surprised if the number is double or triple the 28,000 mentioned in this article. Can someone in the press or in the blogosphere check this out and make it well known? Perhaps the Freedom of information act needs to be invoked. I am sure the bush administration and pentagon don’t want the truth known. And how many have PTSD or brain damage? Shouldn’t they be included too? Aren’t they injured?
Locust: not only was the war in Iraq illegal, as is the continued occupation, so was the war against Afghanistan. You wrote:
Calling it war also helps those who want to confuse the issue by conflating our actions in Iraq with the other 2 wars we fight, the Constitutionally-declared fight against those who attacked us on 9/11 and the unConstitutional ‘war on terror’.
Please tell me where and when Congress declared war against Afghanistan, and on what grounds? We were NOT attacked by the Afghan government (the Taliban). The UN Charter (which we wrote and signed, remember?)specifically forbids attacking a nation that did not attack us. In addition, the preparations for war against Afghanistan began in the summer of 2001, months BEFORE 9/11. That attack had more to do with a natural gas pipeline than it did in finding Osama. Funny how we don’t seem to care about him anymore. I will agree that the “war on terror” is simply a cover for expansion of the American empire, which we will pay dearly for in many ways in the years to come.
HawkNH
WAKE UP…THERE IS NO “WAR” IN IRAQ…the war was over in 2004.
Now there is only an endless occupation and rape of natural resources…
blueskies wrote: (H)ow many [soldiers] have PTSD or brain damage? …Aren’t they injured?
One could argue that they were injured before they joined to fight in Iraq. The National Guard is not, I would say, “attracting Americas finest”.
hawknh -
I pointed out what is, not what should be. There are arguments that the invasion of Iraq was illegal, and good ones at that. But the actual legislation was so badly-worded that Bush & Co. drove their unarmored Hummvees right through the gaping holes. Have you read Public Law 107-243?
Since you asked me about Afghanistan, here goes.
The troops in Afghanistan are fighting 2 conflicts (see, more confusion).
Public Law 107-40 (another AUMF) was a sort-of war declaration against those who supported the guys who attacked us on 9/11. (and a badly-worded piece of crap). Have you read it?
Bush & Co. used this AUMF to justify the Afghan invasion. That accounts for most of our troops fighting the Taliban.
Other troops are operating under UN-mandate to support the government of Afghanistan.
Whether the Iraq invasion was illegal or not, the war is over. That was my point.
Where I live, marines and ex-marines proliferate. As soon as someone mentions ‘war’ they start saluting their Commander-in-Chief.
‘End the war’ arguments bring the rebuttal ‘but we’re winning’.
Arguing against the continued ‘occupation’ of Iraq is much more likely to stop their automatic response and get them to listen, IMHO.
Good statement, I agree completely. War crimes trials for the perpatrators and their enablers.
And the ‘war on terror’, which was announced by Bush but never declared by Congress, is unConstitutional and Bush should be impeached for abrogating Congress’s Constitutional war-making power.
Bush & Co. increasingly use this ‘war’ as justification for everything everywhere, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Somalia to home-town USA.
Right on the money.
TV news has never been the same with out you Walter.
You are a true national treasure…
The people must take to the streets with massive demonstrations to make themselves heard.
It seems the Internet generation somehow thinks that typing on their computer will end the war.
Great article , thank you Walter for your wise advise. It seems for the past few years the american people have tried to make their voices heard by the mass protests in the major cities to end this insane occupation but congress refuses to listen and act and have gone along with the Bush administration even with the newly elected congress. How much more can our voices be heard ? I`ve come to the conclusion that things will not shift until the american people have had enough and decide to do something really brave like elect some true leaders in congress and throw out people like Nancy Pelosi and elect some level headed individuals like Cindy Sheehan. When its been decided that impeachment is off the table , it gives a clear messsage that they can do anything they want and this is becoming ever so clear. This is not right, and in the near future when we will look back at history to these times , the children will be asking why we were so asleep…What did we do to end this madness? How come we didn`t learn from the other huge mistake of Viet Nam? This war is not fair to the future generations , not fair to the iraqi people, not fair to the soldiers fighting and dying and not fair to the human spirit as a whole. i can see so many other ways to spend the billions and billions of dollars wasted each day to help make this planet and the inhabitants a much better home for all. It is indeed time to wake up before its too late.
The only ones I see who are close, are Keith Olberman and Lou Dobbs. I do hope our truly National Treasure of the media, is scheduled for some news programs this week and next. Even Fox could not make him appear to be wrong.
Wouldn’t it be great, if Walter Cronkite was to address our Congress on this most important issue? __ It certainly would be.
Amazing how Walter Cronkite can put the entire Iraq fiasco into just a few paragraphs. Every American should read this article. Voters should just CLEAN HOUSE in 2008! Any politicians in favor of continuing the war, are also in favor of bankrupting the United States. All of them will be voted out in 2008, I hope. The people who reelected Bush in 2004 have proven that they’re really too dumb to vote…but seriously folks, lets vote all these people out in 2008…it should have been done in 2004…we’d have saved a hell of a lot of money! Indict Bush & Cheney!
Too bad we can’t verify the 2004 election. If we could, maybe we could tax the people who voted Republican like three times more than everyone else…..to help pay for it! Anyone who voted for Bush can pay my share of the war!
KEMPATRICK: “The only ones I see who are close, are Keith Olberman and Lou Dobbs. I do hope our truly National Treasure of the media, is scheduled for some news programs this week and next. Even Fox could not make him appear to be wrong.
Wouldn’t it be great, if Walter Cronkite was to address our Congress on this most important issue? __ It certainly would be.”
Reply: I’m with you on Olberman, but you sure as hell have lost me on Dobbs. He’s a Bill O’Reilly wannabe xenophobe who defends Bush shills like Judy Miller and John Bolton (former UN ambassador). He loves people like Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo.
The Original Watershed Moment Of National Broadcast Media Truth
(That Walter-Cronkite-Type-Event in Journalism)
http://www.foggybog.com/movies/cronkite.html
Manipulation of public sentiment has been at the very heart of the White House’s entire Iraq war enterprise, and it will likely have a similar role in any enduring U.S. presence there. For those interested in a psychological analysis of this warmongering, I have recently completed a short YouTube video entitled “Resisting the Drums of War.” It examines how the Bush administration’s messaging targets five core concerns that often govern our lives–concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. The video describes their warmongering appeals and offers suggestions for how to counter them. It’s available for viewing HERE.
There will be a U.S. military presence in Iraq long into the future, 50+ years (same as Korea).
The American government has poured billions into building military bases and a massive embassy. They will not leave these behind. They will not leave the oil behind. They will not leave a threat to Israel behind.
Mr. Cronkite/Krieger, I agree with every point you made except your desire that “…the American people make their voices heard…” They will not because they are untouched by this war, at present. They will feel economic impact in 2-3 years.
The crux of the problem is that neither this administration, nor the start of the war (under King George I) were democratic in nature.
On what basis do we have to believe that democracy makes a difference now? There’s clearly a powerful nexus of the MSM, MIC, AIPAC, Bilderbergs/Trilaterals/PNAC/CFN groups. They do what they want.
ROY EIDELSON — Thank you so very much for posting your web site, as I had lost my bookmark. You are one our country’s unsung heros, and mine, for facing off against the beast.
Namaste … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Mahatma Gandhi … … … … … … … … … …
« We must be the change we wish to see in the world »
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“Step two is to remove our military bases from Iraq and to turn Iraqi oil over to Iraqis.”
Really, Walter, how naive can you get? Did you ever think we were there to “liberate” the Iraqi people? We are there and there for one reason only - to steal their oil via armed robbery. The permanent plutocracy doesn’t intend to leave Iraq. Ever. The Dims and the Repugs are both the running dogs of their corporate masters and will talk about withdrawal plans ad nauseum hoping the American public will finally forget all about it.
Let’s not forget the suicide epidemic happening with thousands of veterans taking their lives in the past several years upon returning home.
Their lives should be added to the list of soldiers who have given their lives for this corporate war of aggression to control natural resources.
This is what we are all about now. Resource wars. What a sad, shameful time to be an American. But you’d never know it listening to any of the Democrats running for President. Except Kucinich and Gravel.
Going along to get along. How do they sleep at night?
One of the good things about being over 40 is you probably have a memory of Walter Cronkite giving you the news every night. Journalism never was a more noble profession than during his broadcasts.
And as LBJ said, “”If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost America.” I wonder if Mr. Bush knows it.
Walter Cronkite will never get the medal of Freedom from bushcon. They have besmirched and sullied the very notion of exceptional service in the National interest.
I don’t agree with all of Lou Dobbs opinions on all people FOREXTRADER, I just believe he is truthful about issues and hammers on issues and covers important issues. He sure slams the Bush administration daily.
Thank you Walter. Thank goodness you’re still with us. My only hope is that you’ll be around long to see some justice done to these criminals, all of them, dems and the repubs.
As for the Courics, Williams, whatever is on ABC and the dregs from cable. Go to hell you spineless worms. You’re worthless.
Yes, indeed, bring the troops home, and send them to D.C. –to evict these bastards. (since voting won’t do it anymore)
PURVIS, I sure would never, ever, SUGGEST Walter Cronkite was naive. On the contrary.
Show us a person who has more honesty and common sense on any issue.
Cronkite didn’t say Bush would do any of the thnigs that should be done. He just in a very brief essay, explaniied what SHOULD be done and why they should. Perhaps you weren’t around when he anchored the best news team we ever had. Much of his reporting and astute opinions, were why Americans woke up and went against the administration and the war in Vietnam.
Someone wrote, We will feel the economics of the war in Iraq in a couple of years. I really do believe we have noticed it for a couple of years already. I also don’t believe we will even be a nation in a couple of years because of it if we don’t get our asses out of there now. Will Bush pull out? __ Never! Not unless Congress either impeaches him as is their sworn duty to do, or stops funding the war.
After leaving Iraq, the perps of this vicious attack need to put on trial for the world to see, lest We break faith with those who lay in Flanders Fields.
The War Criminals must be seen to be tried.
I grew up watching Walter “tell me how it was”
and I never had reason to doubt him. I always thought
he would be a great President. I’ve even voted
for him a few times (as a write in) when I just couldn’t
hold my nose tight enough to vote for either major
candidate.
All the talking heads on TV today, combined, don’t
have 1/2 the credibility or gravitas of Walter Cronkite.
Reporters like him no longer exist. They have been replaced by propagandists reading polished scripts
meant more to scare than inform.
“And thats the way it is”
“since1492 December 4th, 2007 12:13 pm
Nice to hear Walter confirm what most of the world has known since the start of the “war”. But don’t forget what Jack London wrote in his IRON HEEL:”
someone, possibly you, suggested reading this book. i ordered a copy. This one hundred yr old book, is as good as 1984, maybe better!
Walter ought to get together with his old pal Roger Mudd as well as Bill Moyers and all three should then go see Jimmy Carter and when they all have a press conference and call for the impeachment of both Bush and Cheney, perhaps the Congress will follow suit. Major Dems are still so afraid that they’ll get dusted with anthrax (from Fort Dietrich). They need a push. The two prevaricating bastards need to be frog marched out of the White House.
That may a good idea. But I would actually rather see Walter Cronkite do it alone. It would be just him, with little for ANY to be critical of. keep the politicians out of it. Just Walter, the press and the Congress for an audience.
The Iraq war plan to keep oil prices down worked just great, didn’t it? Of course, if you and your friends are in the oil business, it has worked out just great.
The people spoke in 2006. Those in Congress must find to courage to act, or they must be voted out of office.
Our only shot at partial redemption is to impeach, and in doing so, we may even save the Constitution - maybe.
Susan Frishkorn
Pensacola, Fl.
We are in danger of losing our republic as evidenced by a president not responsive to the will of the people and an acquiescent public. Where is the fierce resistance demanded by the circumstances? Why are there not nationwide protest, taking the fight to the street? We often hear reports of ‘the Arab street’, where is the report of ‘the American street’? Many times people have dropped everything else to rush to protect their rights, liberty, their way of life. Now we find the rush is to the mall. We have grown satisfied, lazy and seemingly undisturbed with just how dangerous our situation is. Iraq is festering, Iran is threatened and America is asleep!
“What kind of world do you want our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to inherit? If you are like me, you want them to inherit a peaceful planet earth.
“Imagine a world free of nuclear weapons. Imagine a world where the United States led a Coalition of the Willing not to invade another country, but to respond to pressing concerns like climate change, poverty and sustainable development.”
Those are words from a new letter written by Walter Cronkite. Read more at www.wagingpeace.org, the web site of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
I fear the problem is far more serious than most Americans wish to acknowledge. We grew up with the firm belief, that America truly was the best, the land of the free and the home of the brave, America the beautiful. As children, we believed that and of course children usually grow up with beliefs they have garnered in childhood and retain those beliefs until they have been kicked several times. The kicking has about reached that level.
We average Americans do not wish to believe that we have lost any Democracy we had gained over the past 220 some years. We do not wish to believe our president and his staff, purposfully lied and altered intelligence reports to enable him to invade Iraq. Most of the American public is totally unaware of sites such as this one. Most do not really know the truths and if some do, not as soon as those who read on this type of site do. Is that truly their fault? With an open mind, I say no, it is not. The fault lies primarily with our once free press and our media, who have allowed themselves to be purchased by the most wealthy and are strictly controlled by their owners.
Nevertheless there are some people in the press and media, who are honorable, and slowly they are now beginning to speak out, as our beloved Walter Cronkite did when he chaired the best and most honest news team America has ever known. We now need one like Bob Woodward to write the truth in a major newspaper and write it daily.
Perhaps Woodward or another respected journalist will once again do what they know is right, either themselves, or insure an honest reporter does. That is the only way for the vast majority of Americans, to become informed, become angry and become involved. Only then will they listen to the Cindy Sheehans, the Dennis Ks and the Keith Olbermans, and believe what they are saying.
Edit please.
Well said Kem.
You’re right Kem, but Woodward’s the wrong guy for the job. None could be more passive toward White House authority than Bob W.
Cronkite’s one of the greatest. But “Our troops must leave Iraq”? In our dreams. We’re there until they kick us out kicking and screaming. Let’s hope that day comes soon, since impeachment will never come for these criminals. The sooner we acknowledge total humiliation and war crimes guilt in Iraq, the sooner we can try to salvage any remnant of credibility in the world. Failing that, we’re summarily fucked.
I read Bob Woodwards book about Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell and the Army generals before they invaded Iraq EPHRAIM. Woodward BLASTED all of them, the only one who made a lick of sense was Powell. By page 30 I wanted to puke because of the utter stupidity of Rumsfeld and Bush.
Actually, they blasted themselves, the book was exerpts, taken from taped interviews of all of them. So, I don’t know why Woodward would change his tune since then. Unless, he or his family had been threatened with their lives perhaps. I have a problem believing Woodward would cave in to a threat, or could be bought. __ I dunno why you think that of Woodward?
Woodward is the wrong guy to offer up as a protector of freedom of speech. He was involved in the spread of information concerning Valerie Plame. He sat on information that the special prosecutor was after and it had nothing to do with protecting freedom of speech. Hell, he even hid it from his editor. Bob Woodward is loyal to Bob Woodward. Walter Cronkite stands far above 99% of reporters today. I would cite Seymour Hersh as a good example today. You may remember he broke the My Lai massacre in Viet Nam in Nov 1969. You may also remember that Capt. Colin Powell was the Army officer sent to investigate and found nothing. So much for men of integrity!
“We must ask ourselves whether continuing to pursue this war is benefiting the American people or weakening us.”
Must we?
Isn’t that kind of like bank robber asking himself whether or not he can make it to the getaway car once the alarms are blazing and one of his accomplices has been shot by a security guard?
If he drops his gun and his bag of money and turns himself in is it because he’s had a sudden change of heart and wants to do the right thing, or is it because he feels he can no longer succeed with his crime?
What we really need to ask ourselves is why we’re analyzing this problem in terms of cost vs. benefit, instead of right vs. wrong.
The US will never leave Iraq unless the Iraqi Resistance can destroy their military. That means killing as many American soldiers as possible. The military is the governments’ goon squad, the enforcer. Unfortunately, the complete and total destruction of the American military establishment is the only solution, just as the destruction of the Wehrmacht was the solution to beating Hitler in WWII.
The attack upon Iraq is about money and power. Military bases give the US the ability to threaten or attack other countries in the region as well as protect their cronies in Saudi, Jordan, etc.
Iraq as we all know, has massive amounts of oil but what we hardly ever hear about is the fact that Iraq also possesses massive amounts of WATER. Iraq is the only middle eastern country besides Egypt that has such a large volume of water, and in that region, water is more precious than gold or oil. I would imagine that the Israelis would be more interested in water than oil.
The neocons want to attack Iran in order to roll back Russia and China as well as to have a chokehold on the economies of Europe. Europe gets most of its oil from Iran, ergo… As well, Germany trades very heavily with Iran. What I think is so dangerous about attacking Iran is that it will bring other people into the conflict, ie. Russia. I don’t think that Russia would just sit by and let the US invade Iran. Iran shares borders with Russia. After all, would the US allow China to invade Mexico or Canada?
This is a war, it’s not just an occupation. It’s a war against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a war of pure conquest. It’s a war to control the world. If the Americans leave Iraq, when they do leave it will be worse for The Iraqis than it is now because out of spite the Americans will destroy everything they can so that there is almost nothing left. In North Korea they killed 25 percent of the population. They destroyed all of its factories, dams and infrastructure. People were literally relegated to living in holes in the ground and they are still suffering today from the effects of that war.
They make a desert and call it peace -Tacitus
By the way, did anyone know that Iraq has a plentiful supply of uranium? With all that uranium in Iraq, why would Saddam have to go to Niger?
Educate yourself. Knowledge is power. They count on ignorance to be able to do what they do.
KEM PATRICK
Thank you for your post displaying slavish admiration for Mr. Kronkite and his “astute” opinions without addressing a single point I brought up.
I am usually more entertained by the commentary than the actual articles and today’s no exception. Thank you all. I spend more time on the comments than the articles; I sometimes have to scroll up to remind myself what the original article was about! LOL
I grew up on Walter Cronkite and while I don’t ’slavishly’ believe every word that drops from his lips I do believe he was a shining example of a real journalism star. I looked up to him and a few others as a teen when I wanted to be a journalist. That dream died when mass media decided the news hour was not about informing the American people but about getting and keeping the audience glued to ‘the set’ - in other words, entertainment - so that they could sell commercial airtime and make money from it. (A similar fate happened to newspapers.)
It all comes down to money doesn’t it… this is exactly what has ruined the idea of this country (which was never perfect and never truly lived up to its own ideals, though you could argue that it tried from time to time).
I have maintained since 2002 that this war was not ‘badly run’ - in fact it has gone exactly the way the neocons wanted it to. Shock and Awe wasn’t just for the Iraqis and Afghans, it was also, and most especially, for us.
Read the two Naomi’s. I am planning on giving these two books away for xmas. If I must spend money, which is harder to come by today than ever, then I will do so by supporting the real reporters still out there who should be heard.
In summation: Kill your television! You can get your news from the internet. Real news. The average American doesn’t get news, it gets entertainment. Don’t support those who see you as nothing more than consumers who have no right to the truth, those who would twist the meanings of words so hard that you no longer know what they mean when they say it, those who see the dead, dying, and damaged as nothing more than ‘collateral’ …
And for the sake of all the forgotten gods, DONT VOTE FOR THE CORPORATOCRACY!
You are most welcme PURVIS Aimes, however I had no intention of addressing your opinions. I only wished to address your comment, that Walter Cronkite was naive, which is an opinion only am un-astute, misinformed, self centered idiot would post. Thank you for being obtuse and making me feel much better for writing my comment.
I don’t care what Bob Woodward has done, I care about what he could do. I repeat, if a journalist at a major newspaper would begin a front page series of articles about the issues of what Bush has done and is doing, it would wake us Americans up. Whether it be Woodward or a cub reporter as he was when he wrote the stories about Watergate.
I did not disagree with you other observations PURVIS, but that was not what Walter Cronkite was addressing. He was saying what we should do, not what Bush may do.
KEM PATRICK
Are you familiar with the term “logorrhea”?
The veterans of Bush’s War On Iraq will be the shock troops of facism in America.
Yep, are you familiar with the terms ignorance, stupitidy, closed mindedness, and scroll on by if you don’t like it. Look em up.
TO THE COMMENT-PULLER OF COMMONDREAMS:
You missed one –up toward the top–
Artist General December 4th, 2007 3:52 pm
The Original Watershed Moment Of National Broadcast Media Truth
(That Walter-Cronkite-Type-Event in Journalism)
http://www.foggybog.com/movies/cronkite.html
Though I loved the country of milk and honey!
Though I loved the people whom I lived with almost a year!
Though I tried to stay in the state as an immigrant!
I now HATE AMERICA?
Unfortunately I discovered very late that the SATIN EVIL of the world is USA
An idiot president, led by a group of NEOCONS, and AIPAC
and a bunch of jew`s dragons in the economic sector who are planning to not only destroying the world but also destroying America as well
until days ago The War in Iraq Costs
$474,191,384,398
and yet their is a huge problems facing the American citizens: 1- look first at the Dollar! 2- and the never before collapse of the SE markets 3 -and also mortgage rates
4-and never to forget the rising of unemployment among the citizens who replaced by cheaper foreigners 5- do Americans totally overcome the Missisipie catastroph ???
6- Let`s not forget that this war had left more than 32000 American family suffering because of the death or injury of whom they loved hence what are the problem that they are going to cause to the community as they mostly mentally sick! 7- most of the American enterprises ran out to China
The largest debtor to the State
8- What is the debts of the USA and is it considered danger or not
9- Securing the oil flow!? securing energy!? A BIG LIE!!
You has the one of the largest oil reserves in the world and not only that, you have the potential of producing green energy as you have amazing sunny deserts of Nevada + the Winds that blow the year round
Why the American governments look at what the others had in their hands instead of using what in their hands ( jewish way of thinking)
YOU Americans has the largest weapons of mass destruction in the universe either nuclear, chemical, and biological not only that but you are the suppliers of nuclear materials to Israel, and the chemical weapons to Iraq ( Ramsefild)
You uses nuclear energy for electricity, and hence you trying to ban Iran from using it !?
Double standards allowing ISRAEL ( the American State), and India of having Nuclear weapons? Why??????????????
Giving Israel the unconditional support of killing the Palestinians in a genocide that never happen before
Speaking about American Democracy, But did not recognize HAMAS which won the Palestinian elections under the supervision of your late president CARTER
you are offending Putin ! why because he is a national Russian person leading his country out of your hemisphere and building up his country
WHERE ARE YOU LEADING THE WORLD TO!?
We are in the same boat, living at the same earth and having the same skies above our heads
Please, Do NOT FORGET The GOD Of US all
Irak; what a mess. Since WW-II while the rest of the world was spending their government budgets on residents’ health care, we’ve been policing the world to ensure that (mostly) US corporations have access to safe and cheap raw materials. Yep, your health care went instead to destroying Iraq.
i cannot believe the bashing we as americans do to our own president -and ELECTED officials!!! if you dont have a better stratagy that gets US out of this mess ,WE as a people put us in ….why give the bash????!!
im not saying i disagree or i dont…im saying i agreed (with most of the nation)when we went in..after 9/11.
if all we as a nation hear is bashing of our ELECTED officials…then of course WE as a nation will never believe in OURSELVES as a nation!
if the media propaganda would focus on SOMETHING GOOD to report …we wouldnt have a defeatis attitude. thats all im sayin.
emadbassim….if u dont like our “milk and honey”…if you HATE americans…DONT COME BACK!!!!
Looks like the ‘knuckledraggers’ are back!
Cronkite and Krieger put forth a great argument for bringing our troops home and ending the War in Iraq. They lay out the steps to do so. But they are not the first ones to write about Iraq and what the American people should do. The American people are in agreement. Congress knows that, yet a male who grew up privileged and slid by in getting a degree from Yale, and slid by getting out of serving in Vietnam and even getting out early from the guard, and who has had a problem with alcoholism, and who swaggers and jokes about important issues which are taking young lives, is still running this country. CRONKITE and KRIEGER you must write the article calling forIMPEACHMENT of the Vice-President and President — that would take courage from you!
Washbreeze - I will answer your questions. When our elected officials lose the trust of the American people, they deserve to be bashed. And, no administration has been so unworthy of maintaining that trust than the current one.
As far as having a better strategy to offer, this is not a deep question. I am an American combat veteran from the Vietnam war. I saw this mistake coming a mile away. There were many others who did as well. This was very easy for any objective analyst. Many reports actually got the story right, but their stories ran on the back pages. The media outlets also let the American people down. If they had been doing their jobs, we probably would have escaped this current mess. But, the solution is simple, quit spending money like we are going to remain in Iraq as a neo-colonial power, and begin an exit plan. Just what Mr Cronkite and Krieger are suggesting.
Mr. Cronkite,
Please video record this and post it on YouTube, Google Video and other online video outlets.
The American people need your wisdom and words now more than ever and if we can’t have you on television or radio, we must have you on the internet.
Thank you for your service to our country over the years. Speaking the truth takes courage and you, sir, have more courage in your words than anyone at Fox Noise could ever have.
ShelaghC
He may be old, but he can still hit the nail on the head and drive it in hard!
Would anyone care to offer their opinion/perspective as to why, when the invasion of Iraq is clearly nothing less than an “illegal military action”, the members of the news media refer to it as a “war”? Come on - how about a little “truth in advertising!