The Pentagon’s Corrupt Sock Puppet ‘Military Analysts’ Exposed
In Sunday’s New York Times, investigative reporter David Barstow exposes television’s “military analysts” on the Iraq War as sock puppets of the Pentagon who consciously peddle the Bush administration’s talking points on Iraq while hiding their own vested economic interest in selling the public on the Bush administration’s happy talk about the war.
This very long and very well-documented story lays bare the most blatantly obnoxious feature of the “Military-Industrial-Media Complex” which ensures that the airwaves convey the administration’s major messages on the war day in a day out. The story should mobilize the blogosphere and news media figures who still have some integrity to demand immediate reform of a massively corrupt network system of covering military affairs.
For starters, the networks should be forced to fire every “military analyst” who has been recruited accepted all-expenses-paid trips to Iraq, uncritically mouthed the administration talking points while concealing their special relationship or maintained vested financial interests in Pentagon contracts through business relationships with contractors.
Based on 8,000 pages of email messages, transcripts and records, Barstow recounts a successful effort by Donald Rumsfeld’s Pentagon to use retired military officers to create a “media Trojan horse” on the Iraq War. Not only did the “military analysts” routinely violate basic ethical standards of journalism by accepting trips completely arranged and paid for the administration; they were consciously participating in its strategy to manipulate public opinion by regurgitating the pro-war arguments they were given in top-level official briefings — which they had to promise to keep secret.
But even worse, Barstow shows how they had a personal financial stake in parroting the administration’s war propaganda. He reports that several dozen military analysts who appear constantly on Fox, CNN and other networks and invariably support the administration’s line “represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants.”
Even when they knew they were being fed Pentagon BS, these agents of the war system could not utter a critical word about administration policy. They were afraid of retribution from Pentagon officials who could affect contracts for which their companies were competing. One corrupted former television analyst told Barstow he refrained from even the slightest criticism of the Pentagon’s policies because of the fear “some four-star could call up and say, ‘Kill that contract.’”
Several of these officers told Barstow that even the “mildest criticism” would bring telephone calls expressing official displeasure within minutes of being on the air. When one analyst went so far as to say that the United States was “not on a good glide path right now” in Iraq, the Pentagon immediately “fired” him from the analysts group which had received privileged access to high-ranking administration officials.
In the most egregious cases, such as retired Air Force general Thomas G. McInerney of Fox News, “analysts” operated just like employees of the Pentagon. McInenery assured the Pentagon in an e-mail in late 2006 that he would use in his on-air appearances the latest talking points that he had just been given.
The story of the Pentagon’s “media Trojan horse” should bring overwhelming public pressure for the immediate termination of any “military analyst” who has been compromised by links with the Pentagon and/or its business allies. The television networks should adopt transparent rules about who can and can’t be hired as analysts on military issues that would keep out paid agents of the war system. Unfortunately the networks themselves appear to be such an integral part of that system that they couldn’t care less about conflicts of interest.
Dr. Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on U.S. national security policy who has been independent since a brief period of university teaching in the 1980s. Dr. Porter is the author of four books, the latest of which is Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam (University of California Press, 2005). He has written regularly for Inter Press Service on U.S. policy toward Iraq and Iran since 2005.
Copyright © 2008 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.
I hope that this is not the first time my fellow readers have heard this uncomfortable story. The major owners of media outlets are members of the Council on Foreign Relations as are many major military contractors and many from our current administration. One of their stated goals, posted on their website, is to influence public opinion. Hell, Cheney was the director of this so called “think tank” for several years. With the smallest amount of research Dr. Porter’s financial connections paint an obvious picture of a conflict of interest. Not only are we talking about media owners but influential faces that report your news, like Tom Brokaw. It is impossible for the major media to report objective material when at the end of their leashes are the ones who enslave us with constant war.
The story made the front page of the local newspaper but not the website, probably because it’s the New York Time’s story. It’s not as important for Common Dreams readers to read it as it is for those who don’t read this website.
Too bad a hacker couldn’t hack into CNN when they have a military analyst on and have the ticker at the bottom of the screen read “I’m just regurgitating what the White House told me to say. I just pretend I’m independent but I really need you to support this war because my company depends on it.” Actually, someone oughta make that into a video. Splice parts of the NYT article with footage of the talking heads.
The U.S. government uses the media to disseminate lies and propaganda? Say it ain’t so! Next thing you know you’ll be telling me that guy from the Vatican is a Catholic. Sadly, all this article really deserves is a cynical ho-hum. It’s too late (as usual) to prevent the last war, and most Americans will have forgotten all about it by the time the next rush-to-war comes along.
anybody up for a class action suit against the arms industry, say for reckless endangerment of the american people?
Want policy like this to change? Stop watching the programs that disseminate the lies and don’t buy the sponsors products.
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posted comment 9 @:
http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/3354/81/
Along with the revelations during the Libby trial, as to the methods used by Cheney’s office, with this article in the Times, a clear picture emerges of the draconian depths and sophistication of the methods used by the BushCorp thugs to manipulate and direct the media and by extension the public. Time to wake up and Demand action. This is 1984 mind control come to life.
Wake up!
Intentionally loud and improper,
egon
WILLY BILLY: Those who post here are largely an informed, “awakened” citizenry… but the hypnotic spell must be broken by those who are not well informed and think they are getting unbiased true news reports.
Which neocon made a statement about the soft form of militarism being deployed as an actual dis-information campaign wherein no one (including US citizens) would know fact from fiction for sure. THAT mission has been accomplished.
I would like to credit playwright BILL C. DAVIS who early on, just when the hooplah FOR war was getting started, penned a piece published here on CD that saw this strategy in its nascent stages. It was entitled, “Generals: On Stage!” His double entendre, offered from the playwright’s tool box implied the generals were the ones back stage awaiting their appointed curtain calls. All appropriate measures had to be addressed to make the case, FIX the case for war. This ones several purposes all of dubious interest on any patriotic citizen with eyes wide open.
These Generals profess their respect and admiration for our men and women in uniform yet they broadcast propaganda they disagree with and in some cases know is not true and have sold out to their military contractor bosses for money. They disgust me.
In writing to all of the corporate media outlets, I requested a reply. To date, not one has been received. Their continued silence cannot be construed as denial; it’s probably because they think this is “old news” and everyone was already aware of it. The larger issues, as I see it, are the fact that none of the persons interviewed for the story expressed any shame or guilt for their conduct and that there is no guilt evident in the corporate media for walking away from their most basic tenant: to inform. The NYT doesn’t get my kudos for printing the story either; although they have already apologized for not asking enough questions in the run-up to the bombing, words are only words and bombs kill.
When we saw these “analysts” on CNN and other outlets, commenting on minute by minute developments we thought; something is not right here. First, when the bombing began, there was actual video footage everyone saw and we wondered where is it really coming from? All networks seemed to have the same angle and location. And how in a country that is controlled by a Military Dictator did the news media get a front row seat to film the extensive nightime bombing? How did the people sending in feeds from cell phone cameras know where to be for the filming? How did they know beforehand which targets were to be bombed so they could be just in the right place at the right time? It didn’t make sense. It seemed like the entire thing was staged for a targeted viewing audience.
Why don’t those military analysts go back to the “protection” of the “Green Zone” and give us more minute by minute live video feeds? You want to know why? Because the opposition will use them as targets probably bomb them to send us a message. That’s why. It’s not safe there at all. No wonder the State Department employees don’t want to go back there. Why doesn’t CNN open a bureau there inside the Green Zone? After all, that’s where the news is.
SRD
http://www.bccmeteorites.com/misconduct-planetary.html