What do you think of the media's coverage of the Iraqi war?

Question

The media has been sure to play up the left's opposition to the Iraqi war. General Petrais has said that it is working and we need to finish what we started.

Compare that to these excerpt from a well know General in the North Vietnames Army Memories

How many of you remember the name General Giap from the North Vietnamese army? General Giap, G-i-a-p is how you spell it, but pronounce it General Giap. He was a very famous, knowledgeable general in the North Vietnamese army. He's published his memoirs and here's a pull quote: "What we still don't understand is why you Americans stopped the bombing of Hanoi. You had us on the ropes. If you had pressed us a little harder, just for another day or two, we were ready to surrender. It was the same at the battle of Tet. You defeated us. We knew it. We thought you knew it. But we were elated to notice that your media was definitely helping us. They were causing more disruption in America than we could in the battlefield.

We were ready to surrender. You had won." He makes the point the Vietnam War was not lost in Vietnam; it was lost here. ( In the U.S)

Will the American people allow a repeat?

Answer 1

Only an idiot would be gullible enough to actually believe that the media is portraying things "as they really are". I saw how reporters behaved in Iraq, when I was there. The majority of them were very rude to us, at times haughty; they expected us to wait on them hand and foot, to fall over ourselves to protect them and give them whatever they wanted. They usually stayed in the country for only a few days at best--most of them in the Green Zone or other heavily-protected areas--with the goal of getting the footage they came there to get. Most come to shoot scenes of carnage. Once they get it, they leave (if only they would STAY away). There's no question that the antics of the American media are a direct compromise and threat to the safety of troops in combat, as well as a source of encouragement for those we're trying to fight and trying to stop.

The American media, and those of like mind, have no interest in this war nor in the outcome, in terms of the facts and what's really going on there, and what could happen as a result of their actions. All they care about is scoring some sort of petty domestic "victory"; making their favored candidates look good, and pandering to the lowest common denominator. This sort of thing was termed as "muckraking" a hundred years ago or so and it hasn't changed.

The best possible thing that could help our mission in Iraq succeed--and with noticable, quick results--is a complete media blackout. Doing so would not only cut off one of the main sources of OSINT intelligence the enemy use to gather on us, but also cut off a source of encouragement to them, and morale detriment to us. But, of course, you'd never hear of THAT being allowed to happen.

Had the media been allowed to interfere with past wars our country has been in, the outcomes of those wars would have been drastically different, and the consequences dire.

Answer 2

The media, including Hollywood, has decided it is their God-given right to report the truth, that the American public has the "right to know" what is happening, regardless of threatening national security. Yet, they decide what their version of the truth is. The war is not the only issue derailed with their partial truth protocol.

Examples:
For every person killed with a gun, five people are saved by people who own guns.

They report about a priest touching kids, but how often do you hear about sacrifices other clergy make to improve the situation of mankind.

Hollywood produces movies with sex and violence. Have you ever seen a sex seen where the people involved are practicing safe sex? Have you seen a movie where the "hero" practices safe firearm handling?

How about the politicians? There are some that are really making a difference. Are their actions ever reported?

How about all the volunteer organizations (Red Cross, BSA, Salvation Army) that spend time and money helping others. Most people do not know that when the Red Cross responds to a disaster, the volunteers are taking time away from family and job. We never hear about there services unless something got screwed-up.

While we enjoy the freedom of the press, the American public, as a whole, are the most mis-informed people on earth. For all of the communication advances and luxuries the American public has, we really suck at knowing the facts.

The only cure is for individuals to agressively research media options that voice all the truth, and not only portions. We can't depend on the media to change and do accurate reporting.

Answer 3

Actually, I do remember the coverage of Viet Nam...not the first time in our history that the Fourth Estate influenced foreign policy, but until now, certainly the least American. The biggest problem with Viet Nam, besides the fact that we had no national interest there, was that first Kennedy, then Johnson, committed troops without either a clear cut goal, or permission to win. In my opinion, it amounted to treason.

I have spoken with a great many people who have either been deployed, or are related to someone who has been, and when they get back, they are all shocked to find out that nothing they have done has been reported accurately. I think the news anchors in this country would sooner give up their manhood than be positive and ACCURATE.

And to those who say it is a quagmire....I don't know about them, but I was listening at the beginning when the President said this would not be over quickly.. The "Mission Accomplished" remark was totally twisted out of shape by people who have never served, and therefore do not understand that the MISSION does not EQUAL the WAR.

One thing for sure, so long as Hollywood exists, we will never run out of Jane Fondas, Sean Penns, Alec Baldwins, Barbra Streisands......What ever happened to their campaign promises to leave if Bush was re-elected?? I was going to offer to drive them to the airport.

Answer 4

The media with the exception of Glen Beck all suck they only report things that make the military and America look bad. There was nothing on yahoo for like a week about Iraq then boom soldiers kill civilians in firefight. Nothing about the good things that are happening. If u wanna know whats going on in Iraq ask someone who has been there and fought not the media.

Answer 5

I remember serving in a Brigade TOC in Iraq. We had CNN running 24/7 and we frequently wondered if they were talking about the same country was the one we were in.

The media appears to have made the decision that a defeat in Iraq will generate greater profits for them and help their chosen political candidates.

Answer 6

attempt a recruiting center and enlist, take photographs, and make a weblog. Then possibly you will understand that surfing photographs and examining blogs won't do **** to your understanding of what its like. thank you for taking part in. If anybody is entering into worry its for violating OPSEC and that they are morons. there replaced right into a dude in my employer that took photos of a burning Bradley that still had 5 dudes in it and then blogged approximately it. Yeah, he went from sergeant to private.

Answer 7

I hate the media, especially CNN, all they focus on is the negatives that make our members of the armed forces look like the bad guys, they never point out any of the good deeds that our military members accomplish, in my opinion, they are a bunch of anti American and anti military pukes who have nothing better to do, its pretty bad when you can deface the very people who protect society and risk their lives, but then make celebrities who are worthless look like they are a great contribution to our society.

Answer 8

The media coverage of the Iraq war has been deplorable at best. I no longer watch any TV because I became so sick and tired of their lies, deceit, either half or completely untruths.

Answer 9

My issue isn't the way the war is being fought (or portrayed), but how much its costing ($473 billion+ currently) just to hang Saddam Hussein and the lies used to get us into the war in the first place.

Funny, that most of the reasons why you don't hear the 'feel good' stories coming out of Iraq is that the media is too afraid to leave the green zone, which includes Fox as well.

Just look what happened to Bob Woodward of ABC News. Went from national news anchorman to taping stories about wounded soldiers because he can no longer think and speak at the same time.

Answer 10

The media ia anti American, so I don't like it.