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.
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Yes, these military analysts who were paid large sums and then force-fed propaganda by the military should be fired. I would rather hear from mid-level officers whom I know are accountable and can be trusted. We hear the government line all to often. Journalism must clean up its standards, as it is falling rapidly in public esteem and this fact is unfortunate because it is often the only check on government.
Great article in the NYT and great post.
This so-called "patriotic shilling for wars" goes back into history. I happened to watch Masterpiece Theater last nigh on PBS. "My Boy Jack" captures the true story of Rudyard Kipling best know for his "The Jungle Book" series and his rousing "patriotism." Kipling had the ear of King George V and consulted on "high-level strategies to manage WW I propaganda." Kipling's political fervor extended to his family as he maneuvered a commission for his severely myopic son Jack who was only 17 years old and had been repeatedly turned down by the medical boards.
In September 1915 Jack was killed in action after having been in France for only three weeks.
The first news of casualties before Jacks enlistment were intentionally released as evidence of the need for more, volunteers. What was concealed was the fact that the British command was grossly incompetent causing tens of thousands of needless deaths from wet gunpowder, rifles that didn't fire, confusion on the battle field. Anyway, Kipling 's son paid the ultimate price. He was 18 plus one day old at the time of his leading an assault on a machine gun nest armed only with a pistol and leading a few others who were cut down. Jack lost his glasses so he took a few more fatal rounds.
The "message multipliers" and the cycle of government employees rotating into media or other regulatory agencies is a specialty of Donald Rumsfeld.
Is this news? I thought everyone who was paying attention had already figured this out.
It is news to me only in the sense that I had not seen such good objective documentation of these "journalists" perfidy. It is so obvious from looking at them on TV that yes, anyone who is at least minimally informed & has at least an iota of critical thinking could not be fooled for a minute. But there are many who lack information about the invasion or have screened it so they only hear what fits in with a right wing NASCAR/selfish/wannabe he-man point of view. Many apparently live thru identification with the attack machine, don't care what the "news" represents, and believe that people from foreign countries are easy bait for killing if it feeds the USA ego. A major cultural shift is needed, so that what is "acceptable" to be believed is changed, and it should start with outing and ousting the manipulative con men of the media.
Immortal Technique: Revolutionary Vol 2 (2003)
``The fourth branch of the government AKA the media
Seems to now have a retirement plan for ex-military officials
As if their opinion was at all unbiased``
So it looks like Rappers arenot so clueless after all
I have asked this question many times to all of you, "What would you do if you knew beyond any doubt, that your Nations leaders where running a criminal enterprise in and with your government for the benifit of a handful of Power drunk Robber Barons"?
The answer is clear. NOTHING. All of you share in the responsibility for these atrocities. Every person that knows the truth and has done nothing, has a share in the blood of the innocent, has a share in the loss of our Nation. What will you tell your children and your grandchildren when they ask what happened to our Country, to our Freedom.
If all you have done these last seven years is complain, know this, your words fall on ears stopped up full of the money from the masses, drained from them via the schemes cleverly concealed in broad daylight.
And you did nothing, hold on to your asses you masses, your about to reap the whirlwind of your inaction.
Wow! Even though my bullshit sensor has gone off years ago, its good to find out there was truth to my hunches. Is it alright to say "Goddamn America" yet?
You should do an expose on Wesley Clark, Al Jazeera's sock puppet.
What else should we expect in a nation that hands over half its annual budget to the death merchants?
We used to rightly criticize and fear other nations who behaved as we do now.
We have become our own, and the world's, worst nightmare.
Hey christian nationalists, what part of "Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword" don't you understand?
Just another integral aspect of the science of "Mass marketing". If you see it on T.V., it must be true!
Do you want to know the saddest part of this story? It's not news to the MSM. A quick check of Google News listed a grand total of 109 articles, with most of that being international news services that picked it up on the wire. MSNBC, as far as I can tell, was the only media outlet besides Huff Post (and obviously the New York Times) that actually deemed it newsworthy. The Washington Post and CBS mentioned it, but it's not even linked to on their respective front pages. CNN, Fox, ABC... nothing lol
Face it. This story is going to die a dog's death and never be heard from again. The outraged public reaction it should launch will never happen. The media and the military-industrial complex are like an old married couple who finish each other's sentences.
Our Nation is lost. Cowards and cronies fill the ranks of our citizenry.
We are a Nation of self indulgent whiners, with no clue in the concept of sacrifice. When the suffering that will come to the multitudes as a result of the blind unbridled greed they have been a part of. The People have sold the soul of the Nation in exchange for a mere moment of comfort that is gone. Stupid, lazy, and afraid, these are the qualities a cabal of Robber Barons have counted on when setting their plans in motion with deliberate determination. "Mission Accomplished" America is, LOST!
Another jewel in the crown of the Bush legacy
Thank you for posting this article and bringing attention to the Times piece. I clicked on the link and read through every word of that 11 page article. I feel like vomiting.
If any of you have not read the times article, read it now. It is so powerful that it can even give a jaded, long-time Bush hater like me a reason to hate this administration more than I already do (and that's not easy).
PS - if you can't read the times article because of the annoying "free registration" requirement, go to bugmenot.com to get access.
And this is a surprise to absolutely no one.
Shoulda, woulda coulda, if we wern't all robot sheep rasied on lies, drugs and, look its a tit!
Is this expected to be a shock to anyone?
The real meaning behind...
..."Shock and Awe"!!!!!!!!!!!
(We are shocked by the lies and in awe of their hubris)
BINGO! So that's what they meant!!!!
Excellent shanghaislim!
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