Memorial Day
To all those fallen on the field of honor, we at Abu Muqawama salute you.
America, meanwhile, is trying its best to forget the wars in which your brethren are currently fighting:
Abu Muqawama spent some time in the 31st Infantry, which fought just one battle in the Second World War. Of course, that battle was Bataan. The soldiers used to sing the following song:According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s News Coverage Index, coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has slipped to 3 percent of all American print and broadcast news as of last week, falling from 25 percent as recently as last September.
It was also pointed out that when Katie Couric, CBS’s embattled anchor, went to Iraq to report the story, she and her network were rewarded with their lowest ratings in over 20 years. Hollywood producers who had hoped there would be a public interest in cinematic perspectives on this war have been similarly punished.
We're the Battling Bastards of Bataan,
No mama, no papa, no Uncle Sam,
No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces,
No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces,
And nobody gives a damn.
Here's looking at you, soldier in Iraq.
12 comments:
Dear AM:
I thought the piece in the NY Times that you linked by David Carr was excellent.
But I have to ask you, AM, based on your comments to the article and the greater issue at hand, what do you want? I asked the same question of Captain Tim Hsia in a SWJ blog posting a few months ago where he lamented the lack of concern in American society over the wars in Iraq and Astan and the garden variety sentiment by many of us who serve, and fight, that the "American military is at war while the rest of America is at the mall."
Well again, to those of us who serve and some even who fight, what do we want? What is it that we are we asking for from our country?? More TV coverage of the wars in Iraq and Astan? More parades on Memorial Day? What???
I share the frustrations that many of us feel on this Memorial Day. As I was driving to my office this morning to do a bit of work I had the radio on. There was much talk about the great weather for the day, about folks getting cranked up to do the traditional grilling and drinking, even some talk about memorial day parades to view; but alas, not one mention of what the day is really about. Nothing new here but Memorial Day to Americans is not about remembering but an event that presents an opportunity to do something else other than work. It is simply a day off.
We can lament this fact, those of us who serve, and have served. We can decry it, get angry at it, call for greater attention from the American people for what the day means. But what good will that do, we have been saying such things for the past 6 years and nobody is really listening. And why should they.
Do you want to know why? The simple fact of the matter, and this is not a policy statement, but a statement of fact. The American people are not morally tied to these two wars in Astan and Iraq because deep down where it counts, their sons and daughters do not have to (that is to say they are not compelled by the state through conscription) to face the possibility of fighting and dying. And therefore hard decisions over the righteousness of these two wars are never really made by the collective American polity because personal blood is potentially not at stake. This lack of deep-rooted moral concern by the American polity is translated into a general lack of concern about the war manifested by such things as insignificant TV coverage and superficial Memorial Day activities, etc.
So I recommend to those of us serving in uniform and those who have, and those who are thinking about serving to simply get over it, to stop the laments about America being at war and nobody is listening. Just like we should not be trying to fight World War II all over again in Iraq and Astan so too should we not be trying to turn these two wars into World War II in terms of commitment by the American people. Those days are gone forever.
Accept and embrace the fact that America is at the Mall. It is the nature of things.
I don't think it's the American people who've lost interest in the war, but our television and print media. Since the troops have unkindly disproved the favored "narrative"--that Iraq is a quagmire, sucking up a generation of young Americans--the Good People would rather not talk about it at all. Good heavens, if this keeps up, Bush and Cheney might look good! What would we do then?
Blue skies! -- Dan Ford
"Accept and embrace the fact that America is at the Mall. It is the nature of things."
Well at least we know what the troops are fighting for: so American and Iraqis can both spend their days in peace at the mall.
No wonder for me why many of them don't want it. I hate malls, too.
HN
Gian and AM,
Thanks to both of you for the thoughtful words and comments.
Gian, you correctly diagnose why the "95%" are uninformed, disinterested and in general, thoughtless when it comes to the disaster that our current conflicts have become.
But is it not the DUTY of the government that embarks upon war, that spills the blood of its most service oriented young to make the sacrifice in BLOOD and treasure worthwhile? And is it not that goverment's duty to bring along the citizen's it represents, to engender, encourage and sustain their support, and, if lacking that support, to do the bidding the citizenry demands?
I guess my frustration with that "95%" is that they block the way towards redeeming what those that gave all gave in their sacrifice.
"All that they had they gave - they gave -
In sure and single faith.
There can no knowledge reach the grave
To make them grudge their death
Save only if they understood
That, after all was done,
We they redeemed denied their blood
And mocked the gains it won."
-Kipling, The King's Pilgrimage, 1922
ServingPatriot
Oh poo hooo no one shows up to see the shitty "Cinematic Perspectives" Hollywood puts out.
Those movies are crap and people know about them ahead of time, a well made one without a burdensome left wing agenda would crush Iron Man.
How dare you equate lack of MSM coverage with some sort of indifference to the brave men and women risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan on a daily basis.
Anyone who wants to know anything about what's really going on does not pay attention to what's on the Tee-Vee or corporate media.
Those who want to stay informed turned to the 'net ages ago, reading blogs and websites like this one that tell us the real story.
The narrative of that NYT piece you linked to is a crock. MSM's corporate masters would rather have us know what Britney's hair color is today, or who's not wearing a lapel pin, rather than tell us what's going on in Iraq.
It could be that its hard to write good things about folks who are responsible for reintroducing torture as part of the legal system, and since at least the Iraq war is so tightly connected with Bush and Cheney, reports of good things fall flat to the ground.
"Anyone who wants to know anything about what's really going on does not pay attention to what's on the Tee-Vee or corporate media."
Ha! The NYT, Washington Post and everything but the Bugtussle Shopper that put a bureau in Baghdad have done better jobs conveying the reality of Iraq than the entire count of Milblogs and every PAO in theater combined.
This is well known within the military, but not to the impressionable.
If you really want to understand the reality of Iraq, listen to two sources: 1) A typical rifle platoon; and 2) The so-called "MSM."
You'll get a better understanding of the reality than anything crapped out by MNF-I's PAOs.
SNLII said:
"Ha! The NYT, Washington Post and everything but the Bugtussle Shopper that put a bureau in Baghdad have done better jobs conveying the reality of Iraq than the entire count of Milblogs and every PAO in theater combined.
This is well known within the military, but not to the impressionable."
Agree; if any AM bloggers are interested I wrote a harmless little oped stating as much for the Army Times last year. Here is the link to it:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/community/opinion/navy_opinions_gentile_070430/
gian
It cut off, Gian, but anyone who wants to read the essay click my name.
As you know, Gian, I admired it when I read it.
I also should tell readers that Army Times, Air Force Times, et al, are NOT official military publications, but rather are trade magazines owned by Gannett.
soldier,
I ain't talking about PAO's at all or milbloggers exclusively. There are a plethora of websites to get real news from. Juan Cole's Informed Comment, TomDispatch, Angry Bear, Balkinization, etc.
Just the front page of IraqSlogger has more info than I could ever see in a year's worth of MSM.
BTW. Didn't you read the NYT article? MSM can't afford to staff their offices anymore due to all of America being at the mall.(Right!)
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