Sunday, October 11, 2009

Another Slap In The Public's Face

Journalists continue to feed the American public information from sources that have already been discredited. The sources are retired military officers and a U.S. Senator. On "Meet the Press" today, moderator David Gregory's topic was Afghanistan and what should be done about that war and what President Obama's decision might be. His guest were U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, retired Generals Barry McCaffrey and Richard Myers who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Bush administration and U.S. Senator Carl Levin.

Senator Graham and retired General McCaffrey and Myers who supported the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist and have no credibility when it comes to that war or the war in Afghanistan would support 40,000 additional U.S. troops and pretty much said both wars are comparable, are once again given the American people a rerun of the Iraq war. Graham went so far as to say give the generals any increase in troops they request.

Senator Levin said a request for more U.S. troops is not the answer to winning the war in Afghanistan and said training Afghans to secure their own country would be more productive. David Gregory asked the following stupid question and it showed how the news media is so tuned out to the real issue on the war. He asked, "Since President Obama is taking a long time to make his decision, should that be taken as the President being weak." Of course Gregory could not articulate why Obama's willingness to get broad advice from his advisers makes him a weak President. Bush never sought such advise and input from a broad section of people with experience before he ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and those wars are still going on while Bush has gone fishing. Obama now has to pick up the pieces and our men and women in uniform are still paying the ultimate price.

Gregory also had a panel of journalists on after to discuss the war. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post pointed out how Obama was consulting a wide range of advisers and asking tough questions to justify their recommendations and that is why Obama has not made his decision yet. Paul Gigot, editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal and a conservative himself showed by his facial expressions and his comments he is not a supporter of Obama concerning the war. Lindsey, Gigot, McCaffrey and Myers have learned nothing from the wars in those two countries, yet Gregory was willing to expose the American people to their ignorance once again and when it comes to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan some journalists could care less what propaganda is fed the American people. That is a sad note for our country and especially our men and women in uniform.