Back in March, we wondered when U.S. corporate news outlets would find U.S./NATO killing of Afghan kids newsworthy. Back then, it was nine children killed in a March 1 airstrike. This resulted in two network news stories on the evening or morning newscasts, and two brief references on the PBS NewsHour.
On November 25, the New York Times reported–on page 12–that six children were killed in one attack in southern Afghanistan on November 23. This news was, as best I can tell, not reported on ABC, CBS, NBC or the PBS NewsHour.
There were, on the other hand, several pieces about U.S. soldiers eating Thanksgiving dinners.
Salon columnist Glenn Greenwald was one of the few commentators to write about the latest killings. As he observed:
We’re trained simply to accept these incidents as though they carry no meaning: We’re just supposed to chalk them up to regrettable accidents (oops), agree that they don’t compel a cessation to the war, and then get back to the glorious fighting. Every time that happens, this just becomes more normalized, less worthy of notice. It’s just like background noise: Two families of children wiped out by an American missile (yawn: at least we don’t target them on purpose like those evil Terrorists: we just keep killing them year after year after year without meaning to). It’s acceptable to make arguments that American wars should end because they’re costing too much money or American lives or otherwise harming American strategic interests, but piles of corpses of innocent children are something only the shrill, shallow and unSerious–pacifists!–point to as though they have any meaning in terms of what should be done.
Getting to their “hearts and minds”
By rending asunder their bodies
Greenwald nails it. Talk about anything other than the human cost – theirs, not ours – lest you be deemed a “bleeding heart”.
By the heartless.
Recently I have caught a late night show about U.S soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan.It starts with the soldiers moving into a village bombed by Apache’s.Children are injured, and some adults killed.There seems to be no proof they are combatants.Later the village spreads the word, and the people gather to attack our troops,who seem to be acting as bait.We then respond to the attack loosing one man. Im not making judgements about the actual tactical situation(we simply are not given enough info) other than it seems wise to not put small 12 men teams on the ground, in the face of such anger.Point is…..it is one of the only glimpses I have gotten into this war.Now I am not blaming Obama but there is a truth to his time in office.He has a complete buy…..a complete “sanitation” of the war that he is now running.Before his election the clammer against Bush(and his war) rose to a deafening roar.It was said that when Obama came in that would die away as they were in his pocket.I did not believe it.The stakes were too high.I was wrong.The minute he came in- it was as if the war no longer existed.The Cindy Sheehans went home.The war protestors headed for the showers.Silence descended.Finally the bombs were being dropped by a GOOD MAN.This is a bigger story than you think.We are at war.Far from home against an intractable enemy in a harsh land.I will be damned if you can find anything on TV,and little in print.Maybe now that dancing with the stars is over a slot will open.
I keen over them all, as they could be my Eurasian grandchildren.
For the record, though much of the Democratic base grew quiet due to the election of Obama, many within the base and many outside of the base have not. Michael E, Sheehan for one is still at it along with many others, and the corporate media is still silent as ever in reporting upon the kind of information that might rile the nation.
How to win friends and influence people. I wonder how long it will take for the chickens to come home and roost? And they eventually will.
I can’t believe that stories like this are going unpublished. We are such an egocentric nation that goes on believing that this war is to “defend America” and “end terrorism” and we thrive off this nationalistic pride that we are doing the right thing when thousands of innocent civilians are dying at the hands of Americans. Thanks for posting this and keeping us all informed.
WTF………What pray tell do you think we are there for(I know i will be sorry i asked)?And you forgot to mention the Americans who have died(a typo Im sure).And of course among those thousands, how many have died at the hands of the Taliban?How many died before.How many will die if the Taliban returns?How many deaths correctly attributed to us, were the fault of the Taliban hiding among the population?Their are many factors and this is not a zero sum game.Let us simply say that these religious fanatics ignited and inflamed a war that has caused untold suffering.