Barstow and Media Responsibility

It has become common to learn of new methods that the Bush Administration had used to nefariously sell the Iraq War. I had never heard about the particular practice of prepping friendly military analysts described by Barstow until I read his article. That so little respect was shown for the American people and for the democratic process in the lead-up to the war continues to depress me.

Reading this article raised some questions concerning not only executive power and dishonesty but also some important ones regarding the media's relationship with the military and its place in the military industrial complex and withing the process of militarization more generally. Either purposely or unintentionally, it is clear the the media plays at times an important role in selling the MIC and the military. The events with analysts serves as a wonderful example of this. The media must be able to protect itself from being used by dishonest forces of militarization. Equally as important, the media must not fail to report such attempts to mislead the public when they are discovered. In trying to protect themselves from the criticism that they justly deserve for failing to look-into the backgrounds of their analysts, most in the media have committed an additional disservice by failing to report a story that is highly relevant. When the MIC is purposely hidden not only by the forces directly involved but also by those whose obligation it is to reveal such instances of misdoing, it becomes difficult to see how the process can receive the public scrutiny and debate that it deserves.

Most Americans have no idea what the MIC is and what kind of influence it has over their lives, not to mention the lives of others throughout the world. It is difficult to see how this critical factor of U.S. politics can be made clear to those who are supposed to be--at least in theory--the legitimate source of the nation's sovereignty if neither our politicians or news sources provide the information necessary for understanding. What Barstow's article reveals about the government's attempts to secretly shape our opinions is deeply troubling, but equally as troubling is what it reveals about the media's complicity in the process and about its inability to act independently and honestly.