the sanitizing of war by both U.S. politicians and the press over the last couple of decades – supposedly for “the good of the country” – has contributed to the deaths of many more U.S. soldiers and foreign civilians than any disclosure might have. Full Story »
Posted by Dwight Rousu - via Thanh Tran (t), Thanh Tran (f)
Parry looks at recent history of keeping the truth from the American people, and the consequences of those secretings. The attempt to hide the torture photos "for the good of the country" is questioned, and many examples of the opposite effect are provides.
“feel-good” editorial decisions in the first Persian Gulf War surely made career sense for the well-paid talking heads. They could sit around with retired military officers and analyze the war as if it were a bloodless video game.
“General,” I said, “you’re not suggesting that the admiral should commit perjury, are you?” There was an awkward silence around the table as if I had committed some social faux pas. Then, Newsweek executive editor Maynard Parker, who was sitting next to me, boomed out: “Sometimes, you have to do what’s good for the country.”
Looking back at America’s destructive trajectory of the past several decades, the lesson appears to be clear. Hiding or spinning the truth – even for supposedly “patriotic” reasons – often can end up causing grave damage to a democratic Republic and simultaneously getting people killed for no particularly good reason.
