Reuters news agency reports a majority of the populace supports conducting airstrikes against Islamic State militants. Polls also show Americans are afraid of foreign terrorists crossing the oceans and striking here. Chalk one up for the power of fear mongering.
There are few stakeholders in the U.S. who stand to gain from increased military action in the troubled Middle East. But these actors – media moguls, military suppliers, and politicians – have done a tremendous job sewing the seeds of worry.
Reuters news agency reports a majority of the populace supports conducting airstrikes against Islamic State militants. Polls also show Americans are afraid of foreign terrorists crossing the oceans and striking here. Chalk one up for the power of fear mongering.
There are few stakeholders in the U.S. who stand to gain from increased military action in the troubled Middle East. But these actors – media moguls, military suppliers, and politicians – have done a tremendous job sewing the seeds of worry.
Objectively speaking, the domestic threat from foreign terror is minimal, but hyping fear is good for business and power brokering.
If you have an ax to grind with the current administration, there are a few sticks as handy to beat it with as the theoretical existence of a sleeper cell in the U.S. or the hypothetical probability of mayhem here in the States. Best part is, you need no proof, just bluster.
For top military brass, it never hurts to speculate about what dire things could happen if a lot of money is not pledged to allow your branch of the service to take the fight to the bad guys. And even if some prediction angers your civilian bosses, there will always be a cushy consultant or lobbyist job waiting at your favorite government contractor’s office.
A recent Newsweek piece pointed out ISIS has proven itself capable in limited fighting and in social media, but remains a relatively small organization with big enemies. The magazine lists some powerful foes of the militant group: the U.S. and its allies, major portions of the worldwide Muslim population, Arab oil states, the governments and militaries of Iran, Iraq, and Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda. That seems like a pretty tough roster to go up against in the long run.
So, I really don’t worry about ISIS, nor the “sky-is-falling” warnings of those who stand to profit politically and/or monetarily.
Have you noted who is doing the fear mongering? Those pushing hardest for new military action are the same numbskulls who misread our 2003 foray into the Middle East. The line-up of those criticizing Obama’s foreign policy reads like a “who’s who” of who was wrong about war in Iraq: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, and Paul Bremer.
And let us not forget Sen. McCain and other Republican voices who know they don’t like Obama, but not much else (save their desire to drop bombs on our perceived enemies and throw other people’s children into battle against them).
Back in 1898, William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer pushed very hard for the United States to go to war with Spain. Their newspapers trumpeted articles of the most sensationalistic nature, often comprised of third hand information, misrepresentations, or complete fabrications. The Spanish-American war and its lead-up sold a lot of newspapers for these men.
Just as today's media want to sell advertising on their cable channels and in their publications, today's political leaders want to gain advantage over their opposition. And the corporations controlling them all want to make money, no matter how much poor people’s blood is spilled.
Those are the barbarians I fear, not the ones in the Middle East.
Pat Grimes, a former South Bay resident, writes from Ypsilanti, Mich. He can be reached at pgwriter@inbox.com
