Fox Sniffing New Henhouse
When political actors are in symbiotic relationships with vast corporate media systems, the national psyche becomes infused with the extension of politics: war. The antagonism of ideological combat becomes the antagonism of the stealth bomber payload deployment. ThinkProgress shows how this works:
Today Fox has aired multiple segments featuring pundits who claim that a U.S. military attack on Iran is both essential and imminent. Fox anchors repeatedly parrot these arguments. …
Full transcript: …
FOX ANCHOR: Some though think a more hawkish approach is in order, suggesting that President Bush should order the military to hit targets in Iran sometime before he leaves office.
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FOX ANCHOR: Do you see that as a possibility?
BILL KRISTOL: It sure is a possibility, Jon. And I think the President would hate to leave office with Iran well on its way to getting nuclear weapons
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GEN. BURTON MOORE: It’s interesting that we’re discussing pre-emptive strike now as we get close to the deadline, which suggests that more and more people, particularly in conservative circles realize Iran’s not going to back down. …
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FOX ANCHOR: And could the Bush administration prepare to launch a massive air strike against Iran’s nuclear sites? This hour we will talk with one expert who says yes.
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FOX ANCHOR: And I talked to a guest last hour who said military action could be imminent before Bush leaves office.
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FOX ANCHOR: What about a pre-emptive strike on Iran? More and more reports on this now.
This may be only a pre-election sabre-rattling exercise (which would, in itself, be a gruesome use of the national security infrastructure). But who knows? Though I suspect the ongoing American casualties in Iraq will limit the administration’s follow through, it would only take one trigger incident to start a second major quagmire in the Middle East.
Not that the public will buy into (fall for?) a policy of aggression as happened with the Iraq War Marketing Campaign. But a trigger would give the Cheney administration impetus (reason, to their thinking) to act. Which they have demonstrated they will do.
At that point, I have no idea how two wars would be politically and economically sustainable. But that doesn’t mean the current leadership wouldn’t take their shot. What has ever stopped them before? “Shoot first, ask questions later” applies equally to oil fields and quail.
