QandO

May 19, 2004

Iraq through a soda straw
Posted by McQ

Marine Major Ben Connable provides us with some prespective about Iraq in the midst of all the doom and gloom we constantly see in the media. A particular anecdote he relays says it best:

In May of last year, I was sitting with some fellow officers back in Diwaniyah, Iraq, the offensive successful and the country liberated from Saddam. I received a copy of a March 30 U.S. newspaper on Iraq in an old package that had finally made its way to the front. The stories: horror in Nasariyah, faltering supply lines and demonstrations in Cairo. The mood of the paper was impenetrably gloomy, and predictions of disaster abounded. The offensive was stalled; everyone was running out of supplies; we would be forced to withdraw.

The Arab world was about to ignite into a fireball of rage, and the Middle East was on the verge of collapse. If I had read those stories on March 30, I would have had a tough time either restraining my laughter or, conversely, falling into a funk. I was concerned about the bizarre kaleidoscope image of Iraq presented to the American people by writers viewing the world through a soda straw.

Terrific analogy: we're forced to view Iraq through the "soda straw" of the media's choice. And Connable, being a bright young Marine officer, knows why the media chooses the particular "straw" they use:

War is inherently ugly and dramatic. I don't blame reporters for focusing on the burning vehicles, the mutilated bodies or the personal tragedies. The editors have little choice but to print the photos from the Abu Ghraib prison and the tales of the insurgency in Fallujah. These things sell news and remind us of the sober reality of our commitment to the Iraqi people. The actions of our armed forces are rightfully subject to scrutiny.

Exactly so. Remember what sells ... sensationalism. Doom and gloom. We're much less likely to watch the opening of yet another school vs. Abu Ghraib or the murder of the 4 in Fallujah. When faced with that choice, most will choose the latter every time. So the media goes with what "sells". For instance, although the media hasn't shown it, apparently the hottest search on any of the internet search engines is the Nick Berg beheading. This drives home the point that we get what we ask for ... and to this point it hasn't been school openings.

That doesn't change the reality of what's happening in Iraq for the good though, and its important that we keep that in perspective. As Connable notes:

I am not ignorant of the political issues, either. But as a professional, I have the luxury of putting politics aside and focusing on the task at hand. Protecting people from terrorists and criminals while building schools and lasting friendships is a good mission, no matter what brush it's tarred with.

Nothing any talking head will say can deter me or my fellow Marines from caring about the people of Iraq, or take away from the sacrifices of our comrades. Fear in the face of adversity is human nature, and many people who take the counsel of their fears speak today. We are not deaf to their cries; neither do we take heed. All we ask is that Americans stand by us by supporting not just the troops, but also the mission.

Here we see the point I've been trying to make for months: it isn't enough to "support the troops" ... that doesn't, in and of itself make the grade. To really support the troops, you have to also support their mission.

Like it or not, we're in Iraq to stay. That 'debate' is over. And the "I support the troops but not the mission" argument is becoming more and more threadbare. Principled dissent is fine, but much of what we're seeing isn't in that category. If you support the troops, you must, of necessity support their mission for your support to mean anything. Otherwise it is empty rhetoric designed only to shield you from criticism.

But that's not really what I wanted to note here. I really wanted to note that there is indeed much more to the story as Connable has pointed out. That there is a much bigger picture outside the soda straw of the media's coverage. Its important that we maintain that perspective while we watch the narrow focus of the reports that make the news and understand that much good is being done even while the press concentrates on stories that sell.

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