SD Watch

Mar 23, 2008

KELOLAND: Your Home (for Warmongering)
Posted by: Todd Epp - 03/23/2008 11:14 PM (Iraq War, KELOLAND News, Media, Pres. George W. Bush, RSS Feed)

Because I’ve been so busy, I wasn’t able to get to this issue until now.

And with 4,000 American war dead now in the Iraq War, there’s even more impetus.

Thursday was the fifth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq. We have been in Iraq longer than American involvement in World War II. And that was a war we won against two well-armed enemies flung across the globe.

Since before the invasion in 2003, KELOLAND News has been beating the drums of war. In the early days, it was obviously a great ratings ploy. Most Americans—including our news media—had been duped by the lies of the Bush Administration. There were weapons of mass destruction we were told. And KELOLAND News unquestioningly repeated every lie, thinking that is what we South Dakotans wanted to hear.

They were and have been cheerleaders for the war. Every deployment, every welcome home gets covered.

But war protests? People who oppose the war? It is like we don’t exist, regardless of what the polling now shows about the ill-fated war and its lack of support.

So on the fifth anniversary of America’ ill-conceived war, does the mighty KELOLAND talk to critics of the war? Do they look at the terrible sacrifice South Dakota has paid in blood for this war?

No.

We get another cheerleading piece right from the talking points of the Bush Administration.

Read: Five Years In Iraq

An excerpt:

The war in Iraq has killed nearly 4,000 U.S. troops and cost about $500billion. But those who wear the uniform, still see the good in what America is doing there.

What about those of us who have to pay the bill for this misadventure? What about those of us who oppose this folly? what about those of us who think we were lied to to get us into this war? What about those of us who think the loss of limb and life of our fellow South Dakotans has been all for naught?

KELOLAND’s pandering to the now minority view that this war is a good idea isn’t just bad journalism.

It is jingoism at its worst.

For an example of a balanced view on the issue, one only need to look 60 miles to south.

Read: Five Years Later, War’s Merits Still Are Debated By Americans

Except:

Dr. William Anderson, an assistant professor of political science at the University of South Dakota and the director of the institution’s Government Research Bureau, said a series of revelations since the beginning of the Iraq war have led many people to have second thoughts about the effort.

The Press and Dakotan assumes its readers can make distinctions between opposing the war and supporting the troops. KELOLAND, apparently thinks its 1970s and Americans are spitting on returning troops. Even those of us who oppose the war understand our troops are brave and being asked to do something difficult.

The servicemen and women I talk to who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan—even those who still support the war—understand Americans and South Dakotans don’t support the war still support them. Too bad KELOLAND can’t also make that distinction.

KELOLAND News: Your Home. . . For Warmongering.

Photo: EXTRACTION — U.S. Army soldiers run toward a UH-60Black Hawk helicopter after completing an aerial traffic control point mission near Tal Afar, Iraq, June 5, 2006. The soldiers are from the172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the Black Hawk aircrew is from the 207th Aviation, Alaska National Guard. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey.

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Iraq War Afghanistan KELOLAND South Dakota news media

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