The media and war

One of the earliest topics I ever wrote a "mature" essay on was the role of the media during wartimes. I came to the conclusion that journalists somewhat limited a countries strategic options (though rarely if ever tactical options), but this also was the main reason why we would never again see the slaughter of WW1 repeated, or a second Holocaust. Throughout my research I marveled at the views of many civillians and high up leaders during of WW1 who saw nothing wrong with how their society cheered on war and accepted pointless sacrifice. Yet I never quite thought I'd see such opinions today however.
But along comes Joe the Plumber who wants the media to stop you know... reporting.

"I’ll be honest with you. I don’t think journalists should be anywhere allowed war. I mean, you guys report where our troops are at. You report what’s happening day to day. You make a big deal out of it. I think it’s asinine. You know, I liked back in World War I and World War II when you’d go to the theater and you’d see your troops on, you know, the screen and everyone would be real excited and happy for’em. Now everyone’s got an opinion and wants to downer–and down soldiers. You know, American soldiers or Israeli soldiers.

I think media should be abolished from, uh, you know, reporting. You know, war is hell. And if you’re gonna sit there and say, “Well look at this atrocity,” well you don’t know the whole story behind it half the time, so I think the media should have no business in it."

Click for the video

Jesus H. Christ. Even most from the late 19th century/ early 20th would be embarrassed at such a revisionist view. You can understand from the point of view of those within a time to support such views. But having had society move on, theres no way to go back without at least privately knowing your folly. Nietzsche mocked much of the society he saw around himself, but saved some of his harshest comments for those who despite having seen the death of god, still pretended faith was perfect and intact as it had been centuries before. Today such claims would get you laughed out of any serious theological debate. Mankind moves on. Even when we have a century as bloody as the 20th, we still keep developing and shifting in views.

Neville Chamberlain, representing the views of an earlier and longed for era famously remarked just before WW2 that 'How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a far away country between people of whom we know nothing'. Well no longer do we have that veil of comforting ignorance. Even if we can not rouse ourselves into action to actually protect the suffering, we can no longer pretend we did not know.

It may not be much, certainly it isnt for the people of the Sudan or the Congo, but its something on the path towards an actual universal moral community. People like Joe the Plumber want us going in the opposite direction, and worse than any insult I or others could hurl at them is the fact that I am sure they know it.