GLAMORIZING U.S. MILITARY EXPLOITS
Hal Pepinsky, pepinsky@indiana.edu,
“peacemaking” at pepinsky.blogspot.com
October 7, 2013
Over the weekend, US Navy SEALs violated Somalian sovereignty in an apparently unsuccessful attempt to
kidnap one “terrorist,” and hours later, US Special Forces violated Libyan
sovereignty to kidnap another. Secretary
of State Kerry then celebrated the Libyan operation as an example of our will
to use whatever “extraordinary” means necessary to bring foes to heel. The Libyan government asks for a “clarification”
of the Tripoli kidnaping, having, I suspect, given tacit, plausibly deniable,
consent to that operation. Here again we
have examples of US government exceptionalism: international laws of
extradition do not apply where our national interests apply.
Bald declarations of US outlawry
are disturbing enough by themselves.
What I found more disturbing was reporting of the operations by ABC News
last night, accompanied by apparent footage of the US forces in action, and an
animated recreation of the “successful” operation in Libya. Like the movie recreating the assassination
of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, our media keep advertising these demonstrations
of our military prowess, apparently with the aid and encouragement of the
Pentagon. We may lack the political will
to feed, educate, and give medical care to our poor, but my oh my how we advertise
the fruits of exorbitant military-industrial enterprise, virtually without
question in US mass media. Our national
addiction to glorifying military prowess remains a cultural “solution” in times
of economic and political distress. Love
and peace--hal
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