Elections Aside, There's A War Going On
As the nation has been caught up in the daily drama of the unexpected excitement generated by this year's political campaigns, something seems to be missing. With all the worries generated by a downturn in the housing market and the subprime mortgage collapse, something that once was commonplace is gone.
(Then a bomb goes off in Baghdad - there's a war going on in Iraq...)
Since the "troop surge" began and has met with initial success (questionable) and the number of American troops killed every month has dropped (along with most other violence statistics associated with Iraq), the War in Iraq has become a news afterthought and a political subtopic. News of an impending recession and the reduced state of the American economy has surpassed the average American's interest in the War in Iraq. Besides, Iraq is a half a world away. The economy is more immediate, more personal.
The War in Iraq has gotten relatively little attention of late because the news there is not bad enough. Good news does not sell (except maybe around Christmas).
Bad news sells. A horribly corrupt and inept administration is in the process of being replaced. That story is selling on a daily basis. Dark economic clouds are gathering on the other side of Wall Street. That story leads most others.
But unless the War in Iraq is mentioned by one of the political candidates or a suicide bomber kills dozens of people in Baghdad, the amount of time given the Iraq War is minimal at best. And this is to the shame of the news organizations.
Because the war continues...
And people continue to die, even if it is not the most important issue on the mind of the voting public anymore.
To date, according to CNN, 3,960 American military personnel have been killed in Iraq. And more will die in the months to come.
It must never get to the point that the War in Iraq becomes a secondary issue. It must remain at the forefront of our thoughts and our awareness, so as to never lose its importance. Too many people have already died for the stories of Iraq to be relegated to fillers on a slow news day. Too many people will continue to die in a war that is a main contributor to the economic slide that has become the primary concern of too many in the United States. Far too many...
Source:
"U.S. and Coalition Casualties: Iraq," CNN.com
(Then a bomb goes off in Baghdad - there's a war going on in Iraq...)
Since the "troop surge" began and has met with initial success (questionable) and the number of American troops killed every month has dropped (along with most other violence statistics associated with Iraq), the War in Iraq has become a news afterthought and a political subtopic. News of an impending recession and the reduced state of the American economy has surpassed the average American's interest in the War in Iraq. Besides, Iraq is a half a world away. The economy is more immediate, more personal.
The War in Iraq has gotten relatively little attention of late because the news there is not bad enough. Good news does not sell (except maybe around Christmas).
Bad news sells. A horribly corrupt and inept administration is in the process of being replaced. That story is selling on a daily basis. Dark economic clouds are gathering on the other side of Wall Street. That story leads most others.
But unless the War in Iraq is mentioned by one of the political candidates or a suicide bomber kills dozens of people in Baghdad, the amount of time given the Iraq War is minimal at best. And this is to the shame of the news organizations.
Because the war continues...
And people continue to die, even if it is not the most important issue on the mind of the voting public anymore.
To date, according to CNN, 3,960 American military personnel have been killed in Iraq. And more will die in the months to come.
It must never get to the point that the War in Iraq becomes a secondary issue. It must remain at the forefront of our thoughts and our awareness, so as to never lose its importance. Too many people have already died for the stories of Iraq to be relegated to fillers on a slow news day. Too many people will continue to die in a war that is a main contributor to the economic slide that has become the primary concern of too many in the United States. Far too many...
Source:
"U.S. and Coalition Casualties: Iraq," CNN.com
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