Congress Holds Historic Debate On Afghan War, But Media is MIA

Congress Holds Historic Debate On Afghan War, But Media is MIA
By Norman Solomon, AlterNet
Posted on March 11, 2010, Printed on March 11, 2010
http://www.alternet.org/story/146004/

The event on the House floor Wednesday afternoon was monumental -- the first major congressional debate about U.S. military operations in Afghanistan since lawmakers authorized the invasion of that country in autumn 2001. But, as Rep. Patrick Kennedy noted with disgust on Wednesday, the House press gallery was nearly empty. He aptly concluded: "It's despicable, the national press corps right now."

Sure enough, the Thursday edition of the New York Times had no room for the historic debate on its front page, which did have room for a large Starbucks ad across the bottom.

Despite the news media and the lopsided pro-war tilt on Capitol Hill (reflected in the 356-65 vote Wednesday against invoking the War Powers Act), antiwar organizing has a lot of hospitable terrain at the grassroots. National polling shows widespread opposition to the Afghanistan war effort -- a far cry from the dominant lockstep conformity in Congress.

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Martin Luther King Jr. aptly likened the Vietnam War to a "demonic suction tube." And demonic suction tubes can't be boxed. In the real world, war's ripple effects lead to a kaleidoscope of terrible consequences, near and far. You can't keep a war in a box any more than you can deliver a government in a box.

With enthusiasm for war thriving on abstraction, its facile backers are eager to cheer on activities that bring terror, anguish and death as a matter of course.

That's what Congresswoman Barbara Lee was driving at when she spoke for a minute on the House floor just before the blank check for carnage in Afghanistan sailed through Congress with only her vote dissenting. "As we act," she said, "let us not become the evil that we deplore."

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http://www.alternet.org/world/146004/congress_holds_historic_debate_on_afghan_war%2C_but_media_is_mia

Did some celebrity trip over a carpet? Did a Congressman have sex (with anybody)? Is there a sale at WalMart?

These are things the Amurkin' people need to KNOW about!

we have no "news" organizations -- instead, for-profit entertainment companies.