Glenn Greenwald: The growing link between the U.S. military and right-wing media and blogs

The growing link between the U.S. military and right-wing media and blogs

I realize there is nothing more important to the American Republic than Franklin Foer's editorial judgment in the Scott Beauchamp matter. But there is a secondary issue in this story that is being ignored -- how the U.S. military, like everything else, is becoming rapidly politicized, fully incorporated into and following the model of the Republican right-wing noise machine.

Throughout this year, the U.S. military in Iraq has become staffed with pure Republican political hacks -- including long-time Bush/Cheney P.R. hack Steve Schmidt and former White House aide Gen. Kevin Bergner. These are the most partisan and politically-motivated people around shaping U.S. military conduct. And it shows, as the Army's behavior in the Beauchamp case is exactly what one would expect from an increasingly politicized, Republican-controlled division of the right-wing noise machine.

As the Beauchamp/TNR "story" demonstrates, the U.S. military is using the standard GOP/right-wing model for trying to shape the news in politically beneficial ways -- feeding supposedly secret and classified documents to Matt Drudge; using The Weekly Standard as its primary propaganda outlet, and working hand-in-hand with their apparent comrades in the most extremist precincts of the right-wing blogosphere. From the beginning, the U.S. military has refused to answer questions from the press, cut off The New Republic, cited classified and secrecy doctrines to suppress information, and all the while, worked secretly through selective leaks and back-channels with the most rabid right-wing partisans to shape the story in the most politicized way possible. Doesn't that merit at least some commentary?

This is hardly the first time this has happened. After right-wing blogs loudly complained for months about the supposedly Terrorist-sympathizing journalism of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein in Iraq, the U.S. military in Iraq detained him with no charges (and, just by the way, continues to detain him for a year-and-a-half now with no charges). While the military refused to talk to A.P. or any other press outlets about its photojournalist, they leaked the story of his detention to Michelle Malkin -- one of the principal agitators who had spent months calling Hussein a Terrorist-lover and calling for his arrest -- and then, with her military-delivered scoop, she excitedly announced his detention.

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http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/10/25/military/index.html

They are being constantly propagandized with Faux news and rush limbuggerer over there.

When I was in the army I balked at images of that Fat assed flatulator having officers in uniform sitting down at the front of his show. (serious violation of UCMJ stuff there)

Armed Forces Radio Television -Far East Network refused to air Limbauh since it was basically a purely political show. How times have changed.

But yeah the right wing is pushing its people into all the positions of power. It makes me worry abit about the armed forces in the future.