Another Ralph Peters idea: Eventually, soldiers will need to start killing the media too
We already had reached the conclusion, after watching his "kill them all" solution to the terrorist-detainee problem, that Fox News talker Col. Ralph Peters had a serious ethics-and-basic-decency deficit problem.
Then one of our readers pointed out, via Muzzlewatch, that Peters recently wrote a piece for the neocon publication Security Affairs that suggests our soldiers begin shooting and killing not just terrorists, but members of the media as well.
He calls the media "The killers without guns":
While the essence of warfare never changes—it will always be about killing the enemy until he acquiesces in our desires or is exterminated—its topical manifestations evolve and its dimensions expand. Today, the United States and its allies will never face a lone enemy on the battlefield. There will always be a hostile third party in the fight, but one which we not only refrain from attacking but are hesitant to annoy: the media.
While this brief essay cannot undertake to analyze the psychological dysfunctions that lead many among the most privileged Westerners to attack their own civilization and those who defend it, we can acknowledge the overwhelming evidence that, to most media practitioners, our troops are always guilty (even if proven innocent), while our barbaric enemies are innocent (even if proven guilty). The phenomenon of Western and world journalists championing the “rights” and causes of blood-drenched butchers who, given the opportunity, would torture and slaughter them, disproves the notion—were any additional proof required—that human beings are rational creatures. Indeed, the passionate belief of so much of the intelligentsia that our civilization is evil and only the savage is noble looks rather like an anemic version of the self-delusions of the terrorists themselves. And, of course, there is a penalty for the intellectual’s dismissal of religion: humans need to believe in something greater than themselves, even if they have a degree from Harvard. Rejecting the god of their fathers, the neo-pagans who dominate the media serve as lackeys at the terrorists’ bloody altar.
Of course, the media have shaped the outcome of conflicts for centuries, from the European wars of religion through Vietnam. More recently, though, the media have determined the outcomes of conflicts. While journalists and editors ultimately failed to defeat the U.S. government in Iraq, video cameras and biased reporting guaranteed that Hezbollah would survive the 2006 war with Israel and, as of this writing, they appear to have saved Hamas from destruction in Gaza.
Pretending to be impartial, the self-segregating personalities drawn to media careers overwhelmingly take a side, and that side is rarely ours. Although it seems unthinkable now, future wars may require censorship, news blackouts and, ultimately, military attacks on the partisan media. Perceiving themselves as superior beings, journalists have positioned themselves as protected-species combatants. But freedom of the press stops when its abuse kills our soldiers and strengthens our enemies. Such a view arouses disdain today, but a media establishment that has forgotten any sense of sober patriotism may find that it has become tomorrow’s conventional wisdom.
Where does Fox find these people, exactly?
Fascism thy name is Peters
all the bastards at fox are the very
people that obama was talking about when
he said we have terrorists that should be
put away indefinitely because they
mightwill committ acts and of violence to or cause to be
committed against the USA.
LOCK THEM UP NOW!
Peters has a hole in his bucket. He may never learn a new thing ever again.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
These blood sucking reptilian brained parasites would be locked in a cage,Away from humanity where could be no possibility of them reproducing.
These things have to be removed from civilization if humanity wants to have a chance of surviving
the Ferengi's
Or this discussion will progress and morph beyond the crazy talk it is now, to something that people are willing to accept, and finally reality.
sells for their particular demographic-target market if it didn't they wouldn't be broadcasting.
Someone needs to act like a grown up here.
Most people, most of the time, are very sane and reasonable.
But look at the pathetic nutjobs just picked up in NY for some kind of grandiose, explosive agenda. They got those ideas somewhere, and being 'in the media' makes them 'larger than life'. It's lunacy, and it's nuts.
This guy needs to have some boundaries drawn very clearly.
He's enabling violent behavior, and he's making all members of the press out to be some kind of lunatic, conspiracy-addled menaces. That is simply nuts, and it's dangerous.
Fox has a responsibility to act in a fashion that signals how adults can disagree, but then move on. Inciting violence is totally out of bounds.
Market or no market, this needs to be stopped.
A 'market' is not an invitation to incite violence; it's a way to exchange information.
This 'exchange' needs to be cleaned up and stopped.
If it's broadcast, someone watching will believe that it's somehow 'acceptable'.
It is not acceptable.
It's lunacy.
Ten years ago, if someone told me that the United States goverment would run a gulag in Cuba, and the vice president would openly admit to torturing prisoners, I would have said they were nuts.
The media got pwded by Bush, Cheney, and their cabal.
Now that we're connecting dots, it is deeply disturbing and hard to hear about.
Killing the messenger doesn't solve your problems.
Someone put a tranq dart in this guys ass and get him to a zoo...
"Get him to a zoo" -- No-o-o-o! With all those innocent animals?
First, 'war' is not always only about 'killing'. Not always; it's a safe guess that anyone who reads a lot of military history sees plenty of 'logistics', 'strategy', and related elements of 'war'.
Second, this is inciting violence against other members of society.
I hope the FBI or some law enforcement agencies have a little heart-to-heart with the Powers That Be at Fox, and at other places that put out incendiary, inflammatory scary-talk.
This is not the way that Gen Wesley Clark, Gen Petraeus, Gen Richard Clarke, Larry Wilkerson, Gen, Powell, Odierno, or a host of other military and ex-military commanders speak to the public.
People don't win 'wars' by being paranoid, nor by demonizing their own fellow citizens. This is ridiculous, and some poor high schooler or someone without a clear sense of how to address the problems in their life might think this man knows what he's talking about.
This is not civil discourse, and Fox needs to grow up and be more responsible.
They listen and believe. This guy is a fine example of the community leaders here in Pennsylvania. Exact. They are in the banks the board of directors the owners of businesses, police, government worker. Yep, PA sucks the big dumby juice, from the big dumby apple trees.
I know some similar types in a different part of the country.
Ask them what they think of how Bush and Cheney 'managed' the war and the economy. The smart ones will tell you what they think; the dumb ones will turn on Fox to watch this guy because they don't have enough brains to think for themselves.
But the smart ones know the world is changing.
It would be nice if we could have a few with brains in leadership positions.
The nastier elections are, the harder it is to get good people to run.
Who wants to expose their family to the kind of Rovian shitfest that we've all seen for 20+ years now? Which, FWIW, was introduced by George HW Bush, and his campaign manager.
In my region, some very good people have refused to run and who can blame them? But there are some good people running.
Wonder what Sen Jim Webb would say about this guy on Fox?
Where does Fox find these people?
They seem to have found this one in mental ward. I hope they took him back after they finished interviewing him. He has serious problems and he sounds dangerous as hell. I wouldn't want to live in this guy's neighborhood, that's for sure.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Their crawling around everywhere.
You also have to understand people generally don't join the Military to study peace. Especially if they want to "climb the ladder".
Sorry, but I happen to be acquainted with the families of several very fine people serving in the military. Any large US company would snap those officers up in a heartbeat.
I don't know about the whole 'military', but the people that I'm aquainted with are smart, tough, great people. You should get out more.
Well there ARE plenty of rocks out there to turn over.
Military Intelligence - cold war specialist. I'm guessing that paranoia was part of the job description.
If he's that scared, you just wonder how many bad mistakes he made.
He doesn't come across like anyone who really understands other cultures or has lived outside the US and speaks other languages.
If this was pre-WWI England, he'd probably be telling us all that Lawrence of Arabia was some kind of Russian spy. Sheesh...
Look at the Board of Advisors for JINSA (where Peters wrote his article), its filled with all of their regular "analysts" that appear on Fox.
How does J. Kenneth Blackwell become an advisor for an advocacy groups focused on Israeli Defense issues?
Find them? How about created them, but the main focus apparently happened to be Pennsylvania. Col. DumbASS obviously only watches FOX, the little tid-bits that he let slip were from years of Fox News Misinformation.
SkullKill County, come and beat a Mexican to death.
Ask al-Jezeera if this isn't already happening.
"Although it seems unthinkable now, future wars may require censorship, news blackouts and, ultimately, military attacks on the partisan media"
you mean the shit that already happens/happened.
the military has targeted reporters and media outlets, there is RAMPANT censorship, and news blackouts. either you don't pay attention, or your bloodlust has clouded your dim-witted thoughts.
ralph peters knows NOTHING about defending the nation, he only knows how to make the nation less secure. he is a neo-imperial apologist, looking to make a buck from inflammatory comments.
His a nut, a fruitcake and he's only doing to to make a buck. He should be pushing a shopping cart. OK, but Fox News puts him on like he is a reasonable commentator and some kind of authority.
People aren't given an alternative view, no one is there to question why this guy is given the platform to speak. This is Orwellian.
.
There will be no peace. At any given moment for the rest of our lifetimes, there will be multiple conflicts in mutating forms around the globe. Violent conflict will dominate the headlines, but cultural and economic struggles will be steadier and ultimately more decisive. The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault. To those ends, we will do a fair amount of killing.
MIC must be reformed.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
The SS?
And why do they keep giving them a media to spew their hate and stupidity?
Nutcake fascist.
If I had seen the quoted piece without attribution, with the American references removed, I would have guessed Josef Goebbels wrote it.
By his reasoning, it would be permissible to shoot Roger Aisles and Rupert Murdoch for propagating the lies that led to invading Iraq, and going ahead with only 125,000 troops.
bodily fluidssss
Pour me a glass of grain alcohol and rainwater, and give me a shot of crazy while you're at it.
P.O.E.
I found him here too.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
What about due process you jackass?!
"We're pretty good figuring out who's right and who's wrong."
Yeah? Like we were pretty good about figuring out Iraq? Ralph Peters, you should have never made it past buck private.
Power corrupts. You give the military the authority to be judge, jury, and executioner and you have problems. Happens everytime.
The only reason the U.S. government works is because of the checks & balances put into it by the founders and we have seen what happens when one branch of government runs rough shod over the other: 8 years of a Bush nightmare
Works?
Worked you mean.
Peters could be Palin's Secretary of Defense on her Dream Team Fantasy Administration.
...landlords and owners of meat packing plants whose hideous practices were revealed by Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
Seriously, he's crazy, nuff said.
The Colonel is just one of those "All's fair in love and war" kind of guys. I considered advocating censorship right now so no one would have to listen to this outrageous drivel, but them I remembered that saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Everyday, a new stunner from the right wing-nuts.
This is guy is an Eliminationist tool.
hmmm...
Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.
Author: Thomas Jefferson
which probably was the Neocon plan all along: Disband the Iraqi army, de-Baathify down to the lower ranks, cause resentment and eventual civil war between the Sunni and Shia, with the ethnic cleansing and defacto Partitioning of Iraq into smaller, weaker states as the ultimate goal.
Watch the following videos on the carving up of Iraq:
youtube.com/watch?v=u4MdyJDnSoI
youtube.com/watch?v=yp_iTR9dI6o
Washington Post Q & A with PBS Frontline director Michael Kirk
QUESTION: In making your film, what were you able to learn about who originated the "deep deBaathification" and the "disband the Iraqi army" decisions? Did you learn what motivated these disastrous decisions?
KIRK: The idea of deBaathification seems to have grown out of the offices of Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith at the Pentagon.
VIDEO: Watch Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif) say the following at AIPAC (1:20 minutes in)
"The Persian population in Iran is not a majority, it is a plurality. There are many different, diverse and disagreeing populations inside Iran. And an obvious strategy, which I believe is a very good strategy, is to work to separate those populations."
philipweiss.org
How does Jane Harman call herself a Democrat? Unbelievable.
Well if they started with Fox it would have some merit!
nuts
your name's Lebowski, Lebowski... and your wife is Bunny
As horrifying as it is, this is almost refreshing in its openess and honesty. You know all the other wingnuts are thinking it.
They're all nuts, corporatized, and they believe in torture, wiretapping, and trechery to control Americans. Has the MSM not seen enough yet to get real about what the republicans really are?
They don't even pretend anymore to believe in democracy. They choke on the word.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
As long as he starts with Coulter, Limpo, Matthews and Orally. Oooohh, bad poster. Put a quarter in the bad boy cookie jar.
A: At church, probably.
at the beach
I hope they start with you!!
That yellow journalist extraordinaire has one desire, the destruction of the USA. Amazing the power of one little man, it's stranger than fiction what is happening with Faux, democracy, and a once decent nation!
Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity. Albert Einstein
What more can be said ? Normal , sane , rational human beings they are not and they have found their family and home on the right and in the Republican party . I think all of us have worn out the adjectives trying to describe these lunatics and freaks ... or whatever they are .
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
Take out the media, seriously. They aren't doing their job. They're protected to lie and if theyre going to walk hand in hand with the government and do their job, they don't need to be there.
If youre going to be working for the media, you should have to sign a waiver where your right to free speech is forfeited and if youre caught lying on tv, your throat gets slit. Then, the next time some lawyers want to come in and change"cancer" to "really sick" (talking about hormones in the milk here) the reporters can tell them to go fuck themselves.
The nation's #1 provider of jobs for the mentally ill.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
The reason they want to kill us is because we've been over there for years. They know that all the U.S. and world wants is their oil. The only way we're going to be free from that area of the world is to be free from the Republican party. The Republican Party and to a large extent, the Democrats, provide a "protection racket" for big oil. The American people are nothing but their fodder.
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