Media's poor use of a narrative

[carl dick]

Media's Dangerous Use of a "Narrative"

I first want to congratulate 60 minutes for successfully pushing their Iraq 'narrative' on 3 October 2010, titled 'Unfinished Business". CBS news highlights that

Lesley Stahl goes to Iraq to report on the many possible sources of conflict that could erupt there once the U.S. military completely withdraws from the country by the end of next year.

Second, I want to highlight 60 Minutes' lack of creative thinking and their dangerous lack of understanding when they push 'their' narrative.

60 Minutes personalizes the military effort with General Ray Odinerno. He has lived in Iraq over four years and has now turned over his job, while leaving the many problems that Ms. Stahl shows viewers. Electricity, trash, governance, and Kurdish problems. To a veteran of Iraq, they seem simple compared to 10 dead bodies found daily by route clearance teams and having to attend over 100 memorials throughout 27 months of service in the country. So why did the US allow him to leave with all these problems, Ms Stahl hints?

They show the transfer of authority for General Odinerno to "another officer" without mentioning his name. Four-Star General Lloyd Austin now has the problems that Ms. Stahl highlights, but that deviates from the narrative that General Odinerno did not succeed in his job. Even naming General Austin in the story would then force a discussion that America still has identified these problems, has identified a new 'military leader', that both were nominated by the U.S. President and then ratified by a democratically-controlled Congress.

So what is 60 Minutes' narrative? Its General Odierno's fault, that US money was wasted, that any military effort is bad no matter the dictator, genocide or humanitarian disaster. The military cannot use the word 'victory' anymore, but they can never even call the turnaround or the surge a success. See what is left over, Ms Stahl states? Those silly Iraqis cannot even choose a leader. She hints that Muslims cannot handle democracy and must have a dictator. That is what they are used to and she finds a pro-US "professor" to state the case.

Critical thinking would have Ms. Stahl quote Churchill with

democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the rest.

I will bet money that General Odinerno stated this during the many hours of interviews that were not included in the 10-minute 'story'. He highlights that it took America eight years of failure under the "Articles of Confederation' and warfare to change our paradigm and create something that does work, our Constitution. General Odinerno asked if one wants to see gridlock and election problems, visit the United States. Ms Stahl does not bite. To her credit, she probably did, but the 60 Minutes' producers cut out any discussion that would deviate from the narrative, that seven years of effort and over 4000 deaths were for naught.

She kept asking why Iraqi streets do not look like Manhattan. Was that our mission? People kept complaining. Wow! They complain in Brooklyn and Phoenix. If you want to see complaints, visit the Gulf Coast, which happened to be the following 60 Minutes story where people were complaining to a subordinate-level authority. There was no mention of US responsibly, no mention of the lack of job growth, no mention of Congressional oversight, or the moratorium on drilling, or the many layers of bureaucracy between the federal government and an average fish captain. The Iraq story focused on one subordinate-level leader. She states up front he is the most powerful US person in Iraq, but never discusses the US Ambassador or that the General is one step in the national command ladder, and no mention of any other US "civilian" agency.

The media thinks Americans and especially military personnel are not that bright, but we watched eight years of the media blaming everyone on one person, the top one.

What did the 60 minutes story teach Americans? That it is all the General's fault. There are no other federal agencies involved (or held accountable). That military action is always bad. (We professionals know that there are other civilian agencies deeply involved, but no real responsibly is attached by the media and to Americans who are never reminded that foreign effort is a "Whole of Government" approach, as it should be.

I stepped back to critically question if my understanding is flawed. Maybe 60 Minutes was 'Machiavellian' by hinting and using metaphors that the current President was wrong on the campaign trail and the US should not pull out of Iraq if truly there is "unfinished business". If there are, then let us petition the House Speaker for more Iraq funding, increase development, improve governance and economic capacity and remain past 2011. Is this the case that CBS is making?

The context is that CBS has sold their soul to the Democratic Party. They focus all effort on military leaders and military action, not on American leaders, American action and American interests. Improving 'Governance' responsibly is actually run by the US State Department through the Ambassador in Iraq and Afghanistan (check their web site), but we never hear about their action, or inaction. Critics will say that PRTs are fully engaged and the embassy has over 1000 civilians. However, there is a difference between responsibly and accountability. PRT leaders and Ambassadors are never fired. USAID leaders are not trumped through congress to explain the 'unfinished business.' It was never security problems Ms. Stahl showed; it was economic and governance. I did not know the DOD was charged with making economic and governance problems go away throughout the world, and I believe the budget for that "mission" would be slightly higher than the current rate.

Now is this article my form of "narrative"? Yes. I am highlighting that the American elite do not want to apply responsibility to any agency outside of the DOD. They are isolationist and do not want to use military action for any reason, like in Sudan or Rwanda, no matter how ugly a genocide might become. I feel sorry that Americans are fed these stories daily, which never apply critical thinking to American national interests, or on the state department, Ambassador, Congress or any other federal agency.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf on 60 Minutes the week prior (Sept 26, The People behind the Mosque) stated that America was only conducting "military" effort in the Middle East, and he was attempting to solve the crisis by non-military means. My first response is that he was completely wrong, that many federal agencies are critical to the mission, and that our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq are a battle of ideas similar to what Tony Blair discussed in his new book. Unfortunately, today's 60 minutes story showed viewers that Imam Rauf's perception was right.

The narrative from the US Government and the media are that all America has used have been military action with only military leaders held responsible and even fired from time to time. Imam Rauf and all other Americans shape this perspective from the media's narrative.

So what is the point? That is reality, life is complex, and as military professionals, we will continue to serve America no matter who what party is in office, or the lack of interagency support, or what biased narrative the media elite show.

MAJ Carl Dick, Fort Leavenworth, 3 OCT 2010