Blogs and websites that are predominately antiwar aren’t as prominent
in the mainstream media circuit because the government doesn’t amplify or
promote anti-war to begin with. The federal government has spent an absurd
amount of money, resources, and American lives towards wars and causes
circulating in the Middle East that they’d feel hypocritical supporting anything
to do with anti-war beliefs. They simply don’t want to look wrong, and they
also want the American people to keep their eyes off of any anti-war beliefs. It
wouldn’t shock me that a big reason why websites such as ANTIWAR.COM and The American Conservative
is because of pro-war political figures and parties that have that political
pull to reduce the anti-war voices online while amplifying pro-war media.
In my belief, it seems that the majority of mainstream
online media seems to have an absence of anti-war voices because they tend to
go by the lead of the republican congress and administration. This isn’t meant
to say that all republicans are pro-war, or that all news outlets are either,
but rather, the tendency for the media is to promote (whether it be directly or
indirectly) a pro war voice while silencing and criticizing those anti-war pundits
based on the administration. Although the federal government is past the days
of the Sedition Act during the first world war, they still don’t want to hear from
others who disagree with their decisions, especially when it surrounds war. So,
when antiwar writer John Nichols writes about The senate checking and balancing the war
powers of President Donald Trump, his work is most likely going to be seen by
less people because it doesn’t coincide with the administration, and it thereby
won’t be on mainstream outlets.
I also believe this silencing by the media has to do with
the American History in wars. America has a strong history of being successful
in warfare and tends to take great pride in being the nation with the capacity
to step in and be the world’s powerful protector. This history has led some people
to believe that America is simply built to be successful in wars. There’s this
ideology that’s been created that simply being an antiwar voice means you don’t
have true faith in America and the military at large, so you’re shunned from being
taken seriously and being thrusted into the mainstream news.
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