The USA and War

LIBYA

MSNBC V FOX-NEWS

One of the most striking aspects of this clip is the absence of rancor or cynicism. With the Libyan conflict now into its second week one would expect to find the American based global commentators banging on endlessly about the need to bring “democracy” to this lowly Arab sate. Instead we find two of the big hitters in the American news business involving each other in what looks like a set piece confrontation. This is a relatively good-humored slanging match with no fatalities anywhere to be seen. As gentle a romp through the political periphery with a selection of “has been’s” and one or two “also ran’s”, like Sarah Palin, there just to make up the numbers. I doubt if Palin knew there was a war on and if she did she wouldn’t know where it was, not even when told. Be that as it may the real question is why? Why nothing more serious than this burlesque style verbal slapstick? On the face of it nothing seems to be taken too seriously, again we must ask why?

The answer is simple enough; there is nothing, for the Americans in particular, to be concerned about. For the first time in over twenty years of global conflicts the Americans are letting someone else call the shots. Sarcozy was happy to oblige by taking it upon himself to run the show ‘till he managed to get NATO to take over. The serious decision-making has centered on Paris with an occasional stopover in Brussels. However there is still a much work to be done. The domino effect as applied to the Middle East region has been halted, at least for the moment. Small wonder then that the Yanks were in frolicsome mood. Although we find the media in an agreeable and carefree state there is no denying the message. What’s been mediated here under the heading of “war reportage” is that we, the Americans, have begun to wise up. We are trying hard to kick the “bully boy” habit. It is only recently that we’ve started to call the Iraq war like we always should have. The absence of body bags and daily shots from Arlington goes a long way towards assuaging their sense of power loss. Their message now is, we like it simple, we like it quiet and we do like it clean. Long may it last.