War And Peace And Cable TV
By Ron Marr (03/26/03)
If you seek evidence of the degradation of common sense in America, you need look no further than the reactions currently pouring forth from certain segments of the general public and virtually all of the talking heads on TV. At the time of this writing, though we have barely been at war for a week, a hue and cry can be heard from those whose perception of time has somehow been warped by an all-pervasive media.
"When will this war be over," they moan. "Why haven't we won yet?"
The answer is simple. It will be over when it's over. The reason we haven't yet won is because we've been in it for less than a week. However, listen to the press darlings and you would think we were in year 57 of the 100 years war. Our troops achieved an amazing success in the speed with which they moved toward Baghdad - probably unprecedented in military history - and yet our TV nation is wringing it's hands over the prospect of a "long" war.
I'm certain those who fought in World War II, Korea or Vietnam, are perplexed by such ludicrous invective. What intelligent person expects a major military action, conducted in a large country known for extremely harsh conditions, against a murderous dictator who has been ensconced for decades, to be completed in hours or days? What could lead people to consider such a possibility?
Another simple answer....TV. Or rather, a pathological reliance on the comforting platitudes of TV over a semblance of focused intellect. A frighteningly large percentage of the populace puts more faith in the words of the well-groomed news readers - the largely uninformed conjecture of Rather, Jennings and Brokaw - than they do the generals and administration officials who provide information on what IS happening and what SHOULD be expected.
Why do so many people adopt such an approach? To quote Jack Nicholson - which should be more palatable to the entertainment-obsessed masses than recalling the words of Tommy Franks or Colin Powell - "you don't want the truth! You can't handle the truth!"
The truth, boys and girls, is that a whole slug of the Middle East wants us dead. The truth, is that they would take any action they could to accomplish that goal, on a large scale or small. Five people or five million matters not to them, for they see all Americans as a threat to their twisted Utopian dream of a totalitarian world ruled by the unforgiving hand of mass-murdering religious fanatics.
And yet, despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary, some Americans (A) think we shouldn't fight for our own survival or (B) are confused that the war didn't end in five minutes. What boggles me is how they can hold such misconceptions after the bloody attacks on our soil.
It defies logic. Shortly after September 11th President Bush explained, repeatedly, that the war against terrorism would be long and hard. He told us we would not tolerate countries that harbored, trained or supported terrorists. At that time, while the buildings still smoldered and body parts were being pulled from the piles of twisted steel, Americans were in near total support of strong action. However, the President's wise words were applauded and cheered with the fervor of a late stage Alzheimer's patient.
A year and a half later, roughly a quarter of our citizens would prefer to bury their heads in the sand, hoping against hope that Martin Sheen will stroll from the Oval Office and announce that the world is safe and war is outlawed and terrorism is dead and that cats have acquired the power of speech.
In short, the TV generation has forgotten that we did not bring war to the terrorists; they brought war to us. George Bush did not say this would be a quick fight. The press did. George Bush did not say this would be a simple action. The press did. George Bush did not say defeating Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden would be a stroll in the park. The press did. That's because George Bush lives in the world as it is, while the press more often than not lives in the world as they would like it to be.
So, let me spell it out in terms the TV generation can understand. War is not just another aspect of network programming. Everything won't be tidy and neat before the evening's prime time viewing hours are over. The crime won't be perpetrated, investigated and solved within an hour. Vic Morrow is not back from the dead for a new episode of "Combat." Superman has split for Krypton. Gilligan might make it off the island...but it will take a long, long time.
Sorry, but the batteries on the ruby slippers are expired. There is life, which is harsh, and there is TV, which is smoke and mirrors. You can believe that the great and powerful Oz will make it all go away, but doing so will leave you with nothing but a fuzzy screen and an empty box of popcorn.
I hate to tell you this, but we're not in Kansas anymore.
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