Afghan War Getting No Media Coverage

This past year has been significant in the war in Afghanistan.   It has been the most costly year for the United States and its allies of any year in the war so far.   There were 700 soldiers killed since January 1st of this year -- up from a previous record death toll of 591 last year.   It is becoming obvious to some of us that the war is just getting worse -- not better.

In fact, it's gotten so bad that no one in the military or the government believes that the United States can keep its goal of a withdrawal by the end of 2011.   The withdrawal date has now been set back to at least 2014, and there are some who are saying that it is doubtful that even that goal can be kept.

Do the American people know this?   It's doubtful.   This has become a forgotten war, and no longer commands the headlines or the front page in this country.   Our soldiers go on dying and little or nothing is being accomplished over there, but most Americans go on with their lives as though we are not even in a war.

The blame for this belongs to the media.   They prattle on and on about teabaggers, politics and Lady Gaga, but offer very little coverage of the wars -- remember, we still have 50,000 troops in Iraq also and the violence continues in that country also.   According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, the American media has devoted a whopping 4% of their total news stories to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Some say the media is not covering the wars enough because people are more concerned about things like the economy and unemployment.   Those are important stories, but why can't the media cover all the stories.   I think the real truth is that it's expensive to cover wars, and the media are more concerned than ever with their bottom line (making money).   It's just easier and cheaper to pull the few stories they use off the wire services.

But while the media have definitely failed in their obligation to cover the wars, the people must accept their share of the blame.   The huge majority of Americans no longer believe either war can be won, and neither should have been started in the first place.   They don't want to hear about these Vietnam-like tragedies anymore -- they just want them to be over.

In light of this, I have to wonder why the government persists in these two lost causes.   Isn't it time to just bring our troops home and let those two countries determine their own future?