Bang the Drum Loudly: US Media Marches to WAR in Iran

A few days ago Glenn Greenwald, Ariana Huffington, and Joanna Capehart of The Washington Post appeared on MSNBC to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme. The piece quickly turned from discussion into political theatre, not as much for Huffington's firm call for action against Tehran and Capehart's comments (the Post's editorial writers are generally pressing for a showdown) as for MSNBC's visual framing. There are curiosities such as blacked-out countries and Turkmenistan moving to the Mediterranean, but the Big Message lies in the looped video of Iran testing missiles, even as Greenwald is trying to analyse less-scary alternatives in negotiations. (Greenwald has offered his thoughts on the experience.)

Fun Fact: MSNBC is generally considered the "liberal" cable channel in the US.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEuxel6Fv-0[/youtube]

Comments

[Amy]

I'm really surprised at Huffington & MSNBC. The media have slipped into Iraq build-up mode & are way over the top. An attack over this plant is extremely unlikely. The people haven't forgotten Iraq, even if the media have. The Obama admin wasn't pressured about Iran during the post election protests & won't be pushed into an attack now re. the nuclear threat issue. If it was seen as a real danger, I think they'd have attacked rather than talk about the plant.

[Peter]

I completely agree with you Amy. Obama has decided to give negotiations a fair shot and he's not going to be steam-rolled into an attack, at least not this year. What happens next year will depend just as much on Iran's actions, and to a lesser extent Israel's, as Obama's. If negotiations with Iran end in a complete failure and Iran pulls out of the NPT as it has threatened it might do, I wouldn't put it past him to trade an American attack on Iran's enrichment facilities for Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, particularly if early delivery of some of the deep penetrating bombs America has in development can be arranged, assuming that they are potent enough. I'm not saying this will happen, just that I can foresee at least one potential scenario down the road where he might seriously consider a strike.