June 14th is Flag Day - a day that commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.  It’s also a day to reflect on what it means to be an American citizen and how we honor those who serve! 

Some questions for reflection on this patriotic day include:

·        Why are America’s wars widely seen as an ultimate form of patriotism?

·        What do we owe the fallen and their families?

·        Why is patriotism so often connected to war?

·        How do the media portray the meaning of patriotism?

·        The New York Times called American Sniper the most influential movie of the last decade — what does that tell us about popular conceptions of patriotism?

·        Is there anything wrong with “flag-waving”?

Here’s a chance to talk to Norman Solomon who contests that the so-called ‘war on terror’ has spawned an endless and secretive program of foreign interventions…. and how media outlets have been coopted into producing what is essentially war propaganda, with government officials routinely silencing journalists who seek the truth.

And this comes as the Washington Post reported on May 15th…that Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths!

WAR MADE INVISIBLE:

How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine

Norman Solomon

What we see on television, as well as what we read in newspapers, watch on YouTube, and hear on the radio, routinely glorifies the military, obscures the real costs of war, and dehumanizes people the U.S. government has deemed dangerous or expendable.

In War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine (Hardcover; $27.99; 978-1-62097-791-0; On sale 6/13/2023) acclaimed journalist and political analyst Norman Solomon takes American media and political leaders to task for selectively concealing tragic consequences of war.

From Iraq through Afghanistan and Syria and on to little-known deployments in a range of countries around the globe, the United States has been at perpetual war for at least the past two decades. Yet many of these forays remain still off the radar of average Americans.

Additionally, the increased use of high technology, airpower, and remote drones has put distance between soldiers and the civilians who die. And back at home, the cloak of invisibility masks massive Pentagon budgets that receive bipartisan approval even as policymakers struggle to fund the domestic agenda.

War Made Invisible is essential reading, as emphasized by the comments below from renowned journalists and activists. In an interview, Norman can discuss:

·        Unknown American Wars – What are the ongoing wars today that the American public is unaware of?

·        Media Boundaries Limit Our Understanding - Very few of us have firsthand experience with current events overseas. We rely on media accounts to inform us, but all too often we’re misinformed or don’t even know about military actions being carried out worldwide!

·        Make War Visible — and End It - When the true human impacts of war remain hidden, wars are more likely to continue. Civil society can make the difference between evasion and compassion.

·        All of War’s Victims Deserve Attention - Selective empathy is a corrosive factor in perpetuating wars. Civic activism can illuminate our shared humanity.

·        A Single Standard of Human Rights Means a Single Standard on War Crimes - The people of the world are yearning for true justice as a deterrent to impunity as wars take tremendous human tolls. Individual, social, and political engagement will be necessary to bring governments into line with humanitarian values.

·        Despite Joe Biden’s Claim to the Contrary, the USA Remains at War - In the early fall of 2021, President Biden declared during a speech at the United Nations that the U.S. had “turned the page” and was “not at war.” The claim was false then and is false now.

·        We Routinely Speak of “Defense Spending” and a “Defense Budget.” That’s Highly Misleading - Much of the Pentagon budget has nothing to do with the genuine defense of the United States or its allies. But such spending, now well over $2 billion a day, has a lot to do with massive profits for huge contractors.

·        There Is a Racial Component of the “War on Terror” That We Virtually Never Hear Discussed in Media or Politics - For more than two decades, the U.S. government has been engaged in continuous warfare, and almost every person killed by American firepower during that time has been a person of color. Is it realistic to believe that a country so affected by racism in domestic policies is unaffected by racism in foreign policies?

·        Propaganda Is Part of Warfare - “In war, truth is the first casualty” – an observation attributed to the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus – remains fully relevant in our time. The real truth about military conflicts is under siege in 2023.

·        Nuclear War Is Being Made More Likely by the War in Ukraine – and a Major Reason Is the Existence of ICBMs - Our security is being threatened rather than protected by the 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads now on hair-trigger alert in underground silos in five U.S. states. Russia also has ICBMs that are on launch-on-warning alert. Surprisingly, if either side would close down their ICBMs unilaterally, everyone in the world would be safer.

·        There’s Hope in the Midst of War - Understandably, many people feel discouraged and frightened by endless war. But history tells us that a well-informed and active citizenry can make the difference between life and death.

Here are some recent articles on the subject:

Post-9/11 wars have contributed to some 4.5 million deaths, report suggests - The Washington Post - May 15, 2023

'Death Outlives War': Analysis Estimates Post-9/11 US Conflicts Killed Over 4.5 Million

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Norman Solomon is the author of more than a dozen books on media, politics, and foreign policy. He’s the founder of the Institute for Public Accuracy and national director of the online organization RootsAction. For 17 years, he wrote the weekly syndicated column “Media Beat,” which appeared in major newspapers across the country. Norman has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Nation and many other newspapers and magazines. His new book, "War Made Invisible,” is receiving widespread praise. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called it “a powerful, necessary indictment of efforts to disguise the human toll of American foreign policy.”