Blog #5

 BLOG #5

Finding A Place for Anti-War Voices

Introduction

Most of us grew up thinking that the United States of America, a strong and humble nation, has positioned itself as an effective leader in progressing diplomacy ideologies for world peace. Seemingly the mainstream media has played considerable efforts to make such claims appear factual. However, the reality is that these perceptions seem a farce once it becomes clear that the US government is practically waging military operations all over the globe. An in-depth analysis of this situation triggers more questions on the US approach to respecting the integrity and autonomy of other nations and if waging military operations globally is the most practical approach. Subsequently, anti-war voices come into question, particularly concerning the underwhelming attention from the mainstream media. A layperson must indulge deeper in obscure websites to hear strong anti-war voices, making it more evident that the lack of enough coverage by the mainstream media is systemized and not merely accidental. 

 

Protect the People through Information 

Information remains a vital component of almost every aspect of human living. However, in the fragmented world of mainstream news, getting information prioritized by specific segments of society becomes relatively easy. The appalling misrepresentation of facts and information puts the population in a vulnerable position. The American Conservative Notice, through the antiwar.com website, holds an insightful and varied collection of strong anti-war voices by different writers that bring a refreshing perspective onto how the ant-war agenda should be approached. Unfortunately, such anti-war voices merely get enough limelight despite the sensitivity of their messages. 

 

Let Not Create a Vacuum for Facts and Truth 

 One of the most intriguing pieces I came across on the website is Don Paul and Daniel McAdams’s report, ‘The Big Rip Off: Congress Packs Military Spending Bill to Insane Level,’ outlining the massive US military budget. This report outlines how on a bipartisan basis, the US Congress allocated tens of billions of dollars to the already bloated 2023 National Defence Authorization Act (Paul & McAdams, 2022). Essentially, the objective of this move is to provoke China and Russia into war while at the same time enriching the military-industrial complex. Despite its sensitivity to the American people and the world's citizens, we do not get this kind of news in the mainstream media, with obscure websites being the only place that provides this massive investment in war. Similarly, while different organizations and individuals have substantial documentation on anti-war activism, these voices become hard to trace due to little given by the mainstream media (Resource Centre for Non-violence, 2022). The reason for this present situation, as put by Don Paul and Daniel McAdams’s report, is that such quietness of anti-war voices benefits some few individuals such as politicians and owners of the various mainstream media.

 

Conclusion

We need to support the anti-war voices unreservedly. The media is extensively overlooking the anti-war voices, but that does mean that all is lost. Anti-war voices can be compelling. The present Russian military aggression and the anti-war voices from Ukraine's allied nations serve as clear examples that the anti-war voices and such should be the starting point not just for those nations considered weak but also for powerful ones such as the US and its media.

References

Paul, R., & McAdams, D. (2022, December 8). The big rip off: Congress packs military spending bill to insane level!https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2022/12/08/the-big-rip-off-congress-packs-military-spending-bill-to-insane-level/.

Resource Centre for Non-violence. (2022, November 13-19). United against hate week. https://rcnv.org/voices/.