The First Casualty of War

is a casualty we can't afford

As they say, the first casualty of war is truth.

And we can’t afford it.

If we weren’t mesmerized by Hollywood, mainstream media and popular culture, killing innocent people would be completely unacceptable. Wars and genocide would be stopped in a heart beat.

In any other context, murder is indefensible. So is destroying homes and land, hospitals, schools, water systems and universities; breaking international law; and creating needless and devastating environmental damage.

But here we are.

Malcolm X once said, “If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

As in his time, the west is a highly propagandized population. Here’s an article discussing one of the organizations, the Institute for the Study of War, that’s responsible for this. It’s one of many influencing our thinking.

Any chance these organizations might be having an impact on our perceptions about ongoing military operations?

So many influences are subtle. Our very definitions of things are skewed. How do we navigate reality when concepts are blurred in this way?

When I was fairly new to activism, a more seasoned activist told me that I should always be aware of my sources of information, and who funds those sources. And that’s always stuck with me.

I also ask myself if they’ve given mis- or disinformation in the past. If they have, and haven’t owned up to and apologized for it, I don’t waste my time on them.

Here are a couple of posts that I’ve found illuminating.

The first is from Rachel Blevins talking about the war in Ukraine with Mark Sleboda. It might not be what you expect.

Here’s another by Ben Norton about the economic bubble the American economy finds itself in, an important factor in a war economy.

And, during times of war, drumming up hatred for an enemy is standard procedure. Here’s a sample of what this can look like.

A few key strategies: follow the money, see whose interests an article is serving especially during times of war, and find reliable news sources.

As well, know that a lot of information is being censored right now. Here’s an article about the New York Times refusing to publish a paid ad by the Quaker group, The American Friends Service Committee, calling for an end to American support for Israel’s genocide against Gaza. It’s been deemed a plausible genocide by numerous groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Court of Justice.

We can’t afford to keep going in a direction that causes death, destruction and misery for so many in order to enrich a very few people invested in the military industrial complex.

A Tale of Two Narratives

Here are two situations that are portrayed in very different ways.

The first is the war in Ukraine.

One group believes that Russia, led by its evil leader Vladimir Putin, made an unprovoked attack against Ukraine, and wants to expand its war to Europe.

Another group believes that NATO countries violated the Minsk Agreement that committed to Russia that NATO would not advance an inch to the east, and that when it tried to persuade Ukraine to join NATO, Russia found this to be an existential threat. As well, in 2014, the CIA backed a coup, overthrowing the democratically elected Ukrainian President, Victor Yanukovich, and backed the campaign of Volodymyr Zelensky. After Zelensky became president, Russian speaking Ukrainians were not allowed to speak their language and experienced violence at the hands of the newly empowered Ukrainian far right.

The second is the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

One group believes that Middle East politics are too complicated for westerners to comprehend, and that this is a war between equals. Many in this group aren’t sure which side has experienced the most casualties.

Another group, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Doctors Without Borders and the World Court, believe that Israel is committing genocide against Gaza. And Israel is being armed and funded by the USA and other western countries, while the western news media is downplaying Israel’s ongoing war crimes.

And here’s one more. What about Venezuela? Did Maduro win fair and square, or were there inconsistencies in the most recent election?

Depending on the media sources you pay attention to, in all of these cases, one of the narratives will make sense while the other will not.

And this will reveal the news sources that inform your opinions.

One set of sources, the set that is most readily available online, supports western aggression and airbrushes the atrocities it supports and commits.

The other set of news sources, many of which are being violently repressed, are sources we have to dig for. They are often accused of being fake news, however many have won journalism awards for their courageous reporting. It can be difficult to discern between fake news and honest reporting that is being repressed.

Don’t get me wrong; there is a lot of fake news out there. And navigating between mainstream media, fake news and actual reliable news sources is tricky.

But if we want to have an accurate idea of what is actually going on, we need to do that digging. We can’t allow ourselves to be persuaded by the propaganda that is everywhere here in the west.

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I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here's an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1

Here's a way to help others not in your bubble to boycott Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/stickies_2024_en

And here's where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/