The Media And The Military

Atlantic Monthly | November 2004 | Robert D. Kaplan

[Steve_Seattle]

"folks"

About 15 years ago, a Seattle school superintendent was run out of town because he called women "gals" and liked country music.

[blanknoone]

The supposedly 'professional' supposedly 'objective' journalists are capable of completely setting aside all of their (liberal) biases EXCEPT when they get up close and personal with real Americans.

If their much vaunted professional objectivity fails there...why is it supposedly infallible all the rest of the time?

[LavaDog]

NCOs in these places appreciate President Bush, whatever his manifold weaknesses, for subjective cultural reasons. His voice is a clear, simple one that speaks of a clash between good and evil, between good guys and bad guys. Bush talks like a believer; he is unabashedly Christian. He says openly that it is all right to kill the enemy, which goes a long way with military fighting units. One Air Force master sergeant told me, "I reject the notion that Bush is inarticulate. He is more articulate than Clinton. When Bush says something, he's clear enough that you argue about whether you agree with him or not. When Clinton talks, you argue over what he really meant."

Very insightful comment from this NCO.

[68skylark]

Usually I don't care much for the Atlantic Monthly. But this is a good article -- good post.

Journalism professors don't like the military embedding program because it makes the military look good. They hate that.

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

This is the best thing Kaplan has ever written. It's true.
I was a newspaper reporter and graduate of Columbia Journalism School before I was drafted in 1966. I did a tour of duty in the Army in Vietnam in 1968-69 and was so disgusted by the gap (canyon) between what I saw with my own eyes in Vietnam and what the reporters were saying about it that I quit journalism in disgust when I got back to the US. The average journalist has no idea how to talk to an NCO or private.

[CatoRenasci]

This article is actually very good, except that it neglects the historical perspective. Up until the great expansion of the military for and after World War II, the professional officer corps of the Navy and the Army constituted a somewhat peculiar subset of the upper class. The Navy officers had direct ties to the civilian upper class, being based primarily in port cities on the East and West Coasts, while the Army officers often lived a life somewhat more removed from civilian comforts. Nonetheless, as late as the immediate post-WWII period, senior officers were regularly welcomed in what Emily Post would have called the "best society" and regular junior officers were considered eligible young men suitable as escorts for the better debutante balls and would be invited by many smart hostesses to the sorts of affairs at which young women of the upper class met their young men.

That began to change as the military remained larger post-Korea and during the Cold War (necessitating a larger officer corps with the resulting class levening) and completely disappeared with the Vietnam War. By 1970, officers were pariahs in polite society.

[Thrusher]

Bump

[Congressman Billybob]

What an excellent, well-written, thoughtful article about the cultural divide between journalists and the military. Absolutely amazing that this was published in the Atlantic Monthly. This should be required reading in Journalism 101 in every J-School in the nation.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "And the Debate Winner is -- Lemony Snicket"

If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.

[xzins]

One Air Force master sergeant told me, "I reject the notion that Bush is inarticulate. He is more articulate than Clinton. When Bush says something, he's clear enough that you argue about whether you agree with him or not. When Clinton talks, you argue over what he really meant."

This is an awesome line in an exceptional (must read) article. (One of many)

Loved the question at the beginning about why the media is concerned with military imbeds losing their perspective when jounalists are continuously imbedded with politicians, academics, etc., and no one questions their losing their perspective about those settings.

[MeekOneGOP]

[CatoRenasci]

Indeed. The press would all do well to have to memorize Kipling's Tommy:

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

[xzins]

Excellent article ping.

[Even Keel]

good read.

as an NCO in the Reserves it might not be as apparent to me but I sure can see where he is coming from.

[Travis McGee]

I was going to paste that same line!
Kaplan is terrific, his work on the coming global anarchy is priceless.

[campfollower]

Ditto. I graduated from the UGA Grady School of Journalism (with double major in pol. sci)in '83. Fortunately, I went to work for a Navy newspaper while my husband was a flight student, and saw early "my heroes" of journalism and how they acted when covering a media-frenzied article 32 hearing in Pensacola (late '88). I was shocked and appalled to say the least, at the malicious ambitiousness of these slimebags (most are still reporting today). Maybe I was naive, but they didn't follow any tenets of journalism I was ever taught (thank you, Grady).

They even hit the base day-care center asking if kids of those involved ever had bruises on their arms...they were too lazy to learn anything cultural about the services, but no stone went unturned when trying to dig up the dirt.

(They spoke freely to me as I was hanging out with the Wash. Post reporter and they thought I was one of them.)

I recently asked the very lib editor of the Atlanta Journal Constitution this question: "you say it's wrong that most congressmen don't have sons or daughters serving in the U.S. military, but don't you believe it's just as wrong that most journalists have no experience with military service?" Of course, I got no answer.

It's time the stereotypes were broken about our services. I encourage any military person to keep on writing and competing with the biased views. Let's show 'em who we really are!

[Keyga8tor]

Excellent point, but I think it was WWII that brought the increases to the officer corps. I appreciate the timing of this article. I am doing a "Round Table" with the local media next week on this subject.

[Tallguy]

Usually I don't care much for the Atlantic Monthly. But this is a good article -- good post.

Robert Kaplan is their best writer, IMO. I try to read every article & book this guy produces. If you want to get a handle on the problems of the Balkans, get his book "Balkan Ghosts." It really puts the entire region and its problems into context.

[xzins]

Exceptional article.

Those of us in the lower tiers of America, who are continually told that our "betters" think far deeper thoughts than we do, that they see far more clearly the correct ways to go than we do, should simply bow to the new aristocracy and accept their superior intellect.

If you don't accept it from me, then take it Dan _democRATher