Feature Article February 12, 2003
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Constructing Consentby Jeff GreenThe debate over whether there is justification for the United States to invade Iraq has become the preoccupation of the media in the past month.. It is a complicated matter, and people have taken the time to think seriously about, and have come out on different sides.
Last week, the day after United States Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the United Nations, the late night David Letterman show featured stupid Pet Tricks, a chat with newscaster Tom Brokaw, and a performance by the 80's rock band The Pretenders.
The interview with Tom Brokaw coincided with his 63rd birthday, and after going over his plans for the day, Dave and Tom got around to the Iraqi situation. Tom, being a news anchor, knows about politics; after all he reads out the news every day, and hes been to Baghdad. He told Dave that Colin Powell, the most trusted man in the world, had laid out the facts at the UN, and how the security council would have to make a decision based on Powells devastating display of facts.
Dave then asked Tom if hed ever met Saddam Hussein, and was he really the wacky guy everyone says he is. Tom laughed, and said, no, he never has met Saddam, but in Baghdad there are a tremendous amount of pictures of him, and walking through the streets people would whisper their complaints to him, but never say anything out loud because Saddams spies are everywhere.
Dave asked Tom what was going to happen, and Tom frowned. I dont know what will happen, he said, but this is the most serious moment of our time, I do believe that. Dave shook Toms hand and turned to announce to the cameras, Well be right back with the Pretenders.
The whole thing came and went in an innocuous fashion, as if Tom had merely stopped by his buddy Daves place for a minute to share some birthday cake, and just happened to talk a little bit about the days events.
But this is not at all what happened. What really happened was that a deadly situation was trivialized. Questions about what will happen to Baghdad when bombs fall; what would happen if poison-laced bombs are dropped anywhere in the world; what this game of chicken between the US and Iraq means and what it can lead to, were all pushed aside by Dave and Toms little chat.
In recent years it has become the practice for celebrities to come on TV shows and tell anecdotes about their lives, casually mentioning their upcoming movie or CD, as if thats not why they were appearing in the first place.
Its one thing to sell bad American culture through banal talk shows. It is quite another to sell a war that way.
