The coming war with Iran is discussed by mainstream commentators with little grasp of the issues and an infantile “he said/she said” mentality. The war would be a disaster, and anybody who says otherwise is simply pimping for one side of politics or relishing the charming idea of bombing the Iranians to smithereens. A diversity of views in the media is therefore essential. And it seems many Americans agree:
More than half of Americans surveyed said it should be illegal for a company to own both a newspaper and a television station in the same market, a coalition of consumer and telecommunications advocacy groups said on Wednesday.
The Media and Democracy Coalition released its survey the same day the Federal Communications Commission was due to hold a public meeting on media ownership. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wants the agency to decide by December 18 on whether to ease limits on how many media outlets a company may own in one market.
Longstanding FCC rules restrict cross-ownership and ban ownership of a newspaper and a TV or radio station in the same market without an FCC waiver.
The survey found 57 percent of respondents favored laws against a company owning a paper and TV station in the same market. That level of support was roughly the same among the political liberals, moderates and conservatives surveyed.
Where else can we read the logical suggestion that a war against Iran will be largely for Israel’s sake? Or the fact that a majority of Pakistanis oppose the use of force against Islamic militants and outside interference in their country?
But, of course, this isn’t the mainstream narrative. The West has the right to intervene anywhere it wants, right?