War Good

(source for original image here)

Army Strong? This is the new US Army recruiting slogan making the news yesterday on ATC. Michelle Norris provides a completely uncritical piece on the army's latest ad campaign. Norris interviews Gina Cavallaro, staff writer at Army Times, who says, "they [US Army] are really using their recruiting success in the last year to sort of drum up this patriotic feeling in people" and "...at least for one soldier... got him choked up when he heard that slogan --
'There’s nothing on this green earth stronger than the US Army and that’s because there’s nothing stronger than a US army soldier.' I mean he just lost it, he said, '...and that’s so true we’re the mightiest army in the world.'
This schlock passing itself off as journalism is sad evidence of NPR's pro-militarism. The report could have been an opportunity to discuss the growth of militarism in our society. NPR might have sought the reponses of thinkers like Andrew Bacevich or Chalmers Johnson. Or they could have had a couple of historians on to talk about the attitudes of our nation's founders regarding the danger to democracy that a standing army represents. Instead they opted to jump on board the military bandwagon. All I can say is, "NPR Wrong!"