ANTIWAR

     Regular news sources I have seen just don't have many strong antiwar speakers, which makes rightfully worried people like my professor look for other news sources I just found out about, like Antiwar.com. I learned that this website has in depth, sympathetic, and thoughtful content about the terrible effects of U.S. military action because most major news outlets don't pay much attention to them. My immediate thought was that these major news outlets probably assumed they would have gotten backlash or repercussions from the government because of it.

When the mainstream media talk about military operations, from what I’ve seen, they usually only talk about the most obvious things, like operations, political debates, or strategic victories (which all glamorize them). They don't talk about the essential things, like how war affects innocent civilians, soldiers, or world security for us in the long term. Stories about the pain caused by war, how it destroys whole societies and families, and the real effects of going to war are mostly downplayed.

Myself, many other Americans, and other people around the world are deeply unappreciative of this. This lack of coverage changes how much military actions really cost a lot of other factors. On the other hand, I do appreciate the online platforms because they allow antiwar speakers, like those on Antiwar.com and sites like it, to give a bigger, more sympathetic view of these wars, which can bring attention to the human cost of these choices. But big news outlets hiding their presence and just not speaking on these issues changes how people see what's going on in the world, and it's unrealistic and disgusting.

Like I said in my previous paragraph, when news groups don't cover antiwar views, they keep viewers from getting a full, real picture of how U.S. foreign policy affects the world. This means that most people might never hear different points of view, leaving them confused or uninformed about the real costs of war. That's why Antiwar.com was such a big surprise to me. I think it's wrong that these websites, which have a lot of useful and important information, are not well known or talked about in everyday life.

These blogs are purposely shut out of the mainstream media because they say important things about war and militarism that aren't positive. It's upsetting and makes me worry completely. If these ideas were covered by the mainstream media, people might pay more attention to military operations and demand that those in charge be held accountable.But as I continue writing this blog post, I remind myself that's exactly what they don't want. But as citizens in this country, we have the right to hear a wide range of points of view, especially when it comes to big issues like war.