PrintJanuary 17, 2009
Military rates higher with Americans than Congress, Media
Many in the media and many politicians in the Democratic party have made their abhorrence and disdain towards the military apparent over the years-particularly the last four years. We have seen the New York Times depict military volunteers as being composed of the “losers” in America and condemned them for “massacres” that did not take place (Haditha, among them). We have seen John Kerry depict volunteers who serve in our military as people who performed poorly in school. We have seen Senator Durbin call soldiers guarding Iraqi terrorists (and yes, a few, did indeed abuse their prisoners) the equivalent of Nazis. Iraq War was declared a failure, the surge was predicted to be a failure, Bin Laden has not been found.
Sound familiar?
The military’s efforts to help the stricken around the world when they face natural disasters or to help rebuild Iraq receive scant attention. Despite all this criticism, which institution fares well in the public esteem and confidence? Not the media, not the politicians, not capitalism, but it is the military that the public has confidence in, according to a recent IBD/TIPP poll.
An accompanying Investors Business Daily editorial notes that:
The poll results are not available on line but here are a few key points:
People have shockingly little confidence in many of the most important institutions of our democracy, including our capitalist system. Only the military emerges with a semblance of respect.
The poll results are not available on line but here are a few key points:
Only 12% have much confidence in Congress; only 15% have much confidence in the media. Only 15% have much confidence in banks and financial institutions and only 25% have much confidence in capitalism.
The military, by contrast, enjoys a sky-high confidence level from 75% of Americans polled.
Major media outlets are under major financial distress due, in part, to falling number of subscribers. Has it dawned on the journalists that people are not willing to pay for product that they do not have confidence in when they decide whether or not to purchase it? Are there own jobs in jeopardy because of their own agenda-driven journalism?
Major media outlets are under major financial distress due, in part, to falling number of subscribers. Has it dawned on the journalists that people are not willing to pay for product that they do not have confidence in when they decide whether or not to purchase it? Are there own jobs in jeopardy because of their own agenda-driven journalism?
Speculation: when leaders in the two institutions that enjoy such little confidence roundly attack another institution does it have the contradictory effect of bolstering the esteem of the attacked institution? In other words, when liberals in the media and Congress attack our military, do people take this as a sign to give more respect to the military?
