The historic draft card burnings during the Vietnam War were arguably the strongest symbols of anti-war sentiment in sixties and seventies. The Vietnam War lasted for twenty years, and strong anti-war protests persisted throughout most of the war. Additionally, the media covered and backed most of these protests, and the two dominated the public cover of the war being a terrible mistake. With all of this news coverage and prominence back then, why is has dissent diminished so heavily?
Yesterday's Vietnam is today's Middle East. The United States became involved in the Iraq War in 2003. After pulling troops in 2011, Obama redeployed American troops in Iraq in 2014. In that year and the next few to come, anti-war sentiment was almost non-existent. Media covered the events of this war religiously and mainstream media failed to denounce it. Additionally, the Afghan conflict which lasted for over eighteen years received backing by most Americans and the media because of a burning hatred for terrorist organizations like Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Both of these Middle-Eastern conflicts were foreign wars just like the Vietnam War. Where is the dissent now?
While mainstream media fails to recognize it, the anti-war opinion is clearly voiced in two sites in particular. Before this week, I had never heard of them because mainstream news covers only one side of armed conflict. Primarily, The American Conservative is an interesting site because a common stereotype directed at Conservatives is warmongering. This site, along with Antiwar.com are prime examples of strong dissenting voices that are suppressed by mainstream news. These sources emphasize restraint and awareness for covering war. They are part of the modern day anti-war movement, a movement that has little backing currently but should be given more spotlight in mainstream news. A purely one-sided sentiment which does not denounce foreign war is a dangerous stance.
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