The Only Taboo

The Eason Jordan witch hunt reminds us that there is one sacred cow remaining in American society that cannot be violated. We can talk about death and dying. We can talk about sex - both standard and deviant. Politics and religion are de rigeur. Money, drugs and crime - bring it on.

The "third rail" of American discourse is criticizing the military.

The lynch mob that took out Eason Jordan wasn't concerned in the least with whether or not what he said was true. It never occurred to them that journalists being killed in Iraq might be a legitimate topic for discussion amongst professionals behind closed doors at a forum called "Will Democracy Survive the Media?" Right or wrong, Jordan dared to suggest that the American military wasn't staffed and commanded exclusively by infallable demigods, and for that he needed to be destroyed.

Kerry suffered greatly from a similarly motivated campaign to destroy him at the hands of the Swiftboat Veterans. Under scrutiny, the Swiftboat Vets' accusations against Kerry amounted to nothing. Did any of his accusers really believe that he shot himself in the foot to earn a Purple Heart? No - Kerry was being punished for speaking out against the Vietnam War - and the military - 30+ years ago. Again the truth was irrelevant here - it didn't matter to the Swiftboat Vets that history was on Kerry's side in his criticisms of the war. There is a significant segment of American society that will never forgive him for speaking out.

A friend emails to me remind me of an article that appeared on BOPnews.com last summer during the height of the Swiftboat Vets campaign against Kerry. The piece explores the origins of the myth of the infallable US military and "kill the messenger" response that has developed as a retaliation by self-described "patriots" who wish to protect the military's good name.

It's been awhile since I've posted about a "must-read" article. This article is a "must-read."

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