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Keeping The War Far From Home

By on Jun 27, 2010

The other day, I received a press release about an upcoming event. The release had been forwarded to me after the event, and, since I found it compelling,  I wondered how much media attention it got. The answer in a minute….

But first, the release:

DETROIT — On  June 26, at 2pm, a group of U.S. military veterans will hang a large banner on the abandoned Eddystone Hotel, on Sproat St., between Cass and Park, to protest and reveal the effect of war spending on American cities.

Members of Veterans For Peace (VFP), attending the U.S. Social Forum, a gathering of over 8,000 activists from across the U.S., created and erected the 10 x 15-foot sign that reads, “HOW IS THE WAR ECONOMY WORKING FOR YOU?”  Detroit has an unemployment rate of 15 percent and 10,000 abandoned homes on the mayor’s demolition list.

That’s bad enough, but what really got my attention were the following statistics:

Taxpayers in Detroit have sent a total of nearly two billion dollars to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The city’s 2011 general fund budget of 1.3 billion dollars contains an estimated deficit of 300 million dollars, even after years of cutbacks in services once assumed to be part of urban life.  The budget for Detroit schools has a deficit in the same range.

“Detroit, like so many of our cities, is in crisis,” said Mike Ferner, National President of VFP.  “This crisis is no different than a five-alarm fire and we should respond the same way.   Instead, we watch America’s cities literally crumble while we pour thousands of lives and trillions of dollars into wars abroad.”

John Amidon, President of VFP Chapter 10, added, “It’s absolutely criminal that the people who built the U.S. auto industry have to watch their city collapse around them while they send $2,000,000,000 to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  This is indeed the purest form of madness and it’s coming to a city near you.”

The release concluded with a fairly innovative plan for future action:

VFP, with over 100 chapters, is beginning a campaign to work with local government officials to place war counters on city halls stating the amount of money each community has sent to the wars….

Ok, so how much coverage did this protest get—or the relevant and moving accompanying statistics? Answer: None at all. Nothing. Nada. That, in short, is the state of journalism today:  keeping the war far from the home front.

  • N8

    Just listening to Russ Baker on Lew Rockwell’s podcast, just poking around the site and really like where you’re going, what you’re doing with it! Perfect timing, also. One little typo I noticed in the lead article “Keeping the war far from home,” when you wrap it up, “That, in short, IN the state of journalism today….” should be “That, in short, IS the state…” Not to be a brat, and not like it’s a big deal, but I’d want to know if it was my article. Great content, looking forward to more! Thanks!

  • Soularddave

    Great article, because it focuses on the same misuse of money I watch here in St. Louis. I think I will Google the VFP and see what *we* are doing here.

    These wars are killing our country. I learned the lifesaving steps in the Army, and the first one is STOP THE BLEEDING.

  • http://welcome-to-pottersville2.blogspot.com Suzan

    Thanks for your noble efforts, Russ.

    I’m going to link these articles at my site ASAP as everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) needs to be able to read and discuss what you are reporting.

    Please don’t stop being there for all of us.

    S

  • Troy

    Russ,

    while I applaud your frank and honest journalism, as a European it is refreshing to see. All of those suffering because of the war should be highlighted, and grieved with equal measure.
    Having been there, I can help but feel for the citizens of Detroit, however we should also count the cost of Iraqi people, remember this is a nation who suffered at the hands of a tyrant who was installed by the British and American governments, to gain access to the oil reserves he controlled. When he outlived his usefulness an illegal war was declared on the long suffering citizens of this country.

    This included bombing schools, hospitals, roads and bridges with wonderfully expensive “smart” bombs! Thus reducing a thriving modern economy to third world status, without sufficient food and water and functioning sanitation. Has replaced a tyrant’s regime, with a raging battle ground, with well armed invading forces to defend their oil fields!

    One question how many innocent lives were lost? Nobody seems to know or care. We do however count the cost to the American tax payers who are now feeling the pinch.
    My plea is that as well as talking about the cost to us at home we always balance that with the innocent lives and livelihoods lost abroad.

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