"If they can't characterize what's going on in Iraq in an honest fashion, we can't begin to address the problem," said retired Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey. Photo Credit: "Meet The Press" Via Getty Images(Image from the Washington Post)
One Man’s Military-Industrial-Media Complex
-- New York Times
-- New York Times
In the spring of 2007 a tiny military contractor with a slender track record went shopping for a precious Beltway commodity.
The company, Defense Solutions, sought the services of a retired general with national stature, someone who could open doors at the highest levels of government and help it win a huge prize: the right to supply Iraq with thousands of armored vehicles.
Access like this does not come cheap, but it was an opportunity potentially worth billions in sales, and Defense Solutions soon found its man. The company signed Barry R. McCaffrey, a retired four-star Army general and military analyst for NBC News, to a consulting contract starting June 15, 2007.
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My Comment: When I read stories like this, my head sinks. The problem with a 24/7 media universe is that in depth stories that examine issues extensively are almost always ignored. What we have instead is some spokesperson .... whose credentials are impressive .... present a point of view (in a few minutes) that is neither substantiated or countered against. The impression that is then left is fact .... and that rebuttal will take either too much time (thereby missing the present news cycle) or ignored completely.
Ret. Gen. McCaffrey is a thoughtful and intelligent man .... he should no better. He should also know that his connections with defense contractors cannot be hidden and will be revealed with time .... a 24/7 universe works on this level also.