Hey, lamestream media: Cool it with the drumbeat to war on ISIS

The media was complicit in the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq in 2003. Now it's reprising its role.

ISIS
(Image credit: (AP Photo via Militant Website, File))

Who's ready to squander billions of dollars on yet another pointless, almost-certain-to-backfire war in Iraq? The mainstream media for one, which for weeks has been shamelessly fearmongering the supposed threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

As Greg Sargent demonstrates, the American people are still fairly reluctant to support a full-blown war. They are for airstrikes by a three-to-one margin, but strongly disapprove of deploying ground troops. But public opinion is a malleable thing, especially when the media smells a juicy story. After all, what began as a limited airstrikes to protect Iraqi minorities has suddenly transformed into a campaign to "destroy" ISIS, whatever that means.

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.