Blog Post #6: Anti War

 

 

 

 The United States government is waging military operations all over the globe, but one would typically never come across writers with strong antiwar voices. There are a few reasons for this. To begin with, there is a saying that history repeats itself. Throughout the history of our country, there have been cases in which speaking out against the government created situations that could be extremely detrimental. Through the Sedition Act of 1798, it was illegal to “print, utter or publish…any false, scandalous, and malicious writing” about the government (Broadwater, 2020). This was the Federalist Party creating laws to punish their critics. The only journalists prosecuted under the Sedition Act were editors of Democratic-Republican newspapers. Prior to the Civil War, “As the sectional tensions over slavery intensified, charges of sedition flew in both directions. Southern slaveholders accused Northerners who opposed slavery of fomenting sedition and insurrection” (Schuessler, 2021). The Sedition Act of 1918 made it illegal to say or write any language that was disloyal to the government, the Constitution, the military, or the flag. A Brief History of Sedition in America

 

In addition to the fears of sedition, throughout American history, there have been other instances of being labeled anti-American. For example, in the 1950s, Senator McCarthy led a campaign against communism. Many of those who spoke out against the American government and popular opinion of the time were labeled Un-American. At the time, if one was publicly labeled this by McCarthy, the person’s life would be ruined. (McCarthyism) 

 

Websites such as Antiwar.com and The American Conservative express stronger opinions about the government than the mainstream media. Why is this the case? The mainstream news outlets have a far and reaching audience. Their product and information are seen and heard by a large majority of American citizens and people worldwide.  If they are too harsh on the government, the administration in power at the time may view them as a political threat. This criticism could prevent the government from carrying out operations and achieving the objectives the government wants. The mainstream news outlets run the potential of being labeled as anti-American if they harshly criticize the United States government. Additionally, there is the fear of retribution or retaliation from the government. There is the fear of the government digging into or conjuring up “dirt” on members of a company or a group who have been publicly critical of the government. The smaller sites do not have such a far-reaching audience; therefore, they do not threaten the government like the mainstream media and do not have to worry about government retribution or retaliation. They do not need to worry until their message is heard and accepted by larger audiences. 

                                                                  References

Broadwater, J. (2020). “One of the Great Bulwarks of Liberty”: James Madison’s Response to the Sedition Act and the Rise of the Press in the Early Republic. Journal of the North Carolina Association of Historians, 28.

Schuessler, J.(2021). Sedition: A Complicated History. New York Times 7 Jan 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/arts/what-are-sedition-charges.html