When you watch cable news, does your heart sink or blood boil?

Friend,

In the days and weeks before the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2002 and early 2003, I spent a lot of time yelling at the television amid the palpable march toward war.

It was clear that lies were winning out over facts and common sense. It was clear that a profit-hungry corporate media was part of the problem, not the solution.

In those days, both before and then after the U.S. invasion, it was hard to find information you could trust or news coverage that tracked the anti-war arguments—but we had Common Dreams. In those days I was a reader, not a staff writer or an editor, but I found its pages to be a shining light in an otherwise dark and deceitful media landscape.

Now we're facing the threat of a new conflict—this time with nuclear-armed Russia—and we’re hearing the familiar and dangerous beating of war drums by the corporate media. Instead of voices urging diplomacy and warning against civilian harm, retired generals—now sitting on the boards of Raytheon, DynCorp, and General Dynamics—are once again invited to prognosticate about how best to wage war.

Like it did all those years ago, this pro-war propaganda makes me furious. It also makes me terribly sad.

As a news outlet, Common Dreams stands not openly rooting for violent conflict. Instead, our commitment to quality journalism means we lift the voices of those calling for peace, ask tough questions, and provide key analysis to counter the misinformation of the war machine.

This work is not easy, but if we don’t do it—who will? If you believe in the importance of this work, please support our Winter Fundraising Campaign today. Our journalism is only possible with your generous support.