The idea that the "mainstream" media is any kind of check on our rulers is a concept that just doesn't apply in the year 2017. They are a branch of government, not a check on it. And nothing shows this more than how they function in wartime – i.e. the last 16 years.

In the run up to the Iraq war, they reported lies as if they were facts. And the same goes for all the post-9/11 conflicts they've covered: totally uncritical, they're nothing but lapdogs of the Pentagon.

This presents a major problem: where can the American people find out what's really going on? That's why we founded Antiwar.com – to let the people know how they're being lied to, and by whom.

We depend on you, our readers, for the financial support we need to keep this site going. We get nothing from big corporations or eccentric billionaires: we're answerable only to you – and we are working 24/7 to earn you support.

With our "major" media in the pocket of the Pentagon, we are keeping the tradition of independent journalism alive: but we can't do it without your support. Please take a moment to strike a blow for peace:

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