Nine Nobel Peace Laureates Call For Cancellation of NBC’s Reality Show “Stars Earn Stripes” [video]

Posted by clnews _Featured_, Anti-war, Videos Thursday, August 16th, 2012

NBC has come up with a new show, which the critics say ‘glorifies war.  It debuted last night and is called “Stars Earn Stripes” but has a cast of people you can loosely call stars. They are paired with members of the armed forces and go through military training missions similar to what real-life soldiers go through.

The show is being sold as way to honor US troops, but many don’t see it that way, including a group of nine Nobel Peace prize winners, who say that the show is trying to portray war as amusing and entertaining. They go as far as to call it “war propaganda.”  And, they wrote a letter to the chairman of NBC calling for the show’s cancellation.  Here’s a quote from that letter:

“As people who have seen too many faces of armed conflict and violence and who have worked for decades to try to stop the seemingly unending march toward the increased militarization of societies and the desensitization of people to the realities and consequences of war, we add our voices and our support to those protesting ‘Stars Earn Stripes.’  We too call upon NBC to stop airing this program that pays homage to no one and is a massive disservice to those who live and die in armed conflict and suffer its consequences long after the guns of war fall silent.”

Jody Williams, a long time peace activist and 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winner, joins RT’s Liz Wahl for more.  Jody answers the question “Why do you find this new reality show so disturbing?”