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| Britain |
| Media sucked in to terrorist game |
| 2004-09-29 |
| EFL IN Tony Blair's Government it's called The Grid. A single timetable plots the big news events of the weeks ahead, from party conferences to World Cup soccer qualifying matches, and ministerial announcements are timed accordingly. Media interventions are plotted to exploit quiet days and overshadow the opposition's efforts. In Baghdad, the terrorists appear to have a grid too. And it is determining the fate of Kenneth Bigley. The 62-year-old British hostage is, mercifully, still alive as I write. But that is not because of any inclination towards mercy on the part of his captors, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. No, Bigley has been kept alive for as long as he has because it serves the ideological ends of his terrorist captors. And the tragedy of his death, if and when it comes, will have been timed to achieve the maximum political impact. The shadow that has been cast over this week's Labour Party conference in Brighton has been carefully contrived. By killing two Americans and then keeping Bigley alive, by parading him on videotape, by putting words in his mouth that held Blair responsible for his fate, and then by ensuring his plight became a central issue at Labour's conference, Zarqawi has manipulated the British media, and Britons' emotions, to serve his purposes. Just as al-Qa'ida scented weakness among the Spanish population when it plotted its bombing of Madrid for the climax of Spain's general election campaign, so it has been carefully using Bigley's capture to shift British public opinion in an anti-war direction at a time when Blair is under an even more intense spotlight than usual. And from the terrorists' point of view, the British media have played their role perfectly. There are three ways, in particular, in which the media collectively have played into the terrorists' hands... |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #13 "I know I can do a week or 2 in jail for my country, society " If you are here in Texas, as I have gathered from your posts, and you actually carry out what you suggest and get caught. You can count on at least a five year sentence. I hope you don't mind getting cornholed and sucking dick, because that is exactly what you'll be doing. HTH HB |
| Posted by: Heartless Bastard 2004-09-29 9:53:53 AM |
| #12 rather's arrogant display of another segment using lies and tricks, to say the Bush admin is promoting a draft, supports your point SPOD. (see ratherbiased.com) Their arrogance, self-righteousness, and condensation is staggering. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-09-29 7:02:21 PM |
| #11 Anonymous5032. No politician or political movement is telling me to defend them or go after the "press". I am about waking these stupid arses up. They have been comfortable and safe in their lies. It's time to make them pay for their knowing lies. Lies that are made to promote a socialist agenda. When you piss on my leg and tell me it's raining it's time for a pounding. I gave up on reading the LA times and my local papers becuase they are nothing but spin and don't even bother to cover real news. They are all about trying to socially engineer the herd and create a socialist California. If you think we are going to get through this crap by playing nice you are nuts. Sorry I don't buy into laying there and taking it. All complaints about the press and it's distortions are ignored. Nothing has changed. The press ignores the truth and keeps putting out distortions. It's time we take more direct action. I don't see how being non violent is going to fix this. These pricks have no fear of punishment for lying. It's time to change that. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-29 6:46:07 PM |
| #10 Sock: âThe problem is lying bastards who can get away with outright lies by vurtue of their "protected" status.â I live in LA. Iâve wondered what I would do if I ran across Michael Moore. I detest the jerk. But beating him up or destroying his property would not help our country. We are a society of law. People have the right to speak their mind and promote their views even when I find them personally offensive. I donât think the âlying bastardsâ should get away it. And today I donât think they are getting away with it. The Rathers of the media world are starting to look over their shoulders at the blogosphere and worrying. Every article they write is now part of an easily accessible permanent record. Each mistake they make or lie they promote will be thrown back in their face. The problem with the MSM and terrorism is more complicated. The BBC is anti-American and its bias shows. But Fox isnât anti-American and Fox also spreads the terrorist message. The MSM uses ânewsâ as entertainment. The fact that the ânewsâ entertainment cost American lives and hurts our country wonât stop the MSM. The MSM itself is aware of the problem as evidenced by the above article. The same topic is being discussed on several other blogs. Possibly a âshamingâ approach will work. If the worst media abuses are denounced loudly change may occur. Or people may just weary of the hostage/terror game to the point where it is no longer news worthy. Or people may just turn away from the MSM altogether. Physically attacking the authors of unpopular views is against the basic fabric of our society. If such behavior became common, I couldnât speak out in support of Bush in parts of LA without being beaten. (The people beating me would be totally convinced of the rightness of their action, as they would be certain I was evil.) Politicians with the biggest mobs would âwinâ all debates. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5032 2004-09-29 6:23:58 PM |
| #9 Anonymous5032, Informing is great. The problem is lying bastards who can get away with outright lies by vurtue of their "protected" status. I say screw them they are enemies of our civilization, social structure and, social contract. A good shit pounding might wake them up. It's much better than killing them which I do not think or say is a good thing. They need to wake up and realize they live in the real world where if you are a fool you get a fools treatment. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-29 5:29:35 PM |
| #8 it's too bad that these guys don't realize that it's not working the way they hoped. They really don't comprehend the West's love of goodness and charity - just like we can't comprehend the Islamist love of death and ghoul. I really think they believe that this is undermining our will. What the don't realize is that all they are undermining our will to react towards them with goodness and charity. I see a disturbing trend among very good, nice people to dispense with the kindness we have attempted and to simply go ahead and crush these people. They forget that, were we to fight like our parents and grandparents did in WWII, their cities would be devestated by the end of the week. We just don't want to - yet. The only thing these beheadings undermine is our will not to unleash what it takes to crush them. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-09-29 1:01:05 PM |
| #7 Pretty much sums up what I have commented on before regarding the AWZ motive. I thought for sure they would decapitate him during Blair's speech and do a webcast for UK residents. But I guess they have political smarts but no server. Brits do have a choice - Sky brings FNC but you have to pay for it, of course since its dish and cable delivery. Also, you have to put up inane music and graphic breaks during commercials. Soon FNC has to get an international edition to really compete with the likes of BBC, RTE, RAI, etc. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back 2004-09-29 12:26:57 PM |
| #6 Sock: âI have decided that good old fashion sucker punching and shit beating are OKâ Advocating such actions in support of policies I favor disgusts me. We are not Nazis and shouldnât adopt Nazi brown shirt tactics. If you want to help, speak out against lies and distortion. Donât threaten, inform. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5032 2004-09-29 10:33:25 AM |
| #5 Heartless Bastard, that was me dumping your comment, on account of language. A note to all posters: the editorial staff enjoys snarkiness and a bit of ribaldry as much as the next guy (or gal), but please keep your conversations somewhere above the level of the comment I just sent to the sink trap. I now return RB to its regularly scheduled festivities. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-09-29 10:21:40 AM |
| #4 The best way to beat the BBC etc is to create a rival media presence. Blogs need to step up to the next level. Instead of merely linking to the MSM, we need a technology platform that will allow us to research and source the news ourselves and then report on it 24x7. We know that hardly anyone watches network news anymore. Who needs the NY Times? |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-29 10:08:06 AM |
| #3 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Heartless Bastard TROLL 2004-09-29 9:53:53 AM |
| #2 That's why you call yourself SOCK Puppet of Doom! |
| Posted by: Bryan 2004-09-29 4:47:58 AM |
| #1 "Responsible news organisations do not broadcast material they know will help our enemies at a time of war. And a failure to realise we are in a war with Zarqawi and al-Qa'ida lies at the bottom of so much of the media's failure properly to cover the challenge the West is now forced to confront." So correctly put. Since the "news" media don't seem to get it I have decided that good old fashion sucker punching and shit beating are OK when dealing with them. If you want to act like a trator to your culture, society and nation expect a good old fashioned ass beating from people who don't have the access the media seem to have. I know I can do a week or 2 in jail for my country, society and culture not that I would go out of my way to do so but given the opportunity I might. This is especially true for any media people working for the BBC, or of the N.Y.T or LA Times. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-29 4:14:15 AM |