At 05:13 PM 12/16/2003, Group44TR7@aol.com wrote:
> Those of you with Direct TV connections to non-censored European &
>Middle Eastern news channels might find it interesting to watch their
>current...
Non-censored!? Give me a break. Every piece of news and information that
you see on the tube or hear on the radio is censored. It may not be by the
government but it is by a living breathing person called a reporter,
editor, producer, etc... They all (without exception) bring to the party
their own preconceived bias, knowledge and ignorance. If they did not they
would not be human.
> German & Middle Eastern TV reports that there was a major fire fight
>with many casualties on both sides. When captured, Saddam was reported as
>being...
>
> I suppose that it serves some psychological purpose in Iraq to show
>Saddam hidding in a hole and looking like a bum. But how do we look to the
>rest
>of world when they are hearing such a different account from independent
>foreign news sources...
Independent from whom? Having lived and traveled overseas (Israel and
Korea primarily) and having read and watched "foreign" media I can say in
my opinion they are just as biased as any of the media here in this country.
Just like "it serves some psychological purpose" to pump Saddam up to say
he was not hiding in a hole and surrendered without a fight because certain
people don't want to see that their "hero" has feet of clay.
If there had been a "major fire fight" with many casualties there is no way
that the "US" Media would not have reported that. And that goes for the
news on the left (CBS, etc...) and the news on the right (Fox, etc...). One
would have reported it as showing how desperate the situation is and the
other would have reported it as how brave our soldiers are. Either way it
would have been reported.
We cannot live our lives and pursue our agendas (whatever they may be)
living in fear and wonder what others will think (everyone should read
Louis Lamour's book the "Empty Land" for a simple understanding of power
politics). I don't care who is reporting the news, the question that has to
be in your mind is what are they not reporting.
Years ago when I was living in Seoul the first time (1982-1984) I clipped
out of a local paper a cartoon that really explained the situation behind
the riots that occur every spring in Korea (you are not seeing any riots
there now but wait until spring!). It showed Chun Doo Whan (the then
President) standing on top of the integrated government building (I had an
office in there my second time living there 1988-1989 when I had a
consulting contract with the Korean Government doing US-Korea Trade
analysis and attending trade conferences representing the Korean side of
the negotiations!) with trade unions on one side and students on the other.
Both groups were lifting weights and doing exercises. The caption said
"Spring warm-ups". The reason: All labor contracts come up for re
negotiation in the spring and the students are able to go outside and vent
after being cooped up all winter because of the temperatures.
Here is the really funny thing though. The riots are mostly for show. Korea
has universal conscription so the workers used to be soldiers and the
students know they will be serving the next year. Therefore it is known
well in advance that there will be a "demo" and a certain place - like the
gates in front of Yon Sei University. The "riot police" (a part of the
conscript military) show up a few hours ahead of time and park there buses
across the intersection from the School gates. They then lounge on the
opposite side of the buses and eat lunch. At the predetermined time the
students come marching down from the University. The police close the
intersection. Raise their shields. The students stand on the opposite side
of the intersection and throw rocks and "Molotov cocktails" made from
kerosene - not gas. Once the students have expended their "ammunition" the
police move forward to the gates of the school - they do not enter the
school grounds and the students retreat, disperse and go back to their
coffee houses.
End of "Demo". Not the acts of violence you see with similar events in the
US and Europe. But to see it reported in US, Euro and even much of the
Asian media you would think it was on par with riots against the WTO in
Seattle or any place in Europe.
>Cary
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