Freedom of the Press?
Permalink +Mon, Mar 31, 2003, 7:10 pm // John Servais
Our right to learn from different points of view what is happening? That is typically thrown out the window in war time and Americans are fed the official 'rah rah we are winning and they are sneaky immoral bastards' line of news. No big surprise. What continues to baffle me is how supposedly educated citizens can go blind in time of war and believe what our American corporate media feeds them.For over a week now, the Al-Jazeera web site has been blocked by what experts call a very impressive attack to deny Americans the ability to read their reporting. Is Al-Jazeera to be trusted over American media or will they just report the Arab viewpoint? Well, that is for us citizens to decide. Not for our government to decide. That is the whole point of a free press. But our war-monger fellow citizens get steamed when any reports run contrary to the official Pentagon and Rumsfield party line. By searching the Internet web sites one can find snipets of Al-Jazeera news which is most interesting.
This web site will try to not predict a long war. Others are doing this. What is interesting is our news reports for a week now have each day said we are advancing on Baghdad. Yet if you look at a war map in the newspaper from over a week ago you will see we have not moved forward an inch. Still south of Karbala -where we were on Saturday, March 22. The foreign web sites have better reporting. For war support purposes we get rosy pictures. Our press did not tell you about the Iraqis who have fed our Marines who are without food and water up near Al Kut. Supply lines are in trouble.
The big question - what is the purpose of this war? Well, check out "Practice to Deceive" in the Washington Monthly. The invasion of Iraq is the opening of an extended war against Islam by the US. We are reaching for Empire. And the defeat of Islamic governments. Next? Syria and Iran. Already Rumsfield is threatening them.
In the post Friday, I remarked how not reporting wounded American soldiers tends to "cheapen" the war. This apparently needs explanation. If our press makes the war seem to be without the full number of casualties then we think the war is easy and cheap - cheap in American soldiers injured. Those wounded deserve to be honored and counted. Casualty reports should include wounded as well as dead. Many wounded are crippled for life. To not even report their injuries while reporting dead is to insult their sacrifice.
The first need for citizens of a free country is to be informed. Else, your opinions and actions are based on false information. You need to search the Internet to learn what is happening. It can take time. And we need our government to allow a free press and not work to block our learning the truth. We are the judges of the truth - not our government. We may make mistakes but that is part of our right as citizens. This web site is about our right to know what is happening.
My opinions are secondary and are posted because this is my web site. It is called a 'blog'. We need more in Bellingham. Please inform me of any others and I'll link to them. I intend to list links dealing with the depleted uranium issue. From what I've been able to learn, the danger is real.
Related Links:
-> Practice to Deceive
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