2.25.2003
Iraqis are people like us. It is their "regular folks" that will be killed in the US "Awe and Shock" blitzkrieg, a show of force analagous to an atomic attack that is planned to 'kick off' our nations aggression on the nation of Iraq.
Sometimes I think "fuck it all"; how can it be that we need to be reminded to realize the personhood of others, widening the terms of discourse. I guess mainstream media so effectively directs public thoughts past, around and by this basic fact. It is hard to believe we actually need people to attempt to communicate the humanity of this people we are going to massacre. The inhumanity of our present leaders. But I am trying... We should not need an effort concerned with Popular Education to remind us we are all human, no matter where we live... What is happening to our collective mental environment?
Please go here and spend a moment looking at the victims of both Saddam and, potentially our lust for power and oil. People. Like you and me. With hopes and dreams for their children, just like we have; love for their parents and grandparents... It will just take a moment.
Listen to this twelve year old girl, Charlotte Aldebron, remind us that about 50% of the Iraqi population is under fifteen years old.
Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
That bit of scripture has to be contained in even the most fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible.
2/25/2003
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Well, the U.S is willing to bully and bribe to get support to attack Iraq. Oil and Bush Family concerns stand to make a killing in this attack.
Sad to say the lawsuit brought to give Congress back its power to declare war has been derailed. Norman Mailer too fears for American Democracy.
An admirer of American democracy, he feels the United States has lost its bearings.
"I see a darkening of the spirit," he said. "I think that by this war, America and Britain are only bringing a curse upon themselves."
- Godfrey Meynell, 68 year old "Human Shield" presently in Baghdad.
Saddan Hussein Challenges Bush to a debate; which has gotten as much credence as his October duel idea, which because it would save lives while letting our Chickenhawks still do the macho act seemed like a good idea. Hussein is also saying no to destroying his stock of Al Samoud 2 missiles that fly, depending on the report, somewhere around 5 miles further than UN rules allow. Which will be interpreted as saying "yes"to US aggresion as it shows "his unwillingness to disarm".
Let's take a look at who sold him everything from missile parts to items giving him possible nuclear capability. America is well represented.
An interesting article on political nepotism.
2/25/2003
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Please read this piece by Jane Akre taken from her site excerpted below:
By JANE AKRE
Filed February 19, 2003
Accepting a defense rejected by three other Florida state judges in at least six separate motions, a Florida appeals court has reversed the $425,000 jury verdict in favor of journalist Jane Akre who charged she was pressured by Fox Television management and lawyers to air what she knew and documented to be false information.
In a six-page written decision released February 14, the court essentially ruled the journalist never stated a valid whistle-blower claim because, they ruled, it is technically not against any law, rule, or regulation to deliberately lie or distort the news on a television broadcast. (italics mine)
In the lawsuit filed in 1998, Akre claimed she was wrongfully terminated for threatening to blow the whistle to the FCC. After a five-week trial that ended August 18, 2000, a six-person jury was unanimous in its conclusion that she was indeed fired for threatening report the station’s pressure to broadcast what jurors decided was “a false, distorted, or slanted” story about the widespread use of growth hormone in dairy cows.
In overturning the jury on what amounts to a legal technicality, the court did not dispute the heart of Akre’s claim, that Fox pressured her to broadcast a false story to protect the broadcaster from having to defend the truth in court, as well as suffer the ire of irate advertisers.
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To get further background check out the PR Watch website's coverage of the story. I first read of this in "Trust Us We're the Experts" by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton of PR Watch (note the Tom Tomarrow flyleaf on the book) a book I recommend if you'd like to get a sense of the insidious effects PR companies and their flacks have on what we call 'news'.
Jesse Jackson feels that US media gave Mr Bush a 'free ride' when it comes to opening any dialogue about our rush to attack Iraq. What are your thoughts?
Robert Fisk gives us some insight on the quality of journalism we can expect here in the US concerning information about the war.
2/25/2003
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