How reactionary are our politics?

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

take a second.

imagine the uproar if Fox News was banned.

and then compare that with the "ill effects" of Fox News.

You can't compare. there would be much worse fallout by banning Fox News.

Same thing if you did that with Al Jazeera. What are you going to do? Blow up their satellites? It was leaked a while back that Bush actually had plans to destr oyAl Jazeera. I recollect that maybe it was Blair that talked him out of it?

Hoya, I am surprised at your position. Has Tex taken over your account?

Ha! Heaven forbid I ever agree with Tex!

You can't compare the effect of banning a media outlet in the US to banning one in Iraq. They have a culture there that is used to dramatic measures.

This may not be a popular modern liberal position, but it is certainly consistent with historical forerunners of modern liberalism. Hamilton, Jay, FDR, all did virtually identical things.

It seems to me we need to improve things in Iraq. It seems to me the only way to do that is to improve our image there. It seems to me the only way to improve our image is to control the media images.

Could be I am missing a step, but as long as UBL is given airtime once a month to talk about the evil Americans, and as long as Al Jazeera is streaming images of the bad things Americans are doing (and unfortunately there is far too much of that as well) we are going to continue to lose this war of ideas and we are going to wind up with a very bloody future to deal with (both American and Iraqi blood).

[MikeWaters]

actually you could make the counter argument, that what Al Jazeera plays is and should be played in the USA.

Meaning that when OBL makes a statement, don't we play it also in the USA?

My gues is that AJ has more reporters in the field, more cameras, and are able to get footage that American outlets won't (for safety reasons). Didn't I just read today that two CBS newspersons were killed?

Some reporters never leave the green zone, others may leave, but only go between safe houses. There is very little "man on the street" reporting going on in Iraq, from what I can tell, outside of AJ and sources like that.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

actually you could make the counter argument, that what Al Jazeera plays is and should be played in the USA.

Meaning that when OBL makes a statement, don't we play it also in the USA?

My gues is that AJ has more reporters in the field, more cameras, and are able to get footage that American outlets won't (for safety reasons). Didn't I just read today that two CBS newspersons were killed?

Some reporters never leave the green zone, others may leave, but only go between safe houses. There is very little "man on the street" reporting going on in Iraq, from what I can tell, outside of AJ and sources like that.

I don't have a problem expanding on the information we receive in the US. We are sophisticated enough in our experiences with the media to sift through crap (overall) and get a more complete picture of things going on over there. I do have a problem with focusing on negative aspects of the American presence in Iraq when such a focus places us, Iraqis, Israel and others in a far more dangerous situation. In 30 years when this is over (hopefully), we can take time to be more open there. Not right now.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by hoyacoug

I don't have a problem expanding on the information we receive in the US. We are sophisticated enough in our experiences with the media to sift through crap (overall) and get a more complete picture of things going on over there. I do have a problem with focusing on negative aspects of the American presence in Iraq when such a focus places us, Iraqis, Israel and others in a far more dangerous situation. In 30 years when this is over (hopefully), we can take time to be more open there. Not right now.

Banning Al-Jazeera in particular, and any such media in general, would be absolutely counterproductive. We need to increase broad-based support and trust in our position. The war has undermined our image throughout the world and in that region in particular. Indeed, loss of reputation may be the greatest loss from this war. Moving to ban outlets for Arab thought (and Al-Jazeera is not even that radical in the arabic world) would be a huge step in the wrong direction.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by hoyacoug

We are sophisticated enough in our experiences with the media to sift through crap (overall) and get a more complete picture of things going on over there.

I am also very surprised to hear this from you. Are we more sophisticated? I'd like to see the evidence for this. This sounds like an attitude that would be comfrotable residing in the midst of the 'white man's burden' crowd. Don't kid yourself; these people are as spohisticated as we are. Moreover, we may see the bombs everyday, but they hear and feel them everyday. FOr us it is a matter of geopolitics (or oil, if you so believe) for them it is life and death. You can tell them to ignore the man behind the curtain all you want, but if they see him and he has a gun, they will act accordingly. If we take steps to tell them what thye can see or hear on the radio or on TV it will only make us look less credible and more menacing than we already do, IMO.