Man, I could go for some football right now. Instead, I’ve been checking out these stories.
Media Zinger o’ the Day
Landing like a solid right cross hidden behind a good left jab [emphasis added].
Witnessing former Vice President Gore’s speech today in which he basically accused President Bush of criminality for warrant-less eavesdropping on Americans was fascinating in part because it demonstrated just how spicy a Washington speech can be when the person giving it has nothing left to lose.
Where Have I Heard This Tune Before?
Filed under Iran-Playing-the-World-Like-a-Fiddle.
A POTENTIAL breakthrough in the nuclear stand-off with Iran came last night when the Iranian ambassador in Moscow praised a proposal to move Tehran’s uranium enrichment programme to Russia.
As Britain, the United States, Russia, France and China met in London yesterday to discuss how to handle Iran’s illegal nuclear development, the country was facing the growing certainty that it would be referred to the UN Security Council.
While China remained resolutely silent on the possibility of sanctions – a move which it has the power to veto – Russia made significant moves towards the western stance on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said last night that his position is “very close” to that of the United States and Britain. And it appeared that he could hold the key to a resolution when Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Gholamreza Ansari, welcomed an offer to move the Iranian uranium enrichment programme to Russia.
Such a move would mean Iran, which is developing a missile which could reach Israel, could not acquire enough material for a bomb.
“As far as Russia’s proposal is concerned, we consider it constructive and are carefully studying it. This is a good initiative to resolve the situation. We believe that Iran and Russia should find a way out of this jointly,” said Mr Ansari.
Banned in Iran: CNN
Allowed in Saddam’s Iraq for a willingness to filter news for the tyrant, banned from Iran for a mistranslation. From a journalistic standpoint, which is more degrading?
Iran banned CNN from working in the country due to its mistranslation of comments made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a recent news conference.
The indefinite ban, announced Monday on state-run television, highlighted the continuing tension between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.
In remarks Saturday, Ahmadinejad had defended Iran’s right to continue nuclear research. State media have complained since the news conference that CNN translated his words as “nuclear weapons” instead of “nuclear technology” or “nuclear energy.”
“Due to mistranslation of the words of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his press conference, activities of the American CNN in Tehran are banned until further notice,” said a Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry statement read on state-run television.
CNN acknowledged the mistake in its U.S. broadcast.
Yet Another Reason to Despise the Media
A long-time military deserter has been identified and taken into custody.
A US Marine who absconded from his base more than 36 years ago as a protest against the Vietnam war has been arrested and may face a court martial.
Ernest Johnson Jr, 55, fled his camp in North Carolina in 1969 after becoming disenchanted with the war in Vietnam.
[…]
Mr Johnson said he began to doubt the wisdom of joining the Marines after news emerged in 1969 of a now-infamous massacre of Vietnamese civilians at the village of My Lai.
[…]
“I just decided I didn’t want to be a part of killing anybody. That’s about as plain as I can say it,” Mr Johnson said.
A spokesman for the US Marines said Mr Johnson could face a maximum jail term of three years and a dishonourable discharge if found guilty.
A decision has not yet been taken on whether to transport him back to Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina.
However, the US military has previously dropped charges against similar deserters, instead giving them a less-than-honourable discharge.
Why do I see this as a reason to despise the media? Well, there is this little tidbit at the end of the story.
Captain Jay Delarosa denied the arrest was part of a campaign to send messages to modern-day Marines.
“The purpose in apprehending such individuals is… simply an end result of a decision he made long ago.”
That means that, during a wartime period with retention rates well above military expectations, some idiot in the press asked the question about an ulterior motive for capturing a deserter. If they cannot find a morale problem, they are quite willing to insinuate one. The approach of today’s practitioners of journalism, a craft I grew up loving, absolutely disgusts me
Comments
One response to “Monday Post-MNF Link Dump”
“That means that, during a wartime period with retention rates well above military expectations, some idiot in the press asked the question about an ulterior motive for capturing a deserter. If they cannot find a morale problem, they are quite willing to insinuate one. The approach of today’s practitioners of journalism, a craft I grew up loving, absolutely disgusts me.”
You are very young and naive. One of the responsibilities of a free press in a democracy is to ask questions like the one which you object to. The questions aren’t always pleasant or nice, son, but they are necessary. And here is another blow to your naivete: No, the press isn’t perfect. But then, neither is:
1. your beloved US military (just a few of many examples: the massacre of 500 villagers at Me Lai followed by a coverup attempt by officers; the killing spree of villagers by Tiger Force in Nam followed by coverups at multiple levels by your fellow officers; the lies and subsequent coverup about the death of Pat Tillman in Afghanistan), the US CIA (how many incompetent screwups can these idiots make?)
2. The Congress (a few recent examples: A California Republican Congressman confessed to steering govt contracts in exchange for millions of dollars; the widespread Republican corruption in Congress, and the GOP Congress’ exhorbitant spending, massive deficits, and thousands of self-serving pork barrel projects at taxpayer expense; the misdeeds of Gary Condit, Dem Congressman)
3. The CIA: incompetence on the Iraq wmd intel; incompetence on the 9-11-01 attacks.
Do the CIA, and the Republican Party, and the US military “absolutely disgust” you?