I'm from Australia. Don't hold that quisling Prime Minister of ours John Howard against me. I didn't vote for the sod.
Here is an example of how our 'liberal' media report on Iraq. From ABC radio comes this: 'US forces targeted insurgent positions in Falluja. The rebel city has become a stronghold of Saddam loyalists and foreign fighters'.
No mention of Iraqi patriots fighting a foreign invader here! This is reporting at its most dishonest, since all of this is garbage.
The front page of the 'Sydney Morning Herald' (at least not yet owned by Murdoch) comes this headline: 'Mission Falluja: preparing for the final assualt'. Anyone would think it was D-Day again. These are but two examples of many I could find concerning the bias and overt lying of the corporate media. The truth is that apart from some websites and left mags- there is no alternate voice- reasoned or otherwise. 98% of people listen. watch, or read a few corporate controlled media sources. This is why people are stupidly following Bush, or Howard or Blaire. Most people are politically uneducated in all senses of the word.
Worse- the reports coming out of Iraq are designed to be as sanitized as possible. You are MEANT to be disconnected emotionally form the carnage over there. If you knew a vote for Bush or Howard was a vote for murdering your neighbours- women and children all- and stealing their property, would you do it?
However you can look at the bright side. Despite constant goverment lying and corporate media complicity, only 40% of the US population think Saddam had WMD and only 30% believe Saddam was directly responsible for 9-11. Now if I was a media owner I'd be wanting to know how come such a low figure. This is only marginally better than old Pravda could do. Whats going wrong?
So what is really happening? You have to seek alternative sources to find out. There are some excellent reporters such as Robert Fisk, Paul McGeogh and Canadian Scott Taylor- but they are a tiny minority.
The truth I fear is that the US is trying desperately to turn a losing hand around. It is trying desperately to retain strategic control of Iraq- with all the resource and foreign policy implications that has. They will do anything to retain control- even as it is slipping away. To give it up and pull out would be a major strategic defeat. There goes control over the PO supplies. The US may in the end be driven out, but they will not readily give it up.
The corporate media is never,ever,ever, going to tell it like it is. Have you noticed that video images from Iraq are decreasing. This is partly from self-censorship, but also from the fact that it is now too unsafe for reporters to move around. So now the marines are 'poised' to re-re-take Falluja. Expect worse to come.
They made a desert and called it peace- Tacitus
regards marco
PeakOil is You
THE War in Iraq Thread pt 2 (merged)
by Marco » Sun 07 Nov 2004, 22:33:59
I pretty much agree with all the other posters on this matter.
If you were to ask people why the US invaded Iraq, some would say oil, some would say 'spreading democracy' blah blah. I hazard that most people who say its all about the oil have no understanding of PO. So to these people it comes down to greed, mendacity and incompetence and greed. Nearly everyone is blithely unaware of PO.
If most people knew the implications of PO they would still not be calling for the invasion/occupation of ME nations. I think people would be asking just what the hell the gov was going to do to generate PO solutions. This line of thinking will only last while people have the luxury to think in a civilized manner.
The US is playing a nasty rearguard action. The elite know full well about PO and its affects. Maybe they think they can get away with grabbing the oil for themselves- so that when PO hits home the US will have enough oil to keep going. The rest of the world can then go to hell. If things get really bad you declare martial law (maybe after a 'terrorist' attack) and FEMA effectivley nationalizes all infrastructure.
This is a losing game no matter how you play it. Iraq has demonstrated that further invasions are simply not possible. Worse, the US now has no good options in Iraq.
If you were to ask people why the US invaded Iraq, some would say oil, some would say 'spreading democracy' blah blah. I hazard that most people who say its all about the oil have no understanding of PO. So to these people it comes down to greed, mendacity and incompetence and greed. Nearly everyone is blithely unaware of PO.
If most people knew the implications of PO they would still not be calling for the invasion/occupation of ME nations. I think people would be asking just what the hell the gov was going to do to generate PO solutions. This line of thinking will only last while people have the luxury to think in a civilized manner.
The US is playing a nasty rearguard action. The elite know full well about PO and its affects. Maybe they think they can get away with grabbing the oil for themselves- so that when PO hits home the US will have enough oil to keep going. The rest of the world can then go to hell. If things get really bad you declare martial law (maybe after a 'terrorist' attack) and FEMA effectivley nationalizes all infrastructure.
This is a losing game no matter how you play it. Iraq has demonstrated that further invasions are simply not possible. Worse, the US now has no good options in Iraq.
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Marco - Peat
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Tue 02 Nov 2004, 04:00:00
by Laurasia » Sun 07 Nov 2004, 22:53:06
In addition to all the other reasons given above, I'm wondering if there isn't an element of the Apocalypse in some people's views of the war in Iraq. By that I mean, that perhaps in the run-up to attacking Iraq, maybe some people in the administration were pushing for war on Iraq (Babylon?) as a means of speeding up the Apocalyptic times.
Regards,
L.
Regards,
L.
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Laurasia - Tar Sands
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- Location: Toughing it out in suburbia
Re: Winning the war in Iraq? What is going on here?
by Specop_007 » Sun 07 Nov 2004, 23:32:10
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Drifter', 'I') have been listening to AM talk radio lately, and of course it's all conservatives. Anyways, it seems that the conservative radio show hosts and most people that call in all say the same thing...
'We are winning the war in Iraq.'
'We are winning the war in Iraq.'
We ARE winning the war in Iraq. Whats the problem with that statement?
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ''')Democrats don't support the troops.'
Not to the extent Republicans do. Democrats have, as a group, historically been opposed to the military. Also, Democrats have, as a group, historically been the ones to go to the streets in violent protest to war (The irony). So, its a safe statement to say Democrats dont support our troops based on that information. Perhaps a bit skewed, and not entirely correct, but also not entirely incorrect.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ''')We are doing the just and right thing in Iraq.'
Unless you think beating women, using poison gas on your enemies, and generally being a stereotypical "Evil dictator" are good, then we ARE doing the right thing. Liberating an oppressed people is ALWAYS tghe right thing to do...Unless your the oppressor......
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ''')George Bush said there won't be a draft, and we believe him.'
And there wont be. Whats the problem?
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ''')Democrats are saying Bush will reinstate the draft in 2005. This is just a scare tactic.'
Better check who all supported those draft Bills. If memory serves, Democrats were behind them as much as Republicans..... But lets not confuse the issue with those pesky facts shall we? In fact, Kerry was on board for it as well! Welcome to politics. Your party (Democrats) lied to you.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ''')Democrats are not patriotic because they don't support the war effort in Iraq.'
They dont. They voted for it, but they dont support it. Ironic isnt it. They prefer "peaceful" resolutions, which hadnt accomplished much of anything in 12 YEARS. How long do you sit and play politics against someone who doesnt care?
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ''')We will eventually triumph in Iraq.'
Of course we will. Name one war that has never ended.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')m I missing something here? Can conservatives really be this blind and stupid?
