not so much chaoslnb1956December 22 2004, 12:03:27 UTC
I think that a lot of the so called chaos in the Middle East is actually in the way the media spins out the story. Few if any of the reporters out there know much about the region. I should know I spent quite a few years living there and met regularly with the so called reporters of various news organizations. What they were after was a good line for the story to be filed. Yes all 3 great religions have lived side by side for centuries and in relative peace and quiet. The infidels are not necessarily Christians it can be anyone who disagrees or anyone who does not meet the basic description of the few crazies out there who call themselves real muslims. I have a lot of muslim friends some very religious and never had a cross word with them.
Also in Iraq the so called insurgents are for the most part ex-baath party officials who lost everything with Saddam's sudden retirement and other malcontents who use the current situation for their own private agenda, which has nothing to do with the vast majority of Iraqis or Arabs in the region.
Re: not so much chaosbenponderDecember 22 2004, 14:18:29 UTC
I think that a lot of the so called chaos in the Middle East is actually in the way the media spins out the story
That's my point exactly. The image we've got of the situation is what sells. It's not real life, it's things taken out of context to rivet viewers to their seats and get higher ratings for the channel.
A long time ago, the news was a mandatory public service. All stations would have to have a news segment. Now there are 24 hour news channels, owned by I believe three major corporations. I find it funny how all the American news agencies have news on the exact same subjects, like they're coordinating or something. If you were looking for ratings, wouldn'tit make sense to have a different, much hotter story than the other networks? I do not trust the media of this country. Which is part of why I go digging around for other sources of information, such as the above newslink.
I understand religious extremism, I grew up in the bible belt. I've met people who honestly believe that all non-Christians (anyone not "born again" not being defined as a Christian) should be executed. People calling themselves "conservatives" who actually want the government to have more or less complete control over the populace (not to mention the planet), and they want to have complete control over the government as a religious group. They claim to be restoring the United States to the vision of the founding fathers by these kinds of shenanigans, but instead are trying to create the same thing the founding fathers said we should rise up and fight against (hence the second amendment)... stuff like that.
When I Was young, I thought it was a lot more widespread, that I'd be fighting a losing battle for my entire life just to keep my opinions and not eventually be gunned down by some redneck doing it in the name of "Jesus". Logically, that kind of destructive behavior wouldn't come from the vast majority of people, but this kind of religious domination was all I saw.
Same thing with the news; it's all we see. All we see are suicide bombings, fighting, we hear of beheadings, execution of medical workers... All stuff to get a rise out of us, but nonetheless all we see from the region. This has led many people to assume that militant Islam (or just "Islam" for short, in the common American mind) is a violent faith, intent on destroying the US. When we ask for a reason? Our president answers "because they hate our freedoms". PAints a very negative picture, but as I said, it's the only picture they're getting.
I would agree that the people who are leading the so called insurgents, but I wouldn't say that all of the insurgents are ex-Baath party officials or assorted malcontents. Just like the American soldiers in Iraq aren't ridiculously wealthy bigots in search of complete control of the world's energy resources. The insurgents are people who want their lives back, want to live in peace. They are told by the malcontentious leaders that the only way to have their lives and their countries back is to fight for it. Therefore, they fight with ferocity to protect their homeland. It's actually a lot like what's been happening here. Now a little less (thankfully) than half of Americans believe that to protect their own homeland, their own security, we need to maintain a presence in Iraq. Have people enlisted in the army for that specific purpose? I'm sure there's more than just a few. Shepherds leading sheep to the slaughterhouse so they can get money (or in thise case, power, oil, [your alterior motive here]).
Also in Iraq the so called insurgents are for the most part ex-baath party officials who lost everything with Saddam's sudden retirement and other malcontents who use the current situation for their own private agenda, which has nothing to do with the vast majority of Iraqis or Arabs in the region.
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That's my point exactly. The image we've got of the situation is what sells. It's not real life, it's things taken out of context to rivet viewers to their seats and get higher ratings for the channel.
A long time ago, the news was a mandatory public service. All stations would have to have a news segment. Now there are 24 hour news channels, owned by I believe three major corporations. I find it funny how all the American news agencies have news on the exact same subjects, like they're coordinating or something. If you were looking for ratings, wouldn'tit make sense to have a different, much hotter story than the other networks? I do not trust the media of this country. Which is part of why I go digging around for other sources of information, such as the above newslink.
I understand religious extremism, I grew up in the bible belt. I've met people who honestly believe that all non-Christians (anyone not "born again" not being defined as a Christian) should be executed. People calling themselves "conservatives" who actually want the government to have more or less complete control over the populace (not to mention the planet), and they want to have complete control over the government as a religious group. They claim to be restoring the United States to the vision of the founding fathers by these kinds of shenanigans, but instead are trying to create the same thing the founding fathers said we should rise up and fight against (hence the second amendment)... stuff like that.
When I Was young, I thought it was a lot more widespread, that I'd be fighting a losing battle for my entire life just to keep my opinions and not eventually be gunned down by some redneck doing it in the name of "Jesus". Logically, that kind of destructive behavior wouldn't come from the vast majority of people, but this kind of religious domination was all I saw.
Same thing with the news; it's all we see. All we see are suicide bombings, fighting, we hear of beheadings, execution of medical workers... All stuff to get a rise out of us, but nonetheless all we see from the region. This has led many people to assume that militant Islam (or just "Islam" for short, in the common American mind) is a violent faith, intent on destroying the US. When we ask for a reason? Our president answers "because they hate our freedoms". PAints a very negative picture, but as I said, it's the only picture they're getting.
I would agree that the people who are leading the so called insurgents, but I wouldn't say that all of the insurgents are ex-Baath party officials or assorted malcontents. Just like the American soldiers in Iraq aren't ridiculously wealthy bigots in search of complete control of the world's energy resources. The insurgents are people who want their lives back, want to live in peace. They are told by the malcontentious leaders that the only way to have their lives and their countries back is to fight for it. Therefore, they fight with ferocity to protect their homeland. It's actually a lot like what's been happening here. Now a little less (thankfully) than half of Americans believe that to protect their own homeland, their own security, we need to maintain a presence in Iraq. Have people enlisted in the army for that specific purpose? I'm sure there's more than just a few. Shepherds leading sheep to the slaughterhouse so they can get money (or in thise case, power, oil, [your alterior motive here]).
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