The good news from Iraq is not fit to print

[BigBadBrian]

The good news from Iraq is not fit to print
By Jeff Jacoby, Globe Columnist | November 2, 2005

WHAT WAS the most important news out of Iraq last week?

That depends on what you consider ''important." Do you see the war against radical Islam and Ba'athist fascism as the most urgent conflict of our time? Do you believe that replacing tyranny with democratic self-government is ultimately the only antidote to the poison that has made the Middle East so dangerous and violent? If so, you'll have no trouble identifying the most significant development in Iraq last week: the landslide victory of the new Iraqi Constitution.

The announcement on Oct. 25 that the first genuinely democratic national charter in Arab history had been approved by 79 percent of Iraqis was a major piece of good news. It confirmed the courage of Iraq's people and their hunger for freedom and decent governance. It advanced the US campaign to democratize a country that for 25 years had been misruled by a mass-murdering sociopath. It underscored the decision by Iraq's Sunnis, who had boycotted the parliamentary elections in January, to pursue their goals through ballots, not bullets. And it dealt a humiliating blow to the bombers and beheaders -- to the likes of Islamist butcher Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who earlier this year declared ''a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy" and threatened to kill anyone who took part in the elections.

No question: If you think that defeating Islamofascism, extending liberty, and transforming the Middle East are important, it's safe to say you saw the ratification of the new constitution as the Iraqi news story of the week.

But that isn't how the mainstream media saw it.

Consider The Washington Post. On the morning after the results of the Iraqi referendum were announced, the Post's front page was dominated by a photograph, stretched across four columns, of three daughters at the funeral of their father, Lieutenant Colonel Leon James II, who had died from injuries suffered during a Sept. 26 bombing in Baghdad. Two accompanying stories, both above the fold, were headlined ''Military Has Lost 2,000 in Iraq" and 'Bigger, Stronger, Homemade Bombs Now to Blame for Half of US Deaths." A nearby graphic -- ''The Toll" -- divided the 2,000 deaths by type of military service -- active duty, National Guard, and Reserves.

From Page 1, the stories jumped to a two-page spread inside, where they were illustrated with more photographs, a series of drawings depicting roadside attacks, and a large US map showing where each fallen soldier was from. On a third inside page, meanwhile, another story was headlined ''2,000th Death Marked by Silence and a Vow." It began: ''Washington marked the 2,000th American fatality of the Iraq war with a moment of silence in the Senate, the reading of the names of the fallen from the House floor, new protests, and a solemn vow from President Bush not to 'rest or tire until the war on terror is won.' " Two photos appeared alongside, one of Bush and another of antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan. And to give the body count a local focus, there was yet another story (''War's Toll Leaves Baltimore in Mourning") plus four pictures of troops killed in Iraq.

The Post didn't ignore the Iraqi election results. A story appeared on Page A13 (''Sunnis Failed to Defeat Iraq Constitution"), along with a map breaking down the vote by province. But like other leading newspapers, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and the Los Angeles Times, it devoted vastly more attention to the 2,000-death ''milestone," a statistic with no unique significance apart from the fact that it ends in round numbers.

Every death in Iraq is heartbreaking. The 2,000th fatality was neither more nor less meaningful than the 1,999 that preceded it. But if anything makes the death toll remarkable, it is how historically low it is. Considering what the war has accomplished so far -- the destruction of the region's bloodiest dictatorship, the liberation of 25 million Iraqis, the emergence of democratic politics, the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, the abandonment by Libya of its nuclear weapons program -- it is hard to disagree with Norman Podhoretz, who notes in the current Commentary that these achievements have been ''purchased at an astonishingly low cost in American blood when measured by the standards of every other war we have ever fought."

But that isn't a message Big Media cares to emphasize. Hostile to the war and to the administration conducting it, the nation's leading news outlets harp on the negative and pessimistic, consistently underplaying all that is going right in Iraq. Their fixation on the number of troops who have died outweighs their interest in the cause for which those fallen heroes fought -- a cause that advanced with the ratification of the new constitution.

Poll after poll confirms the public's low level of confidence in mainstream media news. Gallup recently measured that confidence at 28 percent, an all-time low. Why such mistrust? The media's slanted coverage of Iraq provides a pretty good clue.

Jeff Jacoby's e-mail address is jacoby@globe.com.
Link (http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/11/02/the_good_news_from_iraq_is_not_fit_to_print/)

[knuckleboner]

i hate these, "you never print the good iraq news" crybabies.

hey, here's a clue: the media has ALWAYS gravitated towards bad news, whether international, national or local. the media has the notion that bad news = better ratings/circulation. period.


but...in some circumstances, they might be right. take foxnews.com. put up 2 side-by-side links: "iraqis sign historic constitution" and "daughters bury soldier father killed in war." which one gets more hits? i strongly question anywone who says the constitution.

[Seshmeister]

It must be harder and harder for Brian to find these dumb articles...

[jcook11]

Keep hope alive BBB

[FORD]

Originally posted by jcook11
Keep hope alive BBB

Hope of WHAT, Jesse?

[jcook11]

Hope that the Lib. left NEVER get back in power

[FORD]

So you would rather have a bunch of lying, warmongering, shit all over the constitution criminals who sold your country out to the Saudi terrorists....
http://www.bigmattress.com/weblog/images/Bush%20urges%20Saudis.jpg

http://www.usccc.org/newhome/mem-8.jpg
....and Chinese communists??

[jcook11]

No way, I'd much rather have Uncle Ted or Shrillary or Herman or Al Bore or Doc Howard I'd feel much better then.Hell maybe ol Jimmy will run again since we only gave him one chance.

[bobgnote]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
The good news from Iraq is not fit to print
By Jeff Jacoby, Globe Columnist | November 2, 2005

WHAT WAS the most important news out of Iraq last week?

That depends on what you consider ''important." Do you see the war against radical Islam and Ba'athist fascism as the most urgent conflict of our time? Do you believe that replacing tyranny with democratic self-government is ultimately the only antidote to the poison that has made the Middle East so dangerous and violent? If so, you'll have no trouble identifying the most significant development in Iraq last week: the landslide victory of the new Iraqi Constitution.

The announcement on Oct. 25 that the first genuinely democratic national charter in Arab history had been approved by 79 percent of Iraqis was a major piece of good news. It confirmed the courage of Iraq's people and their hunger for freedom and decent governance. It advanced the US campaign to democratize a country that for 25 years had been misruled by a mass-murdering sociopath. It underscored the decision by Iraq's Sunnis, who had boycotted the parliamentary elections in January, to pursue their goals through ballots, not bullets. And it dealt a humiliating blow to the bombers and beheaders -- to the likes of Islamist butcher Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who earlier this year declared ''a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy" and threatened to kill anyone who took part in the elections.

No question: If you think that defeating Islamofascism, extending liberty, and transforming the Middle East are important, it's safe to say you saw the ratification of the new constitution as the Iraqi news story of the week.

But that isn't how the mainstream media saw it.

Consider The Washington Post. (roll it up, toss it)

From Page 1, the stories jumped to a two-page spread inside, where they were illustrated with more photographs, a series of drawings depicting roadside attacks, and a large US map showing where each fallen soldier was from. On a third inside page, meanwhile, another story was headlined ''2,000th Death Marked by Silence and a Vow." It began: ''Washington marked the 2,000th American fatality of the Iraq war with a moment of silence in the Senate, the reading of the names of the fallen from the House floor, new protests, and a solemn vow from President Bush not to 'rest or tire until the war on terror is won.' "
woof-

Every death in Iraq is heartbreaking. The 2,000th fatality was neither more nor less meaningful than the 1,999 that preceded it. But if anything makes the death toll remarkable, it is how historically low it is. Considering what the war has accomplished so far -- (crap) -- it is hard to disagree with Norman Podhoretz, who notes in the current Commentary that these achievements have been ''purchased at an astonishingly low cost in American blood when measured by the standards of every other war we have ever fought."

bunk-
Poll after poll confirms the public's low level of confidence in mainstream media news. Gallup recently measured that confidence at 28 percent, an all-time low. Why such mistrust? The media's slanted coverage of Iraq provides a pretty good clue.

Jeff Jacoby's e-mail address is jacoby@globe.com.
Link (http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/11/02/the_good_news_from_iraq_is_not_fit_to_print/)

What total shit. NO U.S. media, government or corporate, has admitted the 2000-1 power deals are one bit inflationary in the last FIVE YEARS, causing BRAC and undermining the eventual Middle East efforts in great detail, while INCITING the 9/11/01 attacks, SINCE YOU PATSIES MAY NOT HAVE ILLEGAL, INFLATIONARY POWER DEALS AND YOUR STUPID CAMPUS EDUCATION, much less military aid to ISRAEL.

So we got hit on 9/11 because YOU let Sharon and Clinton murder Rabin, 11/3/95 and do illegal power deals, undermining world funding.

The Rabin hit was like Pearl Harbor, 9/11 was like Doolittle Raid, the two whore-wars are like Rape of Nanking, 7/7/05 is like Midway, 10/1/05 is like the Marianas Turkey Shoot. Upcoming is the BIGGER BANG TOUR, Hadj version, expected 2008.

US media is concurrently HIDING THE ILLEGAL INFLATION FROM THE 2000-1 POWER DEALS. That boils to SEDITION and TREASON, since 2003, so roll up your lousy newspapers and sock yourselves, if you think the lousy spin doctors make any sense at all.

Government media buggery put up by corporations undermines public funding, about 2008 in the states, while our Imperial Japanese Kharma defines the Hiroshima-Nagasaki type retaliation, we will face.

'IJK' suggest HIJACK, to me. What part of OBLIVIOUS to no more 007 in 2008, have you subscribed to and passed around, AS SEDITION?

TWO WITNESSES to some of the media crap we've seen, and TREASON is the charge, for corporate and government participants, to illegal war.

[jcook11]

Originally posted by bobgnote
What total shit. NO U.S. media, government or corporate, has admitted the 2000-1 power deals are one bit inflationary in the last FIVE YEARS, causing BRAC and undermining the eventual Middle East efforts in great detail, while INCITING the 9/11/01 attacks, SINCE YOU PATSIES MAY NOT HAVE ILLEGAL, INFLATIONARY POWER DEALS AND YOUR STUPID CAMPUS EDUCATION, much less military aid to ISRAEL.

So we got hit on 9/11 because YOU let Sharon and Clinton murder Rabin, 11/3/95 and do illegal power deals, undermining world funding.

The Rabin hit was like Pearl Harbor, 9/11 was like Doolittle Raid, the two whore-wars are like Rape of Nanking, 7/7/05 is like Midway, 10/1/05 is like the Marianas Turkey Shoot. Upcoming is the BIGGER BANG TOUR, Hadj version, expected 2008.

US media is concurrently HIDING THE ILLEGAL INFLATION FROM THE 2000-1 POWER DEALS. That boils to SEDITION and TREASON, since 2003, so roll up your lousy newspapers and sock yourselves, if you think the lousy spin doctors make any sense at all.

Government media buggery put up by corporations undermines public funding, about 2008 in the states, while our Imperial Japanese Kharma defines the Hiroshima-Nagasaki type retaliation, we will face.

'IJK' suggest HIJACK, to me. What part of OBLIVIOUS to no more 007 in 2008, have you subscribed to and passed around, AS SEDITION?

TWO WITNESSES to some of the media crap we've seen, and TREASON is the charge, for corporate and government participants, to illegal war.

Can you try again in english this time? :confused:

[DEMON CUNT]

Originally posted by jcook11
Hope that the Lib. left NEVER get back in power

Silly fascist dummy.

[DEMON CUNT]

Yeah, that lib left...

[LoungeMachine]

Thanks for proving my point AGAIN today, Brie......


You are UNABLE to post anything but Neo-Con Op-Ed LMMFAO

Unless of course we count your "Waaaaaa Lounge is being mean" threads .....

This thread is so typical of you. Notice how you don;t follow your cut-n-paste with a follow up opinion of your own


So why don' you enlighten us all to the GOOD NEWS coming from this war.

And while you're at it.......what are the 3 accomplishments you're most proud of in the last 6 months of this administration?

Nevermind.

It was rhetorical.


It's been 6 years, and this country is no more closer to peace and prosperity than it was when you guys took over.

Thanks for the deficits.

[jcook11]

"Fuck Bush, Fuck, Cheney they are lying bastards that have destrroued the constitution not to mention freedom and democracy" Talk about repeating the same shit over and over!

BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!

[LoungeMachine]

Pretty funny, KOOK, considering the op-ed Brie just posted is FROM LAST FUCKING YEAR!!!

LMMFAO

[jcook11]

Originally posted by LoungeMachine
Pretty funny, KOOK, considering the op-ed Brie just posted is FROM LAST FUCKING YEAR!!!

LMMFAO

Right back at ya big guy! :D

[LoungeMachine]

I know "Oorange" County is a hotbed of bipartisan debate, and when you're not in the hoosgow for bitchslapping the misses, you're probably listening to Air America........


Yes, you're correct.

We on the Left have been BITCHING NON-STOP for 6 years about corruption, wars, and the erosion of our Constitutional rights......

But do you really wonder why?

Do you not see the DAMAMGE done in the last 6 years?

really?

[FORD]

I don't like the direction of this thread, so it's time to stop bullshitting and remember why we're all here....

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J1fUaXCmqME"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J1fUaXCmqME" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

NOFX - Idiot Son of an ASSHOLE.

[Redballjets88]

demon do you like totally not understand that the political party in control has nothing to do with economics?


its called Capitalism look up the definition

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by Redballjets88
demon do you like totally not understand that the political party in control has nothing to do with economics?


its called Capitalism look up the definition


:rolleyes:

Absolutely dumbest post of your's to date.....


Do you like, totally even know wtf you're talking about, 17?


jeesus:rolleyes:

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by FORD
I don't like the direction of this thread,

.

What possible "direction" were you expecting from an 8 month old op-ed from Brie?

:D

[jcook11]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by LoungeMachine
[B]I know "Oorange" County is a hotbed of bipartisan debate, and when you're not in the hoosgow for bitchslapping the misses, you're probably listening to Air America........


Yes, you're correct.

We on the Left have been BITCHING NON-STOP for 6 years about corruption, wars, and the erosion of our Constitutional rights......

But do you really wonder why?

If it is that fucking bad then the Dems. or whomever should use the strength of the ballot box.

I didn't personally care for Clinton but I also am not a person that continually whined and cried and thought the man should have been strung up either.

[DEMON CUNT]

Originally posted by Redballjets88
demon do you like totally not understand that the political party in control has nothing to do with economics?


its called Capitalism look up the definition

Where did you hear that? You gonna school me on economics? Nice try bitch.

The concept of capitalism is far richer than the definition that you so heartily encouraged me to "look up." Dummy!

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by LoungeMachine
What possible "direction" were you expecting from an 8 month old op-ed from Brie?

:D

Once again, as usual, you would rather insult the messenger than spend time debating the message.

You have nothing valid to say.

Since the op-ed is that old, I'm surprised you don't close this thread.

:rolleyes:

[ODShowtime]

Originally posted by Redballjets88
demon do you like totally not understand that the political party in control has nothing to do with economics?


its called Capitalism look up the definition


wow, go back to the books my man :rolleyes:

[ODShowtime]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Once again, as usual, you would rather insult the messenger than spend time debating the message.

You have nothing valid to say.

Since the op-ed is that old, I'm surprised you don't close this thread.

I'm surprised he hasn't either. It adds nothing of value to the forum. Why don't I just start posting some recipes? It's about as useful as a tired-ass thread like this.

Who knows? Maybe you already posted this a couple months back? Maybe it's some stupid test of yours to see if anyone noticed that you already posted this trash before...

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Once again, as usual, you would rather insult the messenger than spend time debating the message.

You have nothing valid to say.

Since the op-ed is that old, I'm surprised you don't close this thread.

:rolleyes:


Your'e debating the message?

Really?

Where?

Please point out where you've debated this message in this thread:rolleyes:

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
Once again, as usual, you would rather insult the messenger than spend time debating the message.

You have nothing valid to say.

Since the op-ed is that old, I'm surprised you don't close this thread.

:rolleyes:


Yep, just checked again.....


YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN THIS THREAD BUT POST AN 8 MONTH OLD OP ED

So where have YOU "debated" the message, Brie?

Lying hypocrite:rolleyes:

[BigBadBrian]

I posted the editorial...now it's up to you Leftists to issue a counterpoint to me.

Instead, here are the responses posted by the Left:

i hate these, "you never print the good iraq news" crybabies.
hey, here's a clue: the media has ALWAYS gravitated towards bad news, whether international, national or local. the media has the notion that bad news = better ratings/circulation. period.
but...in some circumstances, they might be right. take foxnews.com. put up 2 side-by-side links: "iraqis sign historic constitution" and "daughters bury soldier father killed in war." which one gets more hits? i strongly question anywone who says the constitution. knuckleboner

It must be harder and harder for Brian to find these dumb articles... Seshmeister

So you would rather have a bunch of lying, warmongering, shit all over the constitution criminals who sold your country out to the Saudi terrorists....and Chinese communists?? FORD


Silly fascist dummy. Demon Cunt

Thanks for proving my point AGAIN today, Brie......
You are UNABLE to post anything but Neo-Con Op-Ed LMMFAO
Unless of course we count your "Waaaaaa Lounge is being mean" threads .....
This thread is so typical of you. Notice how you don;t follow your cut-n-paste with a follow up opinion of your own
So why don' you enlighten us all to the GOOD NEWS coming from this war.
And while you're at it.......what are the 3 accomplishments you're most proud of in the last 6 months of this administration?
Nevermind.
It was rhetorical.
It's been 6 years, and this country is no more closer to peace and prosperity than it was when you guys took over.
Thanks for the deficits. LoungeMachine

Where did you hear that? You gonna school me on economics? Nice try bitch.
The concept of capitalism is far richer than the definition that you so heartily encouraged me to "look up." Dummy! Demon Cunt

wow, go back to the books my man ODShowtime

I'm surprised he hasn't either. It adds nothing of value to the forum. Why don't I just start posting some recipes? It's about as useful as a tired-ass thread like this.
Who knows? Maybe you already posted this a couple months back? Maybe it's some stupid test of yours to see if anyone noticed that you already posted this trash before... ODShowtime

Your'e debating the message?
Really?
Where?
Please point out where you've debated this message in this thread LoungeMachine

Yep, just checked again.....
YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN THIS THREAD BUT POST AN 8 MONTH OLD OP ED
So where have YOU "debated" the message, Brie?
Lying hypocrite



You see, very little, if anything, has been said by those of your political persuasion that actually pertains to the editorial except insults.

I guess I could possibly debate knuckleboner over what he said, though I mostly agree with him. (Though it wouldn't be the first time I debated someone with a point I didn't necessarily agree with just for shits and giggles or to get a rise out of them. :D)

I guess I could school demon cunt on economics, but he's too easy. He would also like to showcase his kindergarten behavior...in every thread.

I guess I could talk about recipes with OD (I'm an excellent cook, you know), but I think Max has that covered in a different forum.

Where does ANYONE talk about media coverage except kb?

Hmmm?????

:cool:

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
I posted the editorial


:cool:

You still don't get it, do you?

It's not "our job" to answer your endless op-eds.

We will answer to YOUR arguments [should you ever come up with one]


Cut n paste / Lurk n Jerk will get you nothing in here but dumped.


Don't like it? Start another menstrual thread to the webbies.

[van whalin]

you dont have tp look too far for good news, try http://www.milmag.com
or www.defenselink.mil

I agree that more networks should report on the good news coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan e.g ITN is a pathetic news organisation they have a section entitled 'another day in Iraq' which only serves to give a death toll for that day, Al jazeera frequently serves up terrorist propaganda and yet we couldn't trust most of the networks to even show the video of zarqawi struggling to work a rifle, then again
yahoo, reuters and many of the major news channels all reported the signing of the constitution aswell as the forming of government some in full stories but mostly as kind of sidenotes.
The fact is News networks couldn't keep an audience if they reported only good news, but you have to wonder whats more important, stories like this
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040506-5.html

or pointless crap like this
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/423473p-357386c.html

although its pretty funny

[van whalin]

The guys in Fords pictures are Prince Abdullah of the house of Saud, he has been instrumental in helping us in the War on terror and is probably one of the most moderate leaders in the arab world, he has tried to end the Arab-Israeli conflict several times, describing him as a terrorist is pretty low,he even payed for the separation of two polish conjoined twins for no other reason than he heard they needed help, his brother on the other hand, prince sultan(picture included) is pretty much despised by everyone in SA, why is he dressed as an astronaut, could this be the next terrorist threat?
The other guy in the picture below is Siva Yam , president of united states-china chamber of commerce, he doesnt strike me as a hardline communist and the following CNN transcript of an interview with him pretty much backs this up.

CLANCY: Siva Yam, your view of this and what it may mean to some changes from the top down regarding human rights in China?

SIVA YAM, U.S.-CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Well, first, we have to look into the history. Human rights issues in China, the situation is much better than 30 years ago when I first went to China. It was, it is better than about 10 years ago. The human rights condition has been improving in China.

I think if we open up the society, it is easier for us to impose the human rights and if we shut China down, close the door for them, there will be more abuses in the human rights. So I think to award Beijing the Olympic 2008 will be beneficial to China and also would be beneficial to the Chinese population around the world
CLANCY: A lot of people, and I want to continue with you, Siva, if I may, a lot of people wondering, well, if you say that it's going to change, when will that change come? One of them certainly is Shan Chengfeng. It's a woman, a member of the outlawed China Democracy Party, who wrote a letter to the IOC last December saying her husband, among others, but all Chinese dissidents held in prison should be released. She's now serving two years in a prison camp. She won't be at the Games.

YAM: Right. Well, first, the Olympic 2008 is seven years from now. I think the conditions in China will continue to improve for two reasons. Number one, for the economic reason. China has been pretty good in economic development, but we all agree that the political development is kind of left behind. In order for Chinese companies to be competitive around the world, just giving people the economic freedom is not going to be enough. At some point in time the political development has to be paid attention to, which I believe the Chinese leaders will do that