This war on Iraq seems to be as much a war of words and propaganda as it is a war of military campaigns. The real time coverage of the war and the fractured reported is so weird. I'm not sure you can get a good picture of what's really going on with the war. All I can deduce from watching coverage is every reporter has a point of view and agenda, and that no one is objective.
I thought news was supposed to objective, but watching the war coverage by the american and foreign media it is obviously not. Even the BBC, which is supposedly famous for being the most objective media organization in the world, has an obvious anti-american bias.
And what's worse, the war coverage brings out the worse in the news reporting. The coverage has been on the bad news, the newsworthy stories, the sensationalist aspects of the war.
The truth of the war is out there somewhere, but it's definitely not coming from either the american or the foreign media. I am an intense lover of spin, but the spin on the war is just a bit too much for me.
I think this 24/7 war coverage will really make people take a second look at objective news coverage, and what that means or doesn't mean. My trust in both the american and foreign media diminishes daily.
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Monday, March 24, 2003
So I know it's a bad time to go on vacation, but I'm leaving on a cruise on Saturday.
I made these plans back in January, when my friend and I thought we were going to laid off our jobs. We figured it was the only time we could afford to go on vacation before we both got laid off, so we booked. I was going to go and visit my mom sometime in April, but my aunt was visiting and staying in the house and there wasn't room for me.
As it turns out, we're both still working but now a war has broken out. Back in January, I had a feeling we might be at war by the time our cruise was underway, but my friend persuaded me that we would be safe on our cruise. I hope so.
The cruise is leaving from San Francisco, and sailing down to Cabo San Lucas. We'll stop in Monterey first, then Catalina Island off of LA, and then down to Cabo. It's my first cruise, and this one is going to last seven (7) days.
I'm excited but a little apprehensive about going, since we are at war. I'm hoping I'll be able to get away from all the depressing war news, but if there's a TV on the ship I know I"ll be watching it. Plus I'm sure I'll be having conversations with people on the boat.
It feels kind of awful to be going on vacation, while our there are pictures of US soldiers with execution gun shot wounds in their foreheads, and probably being tortured by the Iraqis. I bet some people in Berkeley are loving those videos and pictures of executed and frightened American soldiers, since they had a sign on a Berkeley freeway overpass last Thursday which said "We love you Sadam".
I have a feeling that all these anti-war protests are going to force people who are on the fence politically to make a choice, and go conservative. No data to support this, but it's just a feeling I get. People are already going that way, and extreme incidents like the anti-war protests just push many people over the edge. I'm sure this isn't the anti-war protests intent, but I believe it's what happening.
I also have a feeling that Bush will be reelected in 2004, much to the anti-war protestors chagrin, but they have themselves to blame for it if he does. And that will be ultimate irony I think of all of these anti-war protests. And I don't put it past evil John Ashcroft to roll out Patriot Act Phase II, or parts of it to crack down on the anti-war protestors. I'm sure all of these anti-war protests are making him very happy.
It's not the anti-war protestors are bad, beause they're not. They're just expressing their opinions. It's just that the violent ones are pissing people off, and worse, making businesses lose money. And if there's one single way to get the law to come down on people, it's to stop businesses, large and small, to stop making money.
If the anti-war protests really wanted to make Bush wake up and pay attention, they should have demonstrations in the heartland like in Nebraska, Texas or California's Central Valley or any other city that Bush has visited since he's been in office. He's never been to San Francisco, and he only went to NYC because of 9/11. Has he even been to Chicago? I doubt it.
The battle for American opinion has never been won on the coasts, but in the heartland. Look at where the most fierce presidential campaigning has taken place. Not on the coasts, but in the middle of the country, Michigan and Florida. There are so many more republican governors than democratic governors. That fact alone should tell you something.
I made these plans back in January, when my friend and I thought we were going to laid off our jobs. We figured it was the only time we could afford to go on vacation before we both got laid off, so we booked. I was going to go and visit my mom sometime in April, but my aunt was visiting and staying in the house and there wasn't room for me.
As it turns out, we're both still working but now a war has broken out. Back in January, I had a feeling we might be at war by the time our cruise was underway, but my friend persuaded me that we would be safe on our cruise. I hope so.
The cruise is leaving from San Francisco, and sailing down to Cabo San Lucas. We'll stop in Monterey first, then Catalina Island off of LA, and then down to Cabo. It's my first cruise, and this one is going to last seven (7) days.
I'm excited but a little apprehensive about going, since we are at war. I'm hoping I'll be able to get away from all the depressing war news, but if there's a TV on the ship I know I"ll be watching it. Plus I'm sure I'll be having conversations with people on the boat.
It feels kind of awful to be going on vacation, while our there are pictures of US soldiers with execution gun shot wounds in their foreheads, and probably being tortured by the Iraqis. I bet some people in Berkeley are loving those videos and pictures of executed and frightened American soldiers, since they had a sign on a Berkeley freeway overpass last Thursday which said "We love you Sadam".
I have a feeling that all these anti-war protests are going to force people who are on the fence politically to make a choice, and go conservative. No data to support this, but it's just a feeling I get. People are already going that way, and extreme incidents like the anti-war protests just push many people over the edge. I'm sure this isn't the anti-war protests intent, but I believe it's what happening.
I also have a feeling that Bush will be reelected in 2004, much to the anti-war protestors chagrin, but they have themselves to blame for it if he does. And that will be ultimate irony I think of all of these anti-war protests. And I don't put it past evil John Ashcroft to roll out Patriot Act Phase II, or parts of it to crack down on the anti-war protestors. I'm sure all of these anti-war protests are making him very happy.
It's not the anti-war protestors are bad, beause they're not. They're just expressing their opinions. It's just that the violent ones are pissing people off, and worse, making businesses lose money. And if there's one single way to get the law to come down on people, it's to stop businesses, large and small, to stop making money.
If the anti-war protests really wanted to make Bush wake up and pay attention, they should have demonstrations in the heartland like in Nebraska, Texas or California's Central Valley or any other city that Bush has visited since he's been in office. He's never been to San Francisco, and he only went to NYC because of 9/11. Has he even been to Chicago? I doubt it.
The battle for American opinion has never been won on the coasts, but in the heartland. Look at where the most fierce presidential campaigning has taken place. Not on the coasts, but in the middle of the country, Michigan and Florida. There are so many more republican governors than democratic governors. That fact alone should tell you something.
Life imitates TV. There was a British science fiction series shown here a couple of years ago called "Survivors". The series was about a superflu that wiped the world's population, and followed the adventures of people from London and their plight to survive.
The opening sequence for the show showed a test tube being dropped, then an asian man sneezing, and then the man flying all over the world. From the asian man sneezing, the superflu spread all over the world and killed people.
Well, check this headline out from the SFGATE.com: Mystery illness traced to Hong Kong doctor Globalization has quickly spread disease -- 386 cases in 14 other countries.
Life imitating TV? The series was created by the great Terry Nation, who also created "Blakes 7", "The Avengers" , "Doctor Who", and of all things "MacGyver".
The opening sequence for the show showed a test tube being dropped, then an asian man sneezing, and then the man flying all over the world. From the asian man sneezing, the superflu spread all over the world and killed people.
Well, check this headline out from the SFGATE.com: Mystery illness traced to Hong Kong doctor Globalization has quickly spread disease -- 386 cases in 14 other countries.
Life imitating TV? The series was created by the great Terry Nation, who also created "Blakes 7", "The Avengers" , "Doctor Who", and of all things "MacGyver".
Sunday, March 23, 2003
I'm watching the Oscars, although it seems so trivial because there's a war going on. I watch it more out of habit and history. Heck. When I was in London on vacation, my friend and I stayed up to watch the Oscars in our hotel room.
But does it really matter? What's so scary is how fascinating it is watch the live broadcasts of war battles because of the recent reality TV shows. However, this is real reality TV. Are we becoming like the ancient Romans? They watched those gladiator fights, but we're watching war live on CNN.
I try to only watch CNN by the way, only because while I was in Bali during Gulf War 1, it was the only show news program covering the war. I think it's what most of the world watches. Sadam Hussein is said to be an avid CNN watcher as well.
But does it really matter? What's so scary is how fascinating it is watch the live broadcasts of war battles because of the recent reality TV shows. However, this is real reality TV. Are we becoming like the ancient Romans? They watched those gladiator fights, but we're watching war live on CNN.
I try to only watch CNN by the way, only because while I was in Bali during Gulf War 1, it was the only show news program covering the war. I think it's what most of the world watches. Sadam Hussein is said to be an avid CNN watcher as well.
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