Speaking Truth to Panic
The indispensable and brilliant Norman Podhoretz lays it all out here -- why the public discouragement with Iraq, the reasons for the sniping from old time foreign policy establishmentarians, and all the rest.
One note about the press: Podhoretz cites statistics gathered by Arthur Chrenkoff that dramatize just how skewed coverage of Iraq has been. Here are a few of them:
*1,992 stories about suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks.
*887 stories about prisoner abuse by British soldiers.
*761 stories reporting on activities and public statements of insurgents.
*357 stories about the antiwar movement and the dropping public support for involvement in Iraq.
*217 stories about concerns for fairness and validity of Iraqi election (low security, low turnout, etc.).
*182 stories about American servicemen killed and wounded in operations.
And on the other side:
*16 stories about security successes in the fight against insurgents.
*7 stories about positive developments relating to elections.
*73 stories about the return to Iraq of stolen antiquities.
Podhoretz's piece is a must-read.
One note about the press: Podhoretz cites statistics gathered by Arthur Chrenkoff that dramatize just how skewed coverage of Iraq has been. Here are a few of them:
*1,992 stories about suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks.
*887 stories about prisoner abuse by British soldiers.
*761 stories reporting on activities and public statements of insurgents.
*357 stories about the antiwar movement and the dropping public support for involvement in Iraq.
*217 stories about concerns for fairness and validity of Iraqi election (low security, low turnout, etc.).
*182 stories about American servicemen killed and wounded in operations.
And on the other side:
*16 stories about security successes in the fight against insurgents.
*7 stories about positive developments relating to elections.
*73 stories about the return to Iraq of stolen antiquities.
Podhoretz's piece is a must-read.
posted by LadybugUSA at 9:29 AM
2 Comments:
1,992 stories about suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks.
And looking below, they didn't have any stories about all of the cars that didn't explode.
What has changed since WWII is now the enemy is within the walls and is helping the enemy outside "give aid and comfort to the enemy".
"Informing the Public: Two days after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt in a press conference outlined the policy of the Government in issuing war news. News to be released must be true, but also it must not give aid and comfort to the enemy. He added that the decision to release or not to release war news was up to the heads of the War and Navy Departments.
"We are now in this war. We are all in it all the way. Every single man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history. We must share together the bad news and the good news, the defeats and the victories--the changing fortunes of war.
. . . This Government will put its trust in the stamina of the American people, and will give the facts to the public as soon as two conditions have been fulfilled: First, that the information has been definitely and officially confirmed; and, second, that the release of the information at the time it is received will not prove valuable to the enemy directly or indirectly."
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ATO/Admin/WarProgram/WarProgram-8.html"> WarProgram-8
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