PLO censoring pro-Iraqi sentiments
The PLO ("Palestinian Authority") has banned pro-Iraqi demonstrations and has seized the offices of newspapers and radio stations with an editorial bent against the upcoming War with Saddam. (Last time around, of course, the PLO supported Saddam.) So much for any pretense of freedom of speech and the press. (Not that I ever held the PLO, or the State of Israel, or Iraq for that matter, as any kind of exemplars.) Just something to remember when considering the implications of these foreign wars. No doubt Madelyn Albright, William Cohen, and Sandy Berger would love to have had such press controls yesterday in Columbus, Ohio, when their policies were booed and heckled, and when the questions asked were the common sense questions many of us are asking..... I chortled to see tapes of this event being replayed over and over again in Baghdad. But not in Israel. At least not in PLO-controlled areas, now that Washington is their New Master. --Tim May Just Say No to "Big Brother Inside" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, ComSec 3DES: 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^3,021,377 | black markets, collapse of governments.
Tim May writes:
The PLO ("Palestinian Authority") has banned pro-Iraqi demonstrations and has seized the offices of newspapers and radio stations with an editorial bent against the upcoming War with Saddam.
Under US pressure, of course. In Bosnia, the US, hiding behind the UN, is attacking media outlets critical of its occupation, and even writing "confessions" for the anchors to read on the air. So much for free speech. A good example of what the American people can expect from their government should FUD no longer suffice to control their thought patterns. -- Eric Michael Cordian 0+ O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"
Tim May wrote:
No doubt Madelyn Albright, William Cohen, and Sandy Berger would love to have had such press controls yesterday in Columbus, Ohio, when their policies were booed and heckled, and when the questions asked were the common sense questions many of us are asking.....
Art Bell's radio show had a very interesting interview with a correspondent who was at the "town hall meeting". As bad as the footage from Nightline (donated by CNN) looked, most people don't know what CNN didn't show. The damage control geeks at the white house are trying to get you to believe it was just a vocal minority. Well apparently the minority was somewhere between 20 and 50 people. A pretty healthy minority. Healthy enough that, during the break, a riot almost broke out. (The whole audience clapped when the non-minorities questioners threw some very hardball questions) What I found interesting was the late night ABC news spin. They said a vocal minority had behave rudely, then went on to mention that a veteran was in favor of doing whatever it took. What the veteran really said was something like, "we shouldn't be over there unless we do it right and take over." (he was pretty angry too) Then more interesting propaganda during Nightline when Koeppel asked Albright et al why we should bomb Iraq for "having weapons of mass destruction" when we never bombed Russia during the cold war. The secretary of defense lied through his teeth (or is totally ignorant - a possibility) when he said that none of those countries has ever used its weapons of mass destruction. I guess he forgot about the Soviets and their yellow rain campaign in Afganistan. Maybe what he meant to say was they never used it on us. Niether have the Koreans. Niether have the Israelis. (what weapons of mass destruction did Iraq use on us? I thought it was the other way around. I'm trying to remember where I read the report, but I think the US used Fuel Air Explosives in the PGWar) Wag the Dog.... jim burnes
At 11:03 AM -0800 2/19/98, Eric Cordian wrote:
Tim May writes:
The PLO ("Palestinian Authority") has banned pro-Iraqi demonstrations and has seized the offices of newspapers and radio stations with an editorial bent against the upcoming War with Saddam.
Under US pressure, of course. In Bosnia, the US, hiding behind the UN, is attacking media outlets critical of its occupation, and even writing "confessions" for the anchors to read on the air.
And don't forget Somalia. In Somalia the U.S. occupying forces not only suppressed newspapers critical of the U.S., they also led the disarmament of the civilian population. (This was verified, and I saw CNN reports of journalists following the U.S. teams going farm to farm, hut to hut, collecting the AKs and SKS rifles the peasants had. There were then, predictably, reports that the peasants were now finding themselves easy pickings for roving looters. The U.S. clucked and called these looters "agents of Warlord Aidid." Whatever, the effects of disarming people are predictable. Apparently the First and Second and Fourth Amendments are good enough for us, even if honored less and less, but not OK for ragheads and dirtballs.) This is why I cheered to see the U.S. gets its tail kicked in Somalia and have to retreat in disgrace. Alas, the U.S. planners just looked for another war, one we could "win," and they found a bombed out Bosnia to be the perfect place to "restore our dignity." Amerika the Fascist. --Tim May
So much for free speech. A good example of what the American people can expect from their government should FUD no longer suffice to control their thought patterns.
-- Eric Michael Cordian 0+ O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"
Just Say No to "Big Brother Inside" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, ComSec 3DES: 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^3,021,377 | black markets, collapse of governments.
participants (3)
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Eric Cordian -
Jim Burnes -
Tim May