Image-conscious
: A University of Texas prof writes for Al-Jazeera criticizing American media coverage of today’s fall of Saddam:
One obvious question: During live coverage, viewers saw a US soldier drape over the face of Hussein a US flag, which was quickly removed and replaced with an Iraqi flag.
Commanders know that the displaying the US flag suggests occupation and domination, not liberation. NBC’s Tom Brokaw reported that the Arab network Al Jazeera was “making a big deal” out of the incident with the American flag, implying that US television would — and should — downplay that part of the scene. Which choice tells the more complete truth?
What, as if Tom Brokaw is the boss of all U.S. media, sending them hidden messages? That’s the way it works — no, now that’s the way it worked — in Iraq, Prof.
It gets worse. After complaining that we don’t focus enough on the dead, he blames us — well, really, he blames the U.N.’s sanctions — for Iraq’s economic problems.
This guy is the Peter Arnett of the academe.
: Nick Denton and I were IMing earlier about that American flag on the Saddam statue. Nick says the soldier who put it there should be court-martialed. I can hear his captain screaming up at him: “Stow that flag, soldier! You want to start a riot and mess up my pension?”
Of course, that is the image Al-Jazeera chooses to show — often.
