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More anti-terror demonstrations
: Canada’s CTV reports on the anti-terror demonstrations in Baghdad, saying there were also demonstrations Baqouba and Ramadi. They can’t resist a swipe at the U.S.
But the protest, kept in check by U.S. military and Iraqi police, was far from pro-American.
“There was a lot of anti-Americanism in that crowd,” [CTV reporter] LaFlamme said, noting that none of that anger turned into violence.
Nonetheless, the reporter was impressed with the event.
Jeff,
While there is most certainly an anti-terrorism sentiment, why must that coincide with a pro-American one? It would be certainly wonderful to believe that most Iraqis were pleased with the US administration; it would bode incredibly well for reconstruction efforts, but isn’t it going out on a limb to claim that based on the work of a few bloggers that we can guage an entire country’s sentiments?
I feel that the blogosphere may be overcorrecting for the mainstream media. Things aren’t as bad as portrayed on the television, but it is difficult to believe that things are so positive either.
Yours,
matt
Canada’s TV stations (especially respected CBC)show many other stories about Iraq and other places, including the brutality of the US forces, including looting of whole country by the US, including special relations of the Bush family with Bin Ladden, including …..
BTW, did you know the US forces have just killed the second set of 6 children in Afghanistan in less than a week? I guess you do. Well, perhaps they are not important to you, perhaps they are not even considered as human beings, Perhaps they only deserve to be ignored. I guess they are not news worthy to you, right?
A little ethics is what is seriouly lacking in mainstream US media, for which you are trying to be a part of. I believe you know what I am talking about.
Ah, Faramin…where to begin?
First of all, let it be known that I live in Canada (have for four years now), and that I see all of the reporting by the “respected” CBC – who, by the way, are run on the government’s dollar – and by CTV, CFTO, and others; I’m not speaking out of a vacuum.
Firstly, the US forces are just that: military. They aren’t trained in the skills of policing, because it’s not their job. So speaking of “military brutality” is going to be the norm for a while. When the switch-over is complete, from US forces to Iraqi police (which is already underway), then we can start to expect different events. And be it known, the Army is showing remarkable restraint – one can read about it everyday via http://iraqnow.blogspot.com/.
Second, I’m not certain of which looting you speak. If it is the looting reported early on in the occupation (while the fighting was still going on), then you have misplaced the label of perpetrators – those looters were the Iraqi people themselves. And let’s not forget the great scandal-that-wasn’t: The ‘thousands’ of missing artifacts from the Iraqi National Museum that astonishingly turned into ’33’ items. If you are speaking of other looting, you’re gonna have to point it out, because I haven’t seen or heard of it. Perhaps you meant to refer to the instance in which the American soldiers discovered mounds of cash stashed away by the members of Saddam’s regime, and began to invest it in the local countryside? Hardly normal ‘looting,’ that.
Thirdly, the ‘special relations’ between Bush and Bin Laden are laughable in their contrivance. And yes, I saw that “respectable” report from the CBC, and I laughed the entire way through it. Perhaps, my friend, you might want to exercise a little critical thinking? Or fact-checking?
As for the Afghanistan events of the past week, I am only too aware. I take immense offense at your suggestion that human life means nothing to me. Keep in mind that the people you are talking to are also humans, hmm? Your descent into name calling is not welcome.
Since you bring about the concern of ethics, Faramin, let me direct your attention to the slant of the CBC, and the fact that that “respectable” media outlet has been the lapdog of the Liberal Party for nigh on 75 years. Let me also direct your attention to the oh-so-respectable exploits of ‘International Media,’ Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiah – denounced by Iraqis as untruthful during the protest in Baghdad today.
Having taken a look at your blog, I realize now that this entire response is an exercise in futility. You aren’t exactly open to the opposing views, are you? Well, friend, I’m sorry to see you in such a state, and I wish there was something I could say to help you back into reality. But we both know that you’re gonna have to ultimately find your way back on your own.
Well, as an American, yes, I am aware of the children’s deaths in Afghanistan (yes, it was fairly widely reported) and yes, it makes me sick.
But on the other hand, it makes me mad, because this is the sort of stuff the Geneva Convention was designed to protect. Not so much the rights of combantants, but of civilians.
When you let one side in a war get away with wearing civilian clothes (and hide behind civilians), stuff like this happens.
But where’s the condemnation? The only thing you hear is criticism of Gitmo, when under the Geneva Convention, everyone there could (and in fact, should) be executed as illegal combatants.
That only encourages this. And more and more civilians end up getting killed accidently.
Canadian media is full of shit. And Faramin, be lucky you are there instead of some islamofascist state like Iran.
I am a canadian but now live in the States. And happily too I might add. I served as an infantry officer and attended RRMC (sort of like an Anapolis on the really cheap, if you were there you would know ;) ). I left the military after many years realizing that the government and the Candain people did not give a good crap for any of us. We were a toy they could use to draw concessions out of the world. No money for anything. I ended up buying US surplus to make due. What kinda shit is that!?
I was pretty happy in Canada but slowly I became to hate the crap and moral superiority coming out of the people around me. It seemed to be the convienent Middle Power strategy, “do nothing but say a lot”. It seemed to be to be just rhetoric. All Canada does now is pin it’s entire identity on belonging to trendy international clubs like say, the UN.
I started to complain more and more until a friend jokingly said, “Hey, if you don’t like , then leave”. So I did, and you know what, I am damn glad of it and I hope to be a citizen of the US soon.
Funny how they can have demonstrations in Iraq now without being killed.
Yeah and you’re not going to get any of the lucrative contracts to rebuild Iraq….
Saying that Britain and Australia have been left out of the main contracts as well and they sent troops!!!!