http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Fri, 4 Apr 2003 11:04:31 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-6923 Your attack on the woman who portrayed "Miss Cleo" is misplaced. Surely, you know she is an actress, doing a role. If you think she pocketed all of the millions garnered in the scam, then maybe the psychic hotline is more effective than thought. 6923@blogcritics.org Fri, 4 Apr 2003 11:04:31 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-5496 Do the advocates of Iraq invasion, enjoy watching the consequences of war and killing seen today? Is it preferred over inspections? Should the faces of the dead be shown to all those who believe in war? Or is it unfair to show the reality of killing our species? 5496@blogcritics.org Sun, 23 Mar 2003 23:06:31 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-5417 Thanks Jim, it's nice to have some support from Canada. 5417@blogcritics.org Sun, 23 Mar 2003 13:58:49 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-5408 After waching Al Jazeera TV i can see what kind of scumbag reporting that the Arab world is interested in reporting to the world. To show the bodies of those American soldiers is a war crime against humanity and to show those Iraq soldiers asking them to answer Questions they have no right to ask is another war crime. And to show Iraq soldiers in Bagdad shooting there guns into the river is nothing less than supidity. Jim Nolan Canada 5408@blogcritics.org Sun, 23 Mar 2003 13:11:39 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-5182 Starting a big Mugging like in Irak should be punished by Nuklear Strike and so it will. Wait and .... Watch. 5182@blogcritics.org Fri, 21 Mar 2003 18:20:04 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2057 I certainly see the humor in the remark by Howard Beales "I'm no psychic but I can foresee this: If you make deceptive claims, there is an FTC action in your future," However, it is more to the point to note that deceptive claims are made everyday in every venue of advertising selling hope in one form or another. It is only those that offend the propriety and are as successful as Miss Cleo that garner the attention of the FTC in pursuit of their "cut". 2057@blogcritics.org Fri, 22 Nov 2002 19:13:36 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2056 Media representation is always biased to a certain extent depending on the personal views of the reader and view. Thus we charge the New York Times of its liberal slant and conversely, the Journal of its extreme pro-business conservativism. Likewise, view CNN and then Fox News, or even more extreme watch BET News to compare with Fox News. Or read the National Review and The Nation or Mother Jones. Or try listening to NPR compared with Rush- O...too obvious of a distinction, but the fact that distinction is allowed to EXIST and both individually hold loyal listeners speaks volumes about the "media" bias of our country). I think questions such as, "is only pro-American news worthy of coverage" is mere disingenuous rhetoric. Anyone that accesses the plethora of media- print, web, radio and television- outlets available to them will find a vast landscape (or some of every political inclination argue, cesspool) of varying opinion, information, coverage and interpretations. Moreover, one wanting to undertake this little experiment would not need to explore marginal or esoteric media outlets. The "majors" often have a surprisingly competing perspective on local, regional, national and global events. Where am I going with this little exegesis? While societies and nations around the world do perceive the U.S. as a "300-pound Gorilla" carrying a club in the fashion of an M1 Abrams Tank or Tomahawk Cruise missle tank, followed by a coterie of the World Bank and IMF, the simple fact remains, that a lot of Americans (because of the media) are aware of American (that is the United States) jingoism. This self-reflection does exist. America is, even if politicians or various pundits forget, aware of the impact of its mighty footsteps and what those footsteps can cause for better or for worse. In relative scale, this self-reflection and awareness is simply lacking in many other societies. This isn't hubris. Certainly, there is a tremendous level of awareness and interest in other countries of America, and her political, socio-economical, and racial concerns. A common and understandable complaint by many is why Americans either don't care or don't know about the various idiosyncracies of their own society. That is a topic for another day. A question I ask them is for them to set aside their concerns of the U.S. and to reflect upon their OWN society. Keeping in mind the power inequality among nations, nevertheless, the blindness charged of the United States should not be a one-sided street. Al-Jazeera is a good start, but where is the equivalent of a Jim Lehr Newshour equivalent? Real and perceived prejudices of the news media will always exist. The ultimate or final picture of a puzzle however is not revealed until all pieces are put together and not just the border pieces which are the easiest to sort out and fit together. 2056@blogcritics.org Thu, 21 Nov 2002 19:07:03 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2055 i think it is absolutely absurd to call a news agency solely a outlet for al-qaida messages and terrorism. just because you get mail doesn't mean involvement or inclusion in the activity of the group they're reporting on. was tom brokaw part of the anthrax ring b/c he received a package? of course not, but the comparison is almost the same to al-jazeera being part of the terrorist scheme of al-qaida. our point of view here in the US is very tailored to a particular point of view and sometimes it almost borders on propaganda. why is it that we always hear of the 6-12 israeli deaths but forget the 10-20 palestinians who have died in the repercussions? why is israel never the bully in the conflict? why is there no outcry in the US media with respect to sharon's unabated support of west bank settlements? because we are meant to forget the other side of the story. think some about who is reporting on the conflict, who has the huge lobby in the US congress, and you will know why our news is reported the way it is. think also of the fact that al-jazeera is doing what any other news network would do if it got something of this nature: report it. can you imagine how ridiculous nbc would seem if they didn't report if they got something from obl? would you not worry if the us government always got its hands on such information first? it would mean censoring, that wonderful thing that distorts our point of view during conflict. 2055@blogcritics.org Wed, 20 Nov 2002 08:28:56 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2054 TO single out the only news organization willing to run "anti-American" coverage is tantamount to calling for censorship of all media. Is only pro-American news worthy of coverage? Sounds like propaganda to me. While I don't support Al-Jazeera, neither do I support Americans seeking to hear only one view on the world (theirs). No wonder many countries think of us as an arrogant 300-pound gorilla who stomps in whenever he wants to get whatever he wants. Americans should learn to step away from their ethnocentric, biased view of the world and try looking at themselves from different viewpoints to find out just how poorly the world views us sometimes. 2054@blogcritics.org Tue, 19 Nov 2002 12:19:11 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2053 I fear you are correct, Mouse, but I always hold out hope for progress. 2053@blogcritics.org Fri, 15 Nov 2002 23:03:57 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2052 People will fall for psychic hotline scams in search of answers for the spiritual side and for the never-ending tantalizing quest to know the future, even if only a little of it. The century we are in is irrelevant. It's still human beings no matter what the season may be. 2052@blogcritics.org Fri, 15 Nov 2002 22:11:10 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2051 Yeah sure, Jazerra's been the primary outlet for OBL's propaganda, but you're all forgetting they've gotten just as much flack from Arab governments for running pro-West stories. Of the only time anybody mentions Al Jazerra in the States is when they do run an al Qaeda message, so everyone's perception is way off. 2051@blogcritics.org Fri, 15 Nov 2002 15:45:49 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/11/14/195727.php#comment-2050 al Jazerra is clearly a front for this terrorist organization and with the recent terror warnings, I for one, would like to see everyone that works at this "station" ala terror supporter, blown up inadvertently in a suicide attack gone wrong. 2050@blogcritics.org Fri, 15 Nov 2002 13:12:24 EST