30 December, 2006 | Leave a Comment
I returned from Italy last night but woke up this morning in a hotel — long story. Because I had access to satellite TV, I happened to be watching BBC World News this morning, soon after the news of Saddam Hussein’s execution broke. The reporters on the BBC seemed heartbroken. I’m sure their correspondent in Baghdad had a good cry once he was out of camera range. It was a bit unbelievable. You’d think one of the most magnificent personages of the 20th century had just tragically died and the entire globe was suddenly plunged into mourning.
BBC = ACK.
I have a lot to say about Italy, but I felt strongly enough about this to post something. I find bias in the so-called “objective” news media (right-wing bias, left-wing bias, blatant anti-Americanism) to be extremely offensive. Thank goodness I no longer have access to any of these stations — CNN, Fox News Channel and the BBC World News. I feel sorry for anyone who relies on these outlets for their news and information.
Anglofille said @ 3:42 pm | news & politics |
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I find that you must be a pretty intelligent person to find out the “news.” it takes much sorting out to get to the “truth”
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All news has some slant - most people just don’t care to figure out who’s funding that news slant and why.
And while I agree that Hussein was hardly a nice person, I find it *more* tragic when people become so calloused that they no longer care when someone is killed by the state. It cheapens us and our ideals. In particular, this was another US engineered execution - even if an Iraqi “flipped the switch”, so to speak.
While I don’t agree with the death penalty in principle, in this case I also think we’ve cheated the Iraqi people who suffered under him out of any real sense of closure.
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It’s too bad that the Iraqis weren’t in complete control of Saddam’s fate. I think he would have been executed, but at least there would have been no taint of US involvement.
That said, Saddam Hussein was in a league of his own. No trial, no execution, can in any way bring closure to anyone, at least in my opinion. His crimes are too numerous and too unspeakable. He was responsible for the torture and murder of millions. No human being can account for that. No justice system on this planet can bring someone to account for that. Saddam died the way he lived and treated others — brutally. I don’t need the BBC to manipulate me into feeling some sort of sympathy for him. Just tell him he was executed and then I’ll decide for myself how I feel about it.
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Anita Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 8:31 pmI’m not clear how I feel about this news event so my comments will be few. I will admit that I’ve been sickened by the barbaric act of hanging, whether sanctioned by the US, the American territory called Iraq, or Hussein himself.
I’m one of those rediculously ___________ people who expects that when you’re about to meet your Maker, you take that last breath to atone. Saddam was defiant, clutching the Koran as though he was in cahoots with God, going out a martyr. This man was pure evil.
Still, I think that what happened was wrong. I would have rather he broke rocks everyday for the rest of his natural life in a blood stained Abu Graib than to be set free in death. Saying that, who’s more cruel, me or the State?
What happens now? Temporarily the Shiites are dancing in the streets. The Sunni’s are running for their lives. The country continues to implode. American and British military troops will be there through 2010 at the earliest, those that aren’t maimed or die. This is progress? If we went there with the expressed purpose of taking out Saddam, can we say “Mission Accomplished” and go home or are we still hoping that Sadr will make nice, call off the dogs, and build an American-esque democracy? What exactly is the objective?
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Getting a life is important, but what is more important is to get in touch with the “real” world, especially for those of you who lives in a privileged First-World society like NA and EU nations. We need to be aware of what’s going on around us and stop being overwhelmed and taken over by the consumerism ideology imposed on us from the multinational corporations.
This is where the major news media comes in, and this is where we must be careful on what we read, see, and watch. But what you’ve to keep in mind is that most media outlets are also owned by a countable number of conglomerates, especially the US media. That’s why BBC, although Britain is also an ally of the US, is in a much better position to criticize both governments than other US news source. And, that’s is why I would trust BBC than all other US news channels. At least BBC reports in a much truthful and unbiased (or lightly biased) manner than Fox News and CNN.
My latest comments on Saddam’s “crime against humanity” can be found here.
My comments on who is controlling the media can be found here.
Have fun!
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Quite frankly, I find the whole idea of execution toally uacceptable, no matter what the crime. Not to mention the fact that this state sponsored murder was routinely interferred with by the American government. Still, Bush got that snuff film he always wanted.
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People seem to be implying that the BBC bias is acceptable because they agree with it. My point is that obvious bias is not acceptable in the news media, even if it’s a slant I agree with.
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Well, at least BBC is “the lesser of the two [or more] evils.”
Wherever, whatever, and whichever you read, hear or see will undoubtedly contain some form of bias, either to the left or right. Especially on the current and historic events, it is impossible to read anything that was written without any bias. To enforce an unbiased view would mean the reader has to experience it first-handedly. However, with the hectic schedule each of us are living in nowadays, it is impossible to even “take a break.” How are we then suppose to experience it by ourselves?
This is where the news agencies comes in. And, this is where we must carefully select what we read. For that, I would choose the BBC over any other mainstream American “media” outlets.
If you think BBC is heavily biased, I would suggest a more liberal view from The Independent.
Sorry to hear about all of the sadness. I think watching/knowing the people you love suffer is the...
