Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 18:53:54 +0200 From: "Peter Lockhart" <peter@key.co.za> To: "FreeBSD Chat" <chat@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Helping victims of terror Message-ID: <015d01c14519$80553010$3309f540@bigsky> References: <NFBBJPHLGLNJEEECOCHAGEDNCEAA.deuce@lordlegacy.org> <3BAC3644.1CB0C626@mindspring.com> <xzp66abb7pz.fsf@flood.ping.uio.no> <3BAD1FAE.2F3D40F5@mindspring.com> <20010923011557.B60374@jake.akitanet.co.uk> <015e01c143c8$c93505a0$89941bd8@speakeasy.net>
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> Why would we support Bin Laden when he has hated the US for some many years? > We did support Suddam at one point only because or Iran. I can't recall any > one time where the US had any interest in training or helping Bin Laden's > group. > Name one. heh. this about sums it up. A poll on that bastion of unbiased news reporting otherwise known as CNN, reported about 87% of Americans polled supporting whatever action Bush proposed. The vast majority of American citizens I'm sure, almost oblivious of the fact that Bin Laden was on their payroll only a few years earlier. I think it's this sort of reason that has people worried as to the hot-headed actions of the US. There seems to be little, if any, understanding as to the mechanics of world politics for the American public since their general world-events clue comes from CNN and similar networks. Within hours of the attack CNN had lined up every possible expert opinion pointing fingers Bin Laden's way. This soon included countries harbouring terrorists. Fingers pointed to Afghanistan. A press conference by the Taleben which was called within hours of the attack, was interrupted 1 minute into it because it obviously wasn't exciting enough to maintain viewership. Every possible news item to generate hate the way of the East with almost no time going towards possibly looking at what would motivate people to do this or hearing what those accused had to say. Not too much better than state-owned propoganda it would seem. "Depleted Uranium in Iraq ? Affecting the population for years to come after we fought and left ? what's that ?" etc Of course what the public thinks doesn't (necessarily) drive what Bush does, but it makes it awful hard for him to say "Uh sorry, we were barking up the wrong tree" if real evidence identified another culprit. And with the citizen's scrutiny away from their own government's previous actions, it means they're more ready to accept reduced civil liberties (which I see people are already prepared to do judging by a few polls floating around). Perhaps the conspiracy theorists are right. Peter Lockhart To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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