Thousands march in Iraq, but media does not report

[igloo]

Truly amazing that this meaningful moment did not garner more attention from the Western media. I expect Arab media outlets to downplay the marches, but Western media behavior is again shameful, and once again exposes the bias and agenda they continue to push.

MEDIA VS. HOPE

John Podhoretz

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 12, 2003 -- CALL it the "good news brownout."

In Baghdad on Wednesday, as many as 10,000 Iraqis marched in support of democracy and against terrorism. They marched in broad daylight, out in the open, which meant they knew they might be spotted, even photographed, by Saddamite monsters.

The demonstration surely would have been larger but it was difficult for people in Baghdad even to find out the date of the march because its organizers were properly fearful of terrorist disruption.

Unless you spend your days and nights trolling the Internet, you probably know nothing about this wondrous and hopeful event - for which the lion's share of the security was provided by Iraqi police.

The New York Times buried a paragraph on the march deep inside its daily Iraq story, giving far more prominence to a bank robbery in a Baghdad suburb. Nothing in the Washington Post.

Fox News Channel did a story, but the other cable channels, and the three national newscasts, said nothing about it.

In the current issue of the Weekly Standard, MSNBC producer Noah Oppenheim flatly describes the situation in Baghdad following a reporting trip there: "Most journalists did not support this war to begin with, and feel vindicated whenever the effort stumbles." Which means, as well, that they have no particular interest in telling a story that might cause them to question their own prejudices.

If you are a conventional consumer of news, from newspapers and TV networks, you have basically been kept in the dark. That would once have been the end of it. No longer. The failure to cover the march is not a full blackout but rather just a brownout.

Unconventional sources of news on the Internet will keep this story alive, right in the middle of Baghdad. For those educated Iraqis hungry not only for liberty but also for worldwide recognition of their plight under Saddam and the far-from-horrific daily reality of life beyond the Ba'ath dictatorship, the Internet has proved invaluable.

We knew about the march beforehand, and about what happened at the march afterward, from the most important "weblog" in the world right now - a blog called Healing Iraq. (You can find it at healingiraq.blogspot.com.) Its author is a 24-year-old dentist named Zeyad who lived as a boy and briefly as a teenager in London, which explains both the fluency of his English and his endearing lapses of grammar and spelling.

He spent weeks trying to figure out when the march would be, as he pointed out last week: "We spent some time investigating whether the rallies were still schedulled[sic] for December 10th. Yes, it was like doing some kind of detective work.

"It's strange that nobody seems to know any details about the event. We went to different local newspaper offices which had published articles about it. All we got is that the demonstrations are still being organized but no exact date has been given out due to security considerations. Hmmm. How are people supposed to demonstrate when everything is being so secretive? This isn't good at all."

But on Wednesday night, after the event, he was exultant: "The rallies today proved to be a major success. I didn't expect anything even close to this. It was probably the largest demonstration in Baghdad for months. It wasn't just against terrorism. It was against Arab media, against the interference of neighbouring countries, against dictatorships, against Wahhabism, against oppression, and of course against the Ba'ath and Saddam."

The photos accompanying this column are Zayed's; he posted more than 100 by uploading them to his blog at a Baghdad Internet café.

This new kind of journalism - personal, unabashedly ideological, fueled by passion and a hunger to inform the world - is beyond exciting. It is world-transforming, and if the frighteningly conformist and pathetically self-satisfied mainstream media don't pay attention, they will continue their fast fade into irrelevance.

They will be the ones browned out.E-mail:

[igloo]

Does this mean anything to the antiwar, lefties amongst us?

It should, because it speaks volumes about how the media is covering Iraq, negatively shaping opinion and how events are covered, and falling prey to the Baathists and terrorists main intent.....

In addition, how can you ignore the Iraqi's who went to the streets to protest......

I guess that is not important though.....at least not as important as when a group of protestors gather for anti-Bush or anti-U.S. rallies....

Just love the hypocrisy of the left

[jamiroguy1]

I don't think people pay that much attention to your posts, Igloo. That's why you didn't get a response.

Besides give it time... it's only been 20 minutes since you first posted it. Relax there, my little right wing buddy.

[igloo]

Originally posted by jamiroguy1

I don't think people pay that much attention to your posts, Igloo. That's why you didn't get a response.

Besides give it time... it's only benn 20 minutes since you first posted it. Relax there, my little right wing buddy.

On your first point, you are of course wrong. Again. As usual. But I have to assume you were just trying to be funny, weakly I may add, but I will give you a pass. It is boring kicking your ass, especially when you do it yourself.

On your second point, kudos. I am impatient today. Just looking forward to seeing the stupidity that flows from the likes of you and the rest of your fellow members of the Imbecile Brigade.

Therefore, turn off your Spice Girls CD, shut off Blues Clues, put away your Malibu Barbie, and provide some of your moronic vomit for all to laugh at.

Back to you.

[jamiroguy1]

Originally posted by igloo

On your first point, you are of course wrong. Again. As usual. But I have to assume you were just trying to be funny, weakly I may add, but I will give you a pass. It is boring kicking your ass, especially when you do it yourself.

On your second point, kudos. I am impatient today. Just looking forward to seeing the stupidity that flows from the likes of you and the rest of your fellow members of the Imbecile Brigade.

Therefore, turn off your Spice Girls CD, shut off Blues Clues, put away your Malibu Barbie, and provide some of your moronic vomit for all to laugh at.

Back to you.

You seem to know a lot about all of this childish entertainment medium hence the aaron carter reference, malibu barbie. etc... hmm.

You crave attention, loser... that's why you get pissed when no one responds to your lame ass threads. Go back to the sand box, you nazi douche bag.

[mr mahs]

I was looking for something on this rally after seeing it on Fox on

Mon. I am glad someone has written a column on it, where are the likes of Normal or anyother wanna be hippie when the Iraqi themselves are protesting the outside despot influences we are trying to defeat??? The Iraqi's are standing up for their right to live in freedom and they understand it takes sacrifices to get there.. Good article...

[igloo]

Originally posted by jamiroguy1

You seem to know a lot about all of this childish entertainment medium hence the aaron carter reference, malibu barbie. etc... hmm.

You crave attention, loser... that's why you get pissed when no one responds to your lame ass threads. Go back to the sand box, you nazi douche bag.

Nice spin shitstain, but as usual, you are exposed. Again.

As usual, you avoid responding to the main point. Not unexpected though. Your leftist, hypocritical shit stuffed up your ass again.

Nice try with the " no one responds to your lame ass threads"...are you really that stupid :laugh:

What a dumb thing to say--but not unexpected from you. "Get pissed when people don't respond".. laugh: ...I am laughing at the fact that you can't respond, while also disappointed that you did not attempt to respond with your normal stupidity....schmuck

And once again, you are exposed. You are calling this a lame ass thread?....really--Iraqi's marching for freedom and the western media ignoring it and this is "lame ass".....you are a fucking clown

Good job exposing yourself again, and showing what a cunt you are, and what your true thoughts are, and what a complete moron you truly are.

To repeat, history has shown that jerkoffs like you amount to nothing, and you are certainly on the fast track.

Congratulations are proving once again that you are a jerkoff. You are getting very good at it.

[igloo]

Originally posted by mr mahs

I was looking for something on this rally after seeing it on Fox on

Mon. I am glad someone has written a column on it, where are the likes of Normal or anyother wanna be hippie when the Iraqi themselves are protesting the outside despot influences we are trying to defeat??? The Iraqi's are standing up for their right to live in freedom and they understand it takes sacrifices to get there.. Good article...

Look no further that jamirodicks responses....he takes the time to respond on this thread, but avoids the main point..

Typical, hypocritical, clueless, leftist jerkoff.......give them enough rope, and they always end up hanging themselves

[marksimons]

good thing these iraqi's weren't demonstrating in Miami, they'd get slapped back down by phsycho police force, but then Iraq doesn't really have one of them yet does it...

well, good for them, against terror, pro peace, can't argue with that.

good for iraqis.

however, only 10k people as estemated by al jazeera, not that huge, but still good.

but when the protests were anti-american and that i don't remember you guys rushing to promote them.

likewise with the million or so people that demonstrated in london, not to mention the other few million around the world.

I hope the iraqi's can take this moment to make their country into what it should be, but I wonder if they'll ever really get the chance.

[pattbateman]

if all you hippies think this country is shit and we run it so poorly fuckin leave move to france (THEY WOULD GLADLY TAKE YOU) AND LEAVE US ALONE IF IT IS SO BAD HERE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DOES SUCH A PERFECT JOB FUCKIN GRAB YOUR PASSPORT AND GET THE FUCK OUT.....SERIOUSLY

[igloo]

Originally posted by marksimons

good thing these iraqi's weren't demonstrating in Miami, they'd get slapped back down by phsycho police force, but then Iraq doesn't really have one of them yet does it...

well, good for them, against terror, pro peace, can't argue with that.

good for iraqis.

however, only 10k people as estemated by al jazeera, not that huge, but still good.

but when the protests were anti-american and that i don't remember you guys rushing to promote them.

likewise with the million or so people that demonstrated in london, not to mention the other few million around the world.

I hope the iraqi's can take this moment to make their country into what it should be, but I wonder if they'll ever really get the chance.

Quoting al-jazeera... ...are you fucking kidding me...

Rushing to promote anti-American protests.....are you fucking kidding me...

Mind boggling what a miserable asshole you are..

[jamiroguy1]

Originally posted by pattbateman

if all you hippies think this country is shit and we run it so poorly fuckin leave move to france (THEY WOULD GLADLY TAKE YOU) AND LEAVE US ALONE IF IT IS SO BAD HERE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DOES SUCH A PERFECT JOB FUCKIN GRAB YOUR PASSPORT AND GET THE FUCK OUT.....SERIOUSLY

Yeah, because all us liberals are either "commies, jews, socialists, or muslims."

What a dick!

[marksimons]

what's wrong with al jazeera? they're a very good source of news and information, good contacts, well written, nice english website. if I read cnn on the odd ocasion, and damn even fox, then I'm gonna read al jazeera.

and shit igloo. they were estemating the size of the demo.

and my point was.

EVEN allowing for al jazeera manipulation of the figures, 10,000 isn't a huge amount, for a city like bagdhad.

france is only a trainride away.

I'm english my boy.

this demo was pro democracy, anti-terroism...

and igloo, the other demos I speak about weren't anti american. but.... nah, I'd be waisting my time.

"if all you hippies think this country is shit and we run it so poorly fuckin leave move to france (THEY WOULD GLADLY TAKE YOU) AND LEAVE US ALONE IF IT IS SO BAD HERE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DOES SUCH A PERFECT JOB FUCKIN GRAB YOUR PASSPORT AND GET THE FUCK OUT.....SERIOUSLY"

heheh, man oh man, this could be from the 50's - if you don't like it here why don't you go live in russia you fucking commie!

heheh or the 60's - if you don't like it here why don't you go back to africa, fucking niggers!

or the 70's - if you don't like it here why don't you go to russia you fucking commie

or the 80's - if you don't like it here why don't you go to russia you fucking commie

or the 90's - if you don't like it here... no... wait... shit... erm... if you don't like it here... then... go.. vo.. erm...

2000's - if you don't like it here go to france you peace loving hippy leftist piece of terroist shit!

there, america, back on track!

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by marksimons

good thing these iraqi's weren't demonstrating in Miami, they'd get slapped back down by phsycho police force, but then Iraq doesn't really have one of them yet does it...

well, good for them, against terror, pro peace, can't argue with that.

good for iraqis.

however, only 10k people as estemated by al jazeera, not that huge, but still good.

but when the protests were anti-american and that i don't remember you guys rushing to promote them.

likewise with the million or so people that demonstrated in london, not to mention the other few million around the world.

I hope the iraqi's can take this moment to make their country into what it should be, but I wonder if they'll ever really get the chance.

What planet are you from?

[pattbateman]

its plain and simple your views are either socialists views BIG GOVERNEMENT SPEND MONEY TAX TAX TAX thats what liberals do ask any politician. muslim cause obviously you stick up for them simply cause we (conservatives) do not. if liberals ran this country we will fall apart from the inside if conservatives run it we will fall apart from the outside either way our country will fall apart sooner or later and thats the honest truth

[mr mahs]

Originally posted by marksimons

what's wrong with al jazeera? they're a very good source of news and information, good contacts, well written, nice english website. if I read cnn on the odd ocasion, and damn even fox, then I'm gonna read al jazeera.

This is gotta be the funniest thing I've read all day... :laugh:

This english twit is a piece of work....

[pattbateman]

if you can, in all honesty say that al jazeera is a requitable reliable source of news then ok. im not sayin bbc, cnn, fox are non bias but c'mon really???i mean im at a lost for words if you are serious

[jamiroguy1]

Originally posted by pattbateman

its plain and simple your views are either socialists views BIG GOVERNEMENT SPEND MONEY TAX TAX TAX thats what liberals do ask any politician. muslim cause obviously you stick up for them simply cause we (conservatives) do not. if liberals ran this country we will fall apart from the inside if conservatives run it we will fall apart from the outside either way our country will fall apart sooner or later and thats the honest truth

:laugh:

[marksimons]

bateman is a fucking loon...

erm, mrmahs, besides a seemingly reflex action to an arab news network, please tell me why al jazeera is such a joke?

and *snicker* why fox isn't...

seriously.

do you think al jazeera is full of anti-american pro terroist propoganda?

have you ever read it?

...

http://english.aljazeera.net/

is the english site, well written, nice design, interesting stories.

so what's the problem?

[jamiroguy1]

I read al jazeera from time to time. It doesn't represent my views as fox doesn't but there is some intellectual value to it.

[marksimons]

but news organisations shouldn't fit into our world view or belief systems, or fit with our values or whatever.

they should report the news, objectively and without bias. in this repsect al-jazeera seems great.

just read a good article about the new canadian PM on there!

[pattbateman]

what you read on their web site (which hardly anyone in those fuckin countries sees especially their english one when did you read their arab one???) is different from what you see on their television channel im sure. and fox news fine but think of this we conservatives have had to watch cnn and all 3 major broadcast networks spread their bias reporting for 50 years cnn the last 15-20 or so. on the three major networks national news 35 million people watch tv a night on average (this stat is pre 9-11) and fox news had a little over one million gimme a break mark. now fox news is the most watched news network destroying cnn and conservatives books destroy liberal ones and conserrvative radio clearly dominates the radio waves you wanna know why the american people are sick of bein takin on the liberal ride they gave us for years. now the liberals all they do is bitch about fox xause they are pissed. they are so used to things coming to the american people one way through their sources people who are compationate to them and their politics and you all know that is the honest truth

[jamiroguy1]

Originally posted by marksimons

but news organisations shouldn't fit into our world view or belief systems, or fit with our values or whatever.

they should report the news, objectively and without bias. in this repsect al-jazeera seems great.

I don't think it's possible to for someone to write an article without showing bias.

Look up the word "black" in the english dictionary and you'll find bias conotations. If something is written by someone they have to have some point of view or perspective therefore everything is biased.

[marksimons]

show me some liberal politicians please

a simple question, I just want a simple answer...

[igloo]

Originally posted by marksimons

but news organisations shouldn't fit into our world view or belief systems, or fit with our values or whatever.

they should report the news, objectively and without bias. in this repsect al-jazeera seems great.

This statement says it all about you, and your "bias"....