Wednesday, November 17, 2004

MEDIA HOPES FOR WAR CRIMES

Arabs who are not offended by the occasional hacking off of the head of a woman aid worker or the more frequent hacking off of the heads of foreign workers for no other reason than are “foreign workers” are angered by the oddest things. We know, when given enough over the top coverage by the US media, Arabs anger at the sight of terrorists being photographed naked. People of the peaceful religion of Islam who stand mute when innocent men women and children are blown up by the hundreds and thousands in cafes, buses, airplanes and tall buildings finally find a their voices when a lone wounded terrorist is killed in the heat of battle. (I heard about an American who shot a wounded unarmed Vietcong in the back and got a medal for it. Except for the getting a medal part, the media were not interested in the story. Now what was that guys name? Oh yea, it was that John Kerry guy.)

How do we know the Arabs, presumably every one of them, are angry? Well, our alert conniving media, never ones to miss a story that might put an American serviceman in a bad light, seek out the offended ones and tell us their story over and over. Even before any of the facts are known about this latest media inspired brouhaha, well dressed media elites fresh from dinner or lunch at some high-brow restaurant intone somberly between sips of their double all-natural chocolate-vanilla soy lattes that the Marine MIGHT have committed a war crime. Well hells-bells here are some other news flashes that might be interesting under these strict journalistic standards; The sun MIGHT explode…details at six! Bill Clinton MIGHT tell the truth…our microphones will be there if he does! The mainstream media MIGHT stop making the news up…a special report! CBS has produced (literally) documents that the man who was killed MIGHT have been a Red Crescent worker considered by many to be candidate for the Noble Peace Prize…see the whole story on 60 minutes Wednesday!

I recall years ago my Dad giving me his copy of Ernie Pyle’s book Here’s Your War. In it Pyle tells how people from every walk of life and every section across America fought for victory in North Africa. The book is a compilation of the brave deeds, sacrifices and yes sense of humor of the American fighting man. Pyle writes in detail of the unique personality and good nature of the American fighting man. I don’t believe there was even one war crimes story included. In today’s media Pyle would be shunned, relegated to the social page or an occasional feel good feature about a three legged dog. One could imagine the conversation between today’s media Bigs and Pyle;

“Look, Pyle the last thing we need here are inspirational stories about the war and the people fighting over there. After all, we’re trying get rid of George Bush not prop him up.”

“Yea, but we’re at war with international Islamo terror fascist. Shouldn’t we be trying to win that? Besides, these are Americans putting their lives on the line for us, shouldn’t we try to honor them and their cause?”

“Pyle, Pyle, Pyle there will be plenty of time to win this thing when the Democrats are back in power. Until then I want all war crimes and hopelessness all of the time. We need to turn people against this war and the president. Now get over to Elm Street. The scanner just picked up that Mrs. Crump’s cat Mittens is stuck in the tree again.”

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