Yup, just ask CNN, the war pimp. War is a big time gravy trian.
I watched, accidentally, part of the local news coverage, and was appalled. The fresh-faced foreign correspondent had an excited gleam in his eye as he talked about how overwhelmingly powerful the assault was, and I thought of nothing so much as a sports reporter telling the hometown fans that the Bears just absolutely demolished the Packers. Yay team!
Meanwhile, I was thinking as the buildings exploded telegenically in the background -- there are people in there.
sozobe i think its more like Dallas Cowboys vs Fernwood Ohio voc-tec high school.
heh.
That's kind of my point, though -- the guy's tone was very much "Gosh, we're sure showing them!", as if that was ever in doubt, as if they were an actual competitor.
Hmm - I wonder if that tone will changs as number of media folk now seem to have died - well, we know that an Australian has - not sure about the Brit team yet.
Concentrates the mind wonderfully, thinking you may become part of the show....
dlowan
Not sure if you follow Doonsebury (everyone should, or suffer some grievous penalty) but his take on the embedded reporter thing has been hilarious and very astute - they get to play soldier! they get to wear gas masks and face the burning sands! they get to ride tanks too! The military has quite effectively made them (many of them) something quite other than objective.
media patriotism is akin to teenage acne "be true to your school" adolescent rah rah but then patriotism in general is glorified tribalism complete with war paint (colours) and gangstas from the hood. If we dont grow out of it we will join the Dodo's on the list of species that didn't make the cut.
Blatham - is getting killed part of the game for them, do you think?
The team where the camera guy was killed are very serious journos - I don't think they got into all that ****.
dlowan, i know this sounds harsh but yes i think it is part of the game.
dlowan
There are serious journalists working, I know. Sorry. Didn't mean to suggest otherwise. And there are other folks there independently too (documentary film makers, for example).
You've caught me up on a bit of an axe-grinding mission as regards the main media feeds and how well the military are directing them.
i had several close friends (photo-journalists) who covered south american revolutions, wounded several times, and they talked about the excitement of risk (they were also damn good journalists) perhaps some sort of Hemingway syndrome?
Oh, Blatham - I could not agree with you more about a lot of the media stuff - it is sickening.
Tme to drag out Carl Schurz speech:
"Our country right or wrong" is the first part of the definition of true patriotism that Carl Schurz set before the United States Senate in 1872. The second part is, "When right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right."
too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous
ambitions, or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves
under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: "Our country, right
or wrong!" They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our
free institutions, and the peace and welfare of this and coming
generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the
watchword of true patriotism: "Our country -- when right to be
kept right; when wrong to be put right."
To all who have added to the discussion, I apologize for not being able to respond. Tasking abounds for us and SOF units have never had many bees. Added to that bad guys attacked us and knocked out communications capabilities. Still down, using official DOD assets, (hope they don't mind ... too much). May get some limited comms in a bit. Will try to respond to the very edifying opinions voiced here as soon as our situation stabilizes a bit. Thanks, luck.
Lusatian
And luck to you, Lusatian.
