The failure of the media, In two ways. Options

[*CrackedRearView*]

DISCLAIMER: This is not for the faint at heart.

1) The only thing I ever see on this forum, aside from a select few's educated reasoning when it comes to opposing U.S. occupancy in Iraq, is mindless, CAPS LOCK laden, unsubstantiated prattle saying 'BUSH IS AN IDIOT, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG IN IRAQ! AFGHANISTAN WAS THE PROBLEM!'.

Let me do the job the media failed so miserably at.

If there was any doubt of the problems in Iraq -- let that doubt be put to rest.

2) I was watching the news tonight, and I got, for lack of better terminology, extremely pissed off.

'Another car bomb exploded today killing several soldiers.'

'Another car bomb'. As if it's standard protocol; as if the wives and children bereaved of the victims of 'just another car bomb' don't matter. Just another number to tack onto the list.

Thanks for serving in the Army, son. What was your name, again?

I'm sorry, but I just can't handle that. As much as I support this war.

So, to make this less of a rant and more of a debate: why do you think the media focuses so intensely on the lack of problems in Iraq, when there are so many?

Is it acceptable that the media showed only what little was wrong in Iraq? Is it acceptable that because we've been there for two years, we can just shrug off another car bomb?

[visualfusion]

Due to the laziness and worthless of Americans today, repeated news of car bombs will bore the living wits out of us and since the media needs its viewers to be entertained to get high ratings (and ultimantly money) ... the media just shrugs off these "little" repeated things that (because of the repetition) no longer has the excitement it had in the beginning of all this shit. Failure of media? Not really, just a money hungry, bored, lazy, and (yet again ... also the lack of terminology) worthless America.


but then again, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[d0nchikit0]

My brother's in the Marines.. and he went to Iraq.. And yeah, it is devastating to hear that these people's lives are being taken for granted...

But people do die, and not everybody can be acknowledged. It's a shame, really.

[fameONE]

Being from a military family, I do not doubt the necessity of national defense, however, I don't believe in becoming a number just so you can die in vain.

The media (especially FoxNews) tries desperately to portray the Bush Administration's plan on rebuilding Iraq in the best of lights while showing minimal hardships for the soldiers who are stationed there. Truth is, things are just as bad or even worse than they were before hand.

A US Soldier in Iraq has to worry about; civilians killing him, Iraqi militias on his ass, retaliation from frustrated Iraqi officials, the common car accident and your everyday street thugs... with Ak47s. The media *cough, FoxNews, cough* will tell you vageuly that a tragedy has occured, but only if its made headlines elsewhere. Otherwise, the most you'll hear about it is the soldier from your local town being laid to rest in the cemetary behind the church up the street from you.

[madchenallein]

Great topic. I'm a military (formerly USMC, currently AF) wife. My husband (USMC, now USAF) was in Qatar (fortunately) in 2003 when the initiatives really started. There have been severaly people in his units in the last two years who have gone to Iraq and Afghanistan.

I find it kind of amusing that you are down on FoxNews. That is the channel my libertarian-leaning husband approves of most, if he has to pick a media favorite-he's not big on the media in general. He likes Neal Boortz even better. I'd say though, the big problem here is the lazy American public. You have to dig if you want real news, not have CNN live-streaming the whole workday and consider yourself informed. The media knows 95% of the American public is not going to take the time to research their comments though. So, they get away with all types of heinous manipulation. But, if America is that apathetic, with time we will lose what we hold dear, our freedom. Surrender our freedom of thought by not exercising it, and we will lose it, then we'll see if it's worth fighting for to get back.

Americans are too concerned with safety to value their freedom. We're too concerned with the easy path and having others, specifically the government and media do things for us and tell us what to think and say.

I am not happy that our men and women are dying in the Middle East. I really think it's none of our business. But, we are THE world power, and we are committed. We need to get in there, finish the job correctly and get OUT. Personally, I think the only military we ought to have is a hugely strong one for border patrol and deterrence, not for being the world police. But, that's the angry libertarian in me coming out, hold on a sec.......*shove, shove*, okay, she's put away.

Have a nice day.

[*CrackedRearView*]

More car bombs exploding...less people caring...

[sadolakced acid]

^ it's not our war (to half the americans). there were no weapons of mass descruction.

it's perfecally fine to take out a ruthless dicator. but not to lie to the american public (if it was a lie, which i think at least a twist of the truth was employed) that it's because they have weapons of mass destruction.

just tell us, he's a ruthless dictator. we're going to depose him.

and DON'T say it won't cost much, because we can sell thier oil to help pay for the cost of reconstruction.

that being said, half of america doesn't thinks every death is bush's fault.

bush knows it too. returning coffins aren't allowed to be photographed. bush hasn't attended the funeral of any soilders- if he were to attend them all, that'd be the onlly thing he'd do.

the point is, we know our boys and girls are getting hell there. we just don't feel the urge to support them. why? most of america thinks supporting our troops is the same thing as supporting the war.

i think about it, and how many lifes it is.

on september 11th, 2004, i read through the list of all the people who died. or at least tried to.

i did it by age, and couldn't get past age 22. when you put a face to the numbers, you feel it.

this is the problem. every death on the media should be reported with a picture, not of the coffin, not of the soilder dying. of them at a christmas party with thier family, who will now mourn for them. pictures of them at birthday parties, celebrating a day that will never come for them again. of them having fun with people in their lives, people that will never see them again.

that is the way to report the deaths. show the person who died, not the number.

i don't want to know that 5 people died in car bomb today.
i want to know thier names, thier pictures, pictures of them with thier families. what they liked.

because then, the death is more real. and then, people will care.

but not when it's just '5 soldiers'

[*CrackedRearView*]

My uncle Jess was a number.

I couldn't have said it any better.

[strice]

nevermind.

[not_for_anything]

for the most part american media is biased, and does not tell the whole story, try reading some british newspapers, or even some smaller countries not influenced by the U.S. of A

[*not_your_average*]

Wow. Very compelling. I couldn't say it better myself.