All the News that's Not Fit to Print in the MSM
Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesLt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, then the top American commander in Iraq, in Baghdad in 2004.
My assessment is that your profession, to some extent, has strayed from these ethical standards and allowed external agendas to manipulate what the American public sees on TV, what they read in our newspapers and what they see on the web. For some of you, just like some of our politicians, the truth is of little to no value if it does not fit your own preconceived notions, biases and agendas.What's ironic, is how the media distorts and cherrypicks from the general's statements, framing it as an anti-Bush, anti-Iraq War indictment:
Washington Post:
Ex-Commander In Iraq Faults War Strategy
'No End in Sight,' Says Retired General Sanchez
New York Times: Ex-Commander Says Iraq Effort Is ‘a Nightmare’
Chicago Tribune (via AP writer): Ex-General: 'No End in Sight' in Iraq
BBC News: US general damns Iraq 'nightmare
Al Jazeera: Ex-general calls Iraq a 'nightmare'
No mention about his comments on agenda-driven news coverage. Which was pretty thorough and damning. I'd say that is the real story, here. Kind of drives home his point regarding the media, doesn't it?
More from the former top commander:
“tactically insignificant events have become strategic defeats for America because of the tremendous power and impact of the media” and scathingly asserted that reporters “are perpetuating the corrosive partisan politics that is destroying our country and killing our service members who are at war.”
Meanwhile, Mudville Gazette continues blogging about the Global Islamic Media Front and al Qaeda's "Working Paper for a Media Invasion of America"
Now, for the news that really does need to gain far greater traction:
Victor Davis Hanson gives observations about Iraq in an e-mail, returning from his 2nd trip there. Subsequent article, Hope Yet for Iraq.
Dramatic decline in civilian death toll in Iraq
More from the Washington Post, via Mike's America
More from Bill Roggio
12 former Army Captains do a NYTimes Seven, criticizing the war (don't worry about it)
More on the dozen by Jules Crittenden and Curt (Check out his updates!)
Michael Yon on Stability in Basra (via Bottomline Upfront)
From the NYTimes: Relations sour between Shiites and Iraqi Militia
There is a profound difference between the terrorists and our soldiers. Marco Martinez, Navy Cross recipient, will tell you more: Marine Hero: The Five Things I Saw that Make Me Support the War
Also blogging:
My Sandmen
Labels: counterinsurgency, fake Iraq War Vet, Lt. General Sanchez, media, media bias, media distortion, pro-victory
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 10/16/2007 10:31:00 AM
4 Comments:
"Kind of drives home his point regarding the media, doesn't it?"
You said all that needs to be said right there.
BZ
Not every General is cutout to be a success. It took Lincoln quite a few until he came up with US Grant to dig in his heels and get the job done. The general is right about the way things were done when Rumsfeld was in charge but since the change of leadership and tactics he couldn't be more wrong.
He is right on the mark about the press but we knew that all along and it is no surprise. It's no surprise that part of his speech was squelched.
Good post Word. It is not surprising that the MSM coments were somehow left out by that same MSM.
I agree with j_g. Lincoln went through just about every senior Major General before Grant brought continued success.
Sanchez could also be jealous because his stategy was not as successful.
Excellent post!! I heard a bunch of his comments on Rush and they were awesome! Then, I found out that this was the same guy the liberals were touting for some of his other comments. Cherry-picking is exactly right!!
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