Double Standards with the US
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I'm not saying we should lower ourselves to the standards we hold, say, Sudan and Saddam Hussein to; I wouldn't want to live in a nation where the press deals only in flattery.
But why limit that scrutiny to just the US (and Israel)? When we're talking about the brutal crimes of the leading world political body and a liberal democracy, shouldn't the media be giving them more healthy scrutiny?
- French troops are caught on video shooting a crowd of civilians (xxx for graphic violence)
- There is photographic and video evidence of U.N. peacekeepers committing acts of rape and pedophilia against the women of Congo
Why are these stories getting a tiny fraction of the airtime that the (admittedly messed up) shooting of a wounded Iraqi combatant by a US marine did?
Because what goes on in the US and Israel in the mideast are more important issues to Americans than what goes on in with the French in Africa?
Posted by: O'dell on November 23, 2004 1:21 PM | permalinkLe Monde -- http://www.lemonde.fr/ -- has two Iraq stories on its front page, and nothing about the UN or Ivory Coast controversies. An unrelated Ivory Coast story is recommended by its readers.
AFP -- http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=1511 -- has mention of neither controversy in its headlines.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on November 23, 2004 2:04 PM | permalinkDo a google news search for "ivory coast unarmed civilians," and lot of stories come up. There is coverage from the LA Times, BBC, Al-Jazeera, and other smaller news sources.
I've been hearing about it for a week from difference sources, so it is getting covered.
I'm willing to bet that this bit is reported less:
"TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel has announced the suspension of weapons exports to the troubled Ivory Coast.
Israel's Defense Ministry has decided to honor a Western embargo on the Ivory Coast amid reports that Israeli trainers were helping the African regime against French troops. The reports, published in the Paris-based Le Monde, said Israel had sent trainers and unmanned aerial vehicles to the Ivory Coast in a campaign to quell a rebellion in the north."
I wonder how many countries with whom we might have a conflict buy weapons from Israel. If you think about it, we give Israel support and they sell weapons to these countries... When you add in crap like direct support for Iraq in the 80s, it's almost like we are setting up people to fight us.
Posted by: O'dell on November 23, 2004 3:24 PM | permalinkNo more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.