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----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 7:07 PM Subject: [anti-imperialist] Media hides truth about the war > Media hides truth about the war > >From People's Weekly World, 15/12/01 18:32:56[En Español] [Em Português] [En Français] [In Italiano] [Auf Deutsch] [-] > Media hides truth about the war > > by Terrie Albano > > People's Weekly World Newspaper, Dec 15, 2001 > > It’s pretty hard to be among the 10 percent or so against > Bush’s war in Afghanistan. Even though that’s 11 million of us > in the U.S., the corporate media’s pro-war, pro-Bush stance can make > you feel kind of lonely. > > Has everyone really gone war-mad? Do the majority of people in this country > and the world really think Bush’s war is going to bring justice, > democracy and a good quality of life to all? > > Dr. David Miller, from Scotland’s University of Stirling Media > Research Institute, analyzed international public opinion polls and found > that the world is against the war. > > When alternatives to war – such as extradition and trial – were > suggested, support for the bombings dropped markedly. > > Funny thing about that – Miller found that the U.S. pollsters give > little options to war. > > When polls include the possibility of civilian casualties, Miller found, > support for the war drops even more, including in the U.S., which was one > of three countries whose majority supported the war. > > Miller concludes that the most fundamental problem with the polls is that > they assume the public has all the information. But the majority of the > U.S. media has been distorting what is happening in Afghanistan, especially > in the coverage of civilian casualties and alternatives to war. > > One such story that has been kept out of the mainstream media, only being > carried in alternative and non-corporate media, is of a study of the > numbers of civilian casualties, conducted by Marc W. Herold, a professor of > Economics, International Relations and Women’s Studies at the > University of New Hampshire. > > According to Herold’s study, more than 3,500 civilians have been > killed in Afghanistan by U.S. bombs, and that number is climbing. > > In a press release, Herold said he decided to do the study because of his > concerns “that there would be significant civilian casualties caused > by the bombing.” Herold tracked news agencies, major newspapers, and > first-hand accounts. “I was able to find some mention of casualties > in the foreign press,” he said, “but almost nothing in the U.S. > press.” > > The media, Miller said, also plays down any opposition or questioning of > the Bush administration’s war policy. However, Miller’s > analysis also found that sizable numbers of the U.S. population had > reservations about the bombing. > > There are significant numbers in the labor, civil rights and liberties, and > other democratic and people’s organizations that have questions about > the war policies aren’t quite willing to come out against them. The > Bush administration has gone on the ideological offensive by claiming that > if you are against their policies, you are helping the terrorists. > > Yet some significant U.S. organizations have come out against the U.S. > bombing of Afghanistan, like the 50-million-member National Council of > Churches, the American Public Health Association and the Coalition of Labor > Union Women. Even more have raised questions about it, like the U.S. > Catholic Bishops’ Conference. > > According to 100 Nobel laureates, who signed a statement on the 100th > anniversary of the Nobel Prize, a vast class divide exists and “the > only hope for the future lies in cooperative international action, > legitimized by democracy.” > > They go on to say, “Some of the needed legal instruments are already > at hand, such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the Convention on > Climate Change, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties and the Comprehensive > Test Ban Treaty. As concerned citizens, we urge all governments to commit > to these goals that constitute steps on the way to replacement of war by > law.” > > Bush’s war on terrorism goes in the exact opposite direction of the > laureates’ vision. The bottom line is that the majority of the > world’s people, including in the United States, would agree with the > laureates. That’s why the Bush administration is conducting an > unprecedented ideological public relations campaign for the war, with the > corporate media’s help. > > Many would agree that the U.S. corporate media, with a few notable > exceptions, is pro-war and pro-Bush and that agenda prevents them from > doing the job of a free press, which is to inform the public. > > The censorship in the U.S. media must end. The American people have a right > to know the full impact of a war, as well as the meaningful alternatives to > it – alternatives that would bring real justice for the Sept. 11 > victims and an end to terrorism, not continue it. > > > ******************************************************* > Liste de diffusion d'informations anti-imperialistes et anti OTAN du domaine chiffonrouge.org. > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Desinscription: envoyez un message a: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Pour obtenir de l'aide, ecrivez a: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
