His language is a bit more colorful than mine, but Ron Down Under complete nails the fact that the UN buffer is illusory (something already being demonstrated by the fact that no UN member states want to put their troops there), as well as the dangerous dilemma facing the Arab governments surrounding Israel. They’ve enjoyed the benefits of the status quo (Israel, like the weather, is something useful to talk about, but they don’t want to do anything about it), but now face the problem of their citizens demanding that these governments, Hezbollah-like, actually act on their rhetoric. It’s strong, scary stuff.
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(Bookworm, I am a big Aussie fan.) Nothing really new in this analysis from Ron. It’s still the armies that count–that is troop or terrorists on the move–rather than the ’sabre rattling’/street demonstrations in the Middle East. So it’s probably media fatigue doing this to me:
I’m tired of Arab street demonstrations, either the London, Cairo, or the ‘New York Times-version’. Analyses of the Arab mentality don’t matter. I propose a news blackout. (Can you imagine the rage of Saddam if such had been imposed on his unending lies?)
Instead, use more real work: analyze military solutions, strategies, political possibilities. Propaganda listening/worrying just gives the jihadis more fuel.
I agree, jg…..the #1 thing we could do that has the absolute lowest cost to benefit ratio is impose a blackout on all “news” from the Middle East. Americans don’t need to read that stuff, and unlike other unnecessary drivel (can anyone say John Mark Karr?), wallowing in the merde coming out of the Middle East bolsters some of the world’s worst murderers and scares those who need to muster their courage to do the right thing.
One problem: How do you convince the weenies who produce the TV dreck, and write the c–p for the newspapers?
To what extent are you willing to go to impose media blackout? You can do anything you are willing to do.
Propaganda has limitations just as nuclear weapons have limitations as to their use.
That’s why I don’t get happy or sad, up or down, when hearing about Israel this or Israel ceasefire that. I don’t like anything related to the UN, that is just a given.
Earl, if Americans FAILED to receive their daily MSM dose of (bad) news from Iraq, how much easier to discuss the real facts about the situation?! (How many people do you know who really possess many FACTS about the current conflict? IF they REALLY have knowledge, they didn’t get it from their local/national media.)
MamaPJ has noted that (some) Europeans accept the reports from their state owned news services as truth (she cited Germany in her story). We Americans, inventors? of the free press, are more sophisticated and wary about our press.
Versus 25 years ago– I suspect most thinking Americans FEEL that the press manipulates the news. The MSM don’t hide the fact. They’ll spit in your face about it.
I suspect the Islamists will change that. AS the war grows, it will be harder for the nation to continue on a path of falsified reports. Certainly, in the short run, the MSM (not the conflict or the PResident) has wreaked immense damage to the ‘American psyche.’
I’m not sure where the ‘Voice of America’-type broadcasts will come from, but someone must pull down the media monopoly. New communication technology may spur the process. The blogosphere is a type of hope.
Here’s a start: a US vet in the Iraq zone goes after the New York Times:
“Mr. Keller,
What ceases to amaze me about your paper is the lengths you are willing to go to make headlines and sell papers. Who cares if those headlines help the enemies of America, you guys are making money and that is what it is all about in the end right.”
His blog, and the pickup by H.Hewitt/FoxNews, represents a single citizen challenging one of the secret rulers of America. Great, and brave.
And almost as important as his service for us in Iraq.
http://boredsoldier.blogspot.com/2006/06/letter-to-ny-times.html