If a tree falls... Posted by Rosa Brooks

Is it just me, or was the 4th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war mostly greeted by the media with resounding silence? I expected the date to be marked by banner headlines and extensive commentary and analysis... instead, we mostly got coverage of the new Airbus. Hello? Hello?

Comments

[Don Bacon]

Avoid the corporate media, Rosa, it'll rot your brain. Throw out the teevee and stop the newspaper subscriptions is my advice. Stick to the web for the truth and avoid pap psychologically designed to force you to buy more.

Case in point: Bringing up the fact that the US is losing another war would put everyone in a blue funk, "consumer confidence" would decline and sales would suffer. We can't have that, can we? So the corporate media avoids the subject. Give the prols the happy talk--bread and circuses, beer and football. Sell, sell, sell and then sell some more. It's the American way.

[Caitlyn]

I thought it got reasonably high profile. It was the lead on the CBS evening news at least, and I htink on others. No hour-long news specials, but with Iraq news on every night I won't expect a special to go over it again.

[Xanthippas]

They're just holding out until the fifth anniversary. It's not like we'll be out of there by then.

[Bob Gaines]

I have no idea how many Americans listen to the BBC World News or watch it on TV, but they are devoting this week to Iraq. This morning's radio program had about 20 minutes. The interviews with Iraqis have been quite interesting.

Incidentally, it's too bad the BBC reporters don't get to interview our politicians on our TV.

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[Account Deleted]

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The man’s arguments were rather interesting. He pointed out that if you took a poll of the passengers,ugg boots outlet most would agree the film was morally offensive. He asked the attendant, “if we ask the passengers what they think and they agree with me, then what will you do?” The attendant responded, “we don’t take public opinion (ra’i al ‘am) on the airplane.” The man was right: most passengers, and most Egyptians – the vast majority of whom don’t drink, go to clubs, or wear bikinis – would object to the film’s content. But at what point do they have the right to restrict minority expressions of unfaithfulness?

It was an odd, amusing exchange that justified the otherwise unpleasant experience of flying on EgyptAir.ugg boots clearance But it was a reminder of the fundamental lack of consensus in the Arab world over the boundaries and limits of the state. There are two groups – Islamists and secular elites – with worldviews which couldn’t be more different. They live parallel lives in parallel worlds, with parallel institutions. They rarely intersect.ugg boots clearance One group believes it has both history and the Egyptian people on its side. The other side, considerably smaller in number, likely has neither. It does, however, have the power.

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