[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: impressionistic ramble

On Thu, 13 Sep 2001 Ysobelle at aol_com wrote:
> The countries in question, the ones screaming for the death of The Great
> Satan, are not countries with a wonderful reputation far as freedom of
> the press goes. They're not Internet-wired like we are.

And yet we are told that terrorists use the internet while planning their
attacks.

> They're isolated and insular, and the mass of people there know only
> what their government tells them. If they're told we're evil, raised to
> think we're evil, then of course they're happy when we suffer. We know
> far more about them, I'd be willing to bet, than they do about us. And
> that's not saying much.

I dunno, this sounds almost racist to me.  The assumption seems to be that
Arabs never think for themselves, never doubt their government, never
question what they've been told -- whereas Americans supposedly do all of
these things.  (Did Russians believe everything *their* government told
them, back in the Soviet era?  I doubt it.  Why would we assume Arabs are
any more gullible?)  The fact is, even if Americans don't believe what
their *government* tells them, they are still strongly influenced by their
*media*, whether "free" or not.  And if the media decides to pursue Gary
Condit and ask him what he had to do with the disappearing planes, then
eventually, people might think he *did* have something to do with it.
Meanwhile, of course, the real killers will get off scot-free somewhere.

> As far as Afghanistan, we're talking about the Taliban, for G-d's sake.
> The ones who destroyed priceless ancient statues just a few months ago.

Well, they were just doing what the Ten Commandments command, really.  :/
What concerns me more is the way they're threatening to execute
Christians, basically just for being Christians.

--- Peter T. Chattaway --------------------------- peter at chattaway_com ---
 "I detected one misprint, but to torture you I will not tell you where."
      Winston Churchill to T.E. Lawrence, re Seven Pillars of Wisdom

---------------
Unsubscribe by going to http://www.actwin.com/MediaNation/OtR/
Follow-Ups: References: