Smoking guns
So this is the headline in the Telegraph:
Britain finds Iraq’s ‘smoking gun’: a top-secret missile
From this headline and the rules of basic English grammar, when asked the question, “What did the British find?” you would answer, “A missile.”
Seems simple enough.
Except when you read the story, you learn that what they found were plans for a missile (and nothing much still to put in it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves). And not plans as in “plans,” but stories from Iraqis now cooperating with the British.
This of course is only Example 1,824 of misleading headlines on top of “smoking gun” stories throughout the “coalition” media, designed to leave the headline’s impression in people’s minds. As someone on Metafilter said, each one of these “smoking gun” stories tacitly acknowledges that all the ones that came before were bullshit. So is this one.
Is anyone else getting tired of being lied to?
Short and sweet: Yes
I have found that British news sources have been a bit less over the top with regard to sensationalised news and glaringly deceptive headlines. I have stopped reading CNN.com because their coverage disgusted me. Unfortunately, no matter which source you look for news, there will be some bias on it. So pick your poison: United States, “Coalition” or everyone else.
Lately it’s occurred to me that we focus too much on defense and not enough on offense. Let’s go on the offensive and never give the time of day to the distractions of the other side. Let’s decide on our own media message rather than reacting to attacks. Let’s keep repeating our media message. Let’s constantly demand balanced coverage from broadcasters and more importantly their advertisers. Let’s persist through the frustrations Adam and I both expressed last week. Let’s keep talking even in hostile company – like Adam is doing.
The only way to tarnish the conservative’s falsely shiny image is by repetition. If we don’t repeat the specifics of their wrongdoings (evildoings, anyone?) in easy soundbites, no one will care. If we don’t publicize the crippling effects their policies are having on America and the world – in easy soundbites – no one will care and nothing will change.
Collect the facts. Write them on index cards if you have to and bring them everywhere you go. They can’t win on the facts, and You will be armed with citations and quotes and facts that can disarm lazy rhetoric.
oh my god this has been driving me crazy!! I felt so undecisive with going to war cause i felt like there was no information. we were on a track handling afghanistan and all of a sudden bam we have to bring down iraq so my thing was what specific threat is there because the terrorists where all over whatever i just felt like i was missing something the “smoking gun” to go through with the war. Then there was the mention of “weapons of mass destruction” and all tidbits of info we found this and honestly i do not remember what the heck the things were but i remember the press showing adminstration displaying the objects was it like plutonium i have no idea but it looked like something from a weapon but i don’t know i’ll have to keep notes. Anyway my point being well if they have these “weapons of mass destruction” then ok we need to make sure the regime doesn’t take over or attack us (if there was intelligence they were to do this). He i’m not a war analyst i just wanted to make a INFORMED opinion about the war and ultimately largle due to the constant references to “weapons of mass destruction” felt we have to protect ourselves and in the long run if changing the regime could help the iraquis then fine but no there is NO FREAKIN (see i use it cause i’m getting uptight and freaking out) “Weapons of mass destruction”!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And NO ONE’s SAYING ANYTHING!!!!!!! At least in NE PA. Anyone else noticing that it’s like well ok i’ll admit it people were so against any proclamation against the war now that there’s no evidence of weapons of mass desturction (ok a missle doesn’t every country have missles i don’t know about weapons i would think weapons of mass destruction would be freakin nuclear weapons ok what kind of a missle is it? Is that all we’re going to get for an answer?) i don’t really see, hear, or read anything about what we went in there for the basis for the reason we went into iraq not there? I don’t know. I’m sorry i’m venting.
YES I AM SICK OF THIS WHAT IS GOING ON!! With the administration and america?
This is the first board thing where a lot of the ideas presented come from my background and i don’t know about others but where i live i feel like i have NO SUPPORTERS whatsoever and it’s so frustrating and stiffling! I feel like i’m trapped somewhere in another demension.
It’s easy to blame the government and/or the military for this, but quite frankly, it’s the rabid media that keep blowing this particular horn. I’ve never heard an actual quote from an official saying “This is our smoking gun.” They’re actually always saying “It’s too soon to say yet.” The media still slaps their dramatic headlines on the story and sends it off anyway. Truth is fine, but viewership is king.
All I have to say about all of this crap about weapons, wars, and terrorism is get a life!!. What about all the innocent people with no food, water, power or jobs for that matter and what is america doing about it… Oh yeah they have great plans to rebuild the country, but not for another 2 years.. And the media is just over paid adrealin junkies who get a kick out of scaring people because the whole lot of their so called news is media sensation.. Just watch Bowling for Columbine … Michael Moore says it all…
All I have to say about all of this crap about weapons, wars, and terrorism is get a life!!. What about all the innocent people with no food, water, power or jobs for that matter and what is america doing about it… Oh yeah they have great plans to rebuild the country, but not for another 2 years.. And the media is just over paid adrealin junkies who get a kick out of scaring people because the whole lot of their so called news is media sensation.. Just watch Bowling for Columbine … Michael Moore says it all…
why don’t the SO called president strap his 2 guns on his hips,the next time he make’s a speech at a military bass, which he was AWOL from one year,to show uswhat kind of a JERK we have for all of us.Clinton lied about sex,this one lied about the war, and our young brave boy’s bodies are being shipped back home,because of these lies. but lier bush does not care we have plenty of body bags to meet his lie’s. im a very heart broken vet from world war 2, in that war there was a REASON TO fight but not now A CREMA
nothing
THIS PAGE IS GAY!!!
you know, i have 8 words 4 u..
IT WAS GEEEEEEEEEEWD, Its all GOOD! B-E-A-U-TIFUL!! la-di-da-di-da!
Yeah, just love President Bush…reminds me of Richard Nixon, or worse…President L.D. Johnson…even WORSE, President Bill Clinton (lying bastard….remember he “did not have sexual relations with this woman”) Can he re-define what a cigar is????
Fu*k a beat, i’ll go accapella, fu*k a papa-doc, fu*k a trailer, fu*k everybody, fu*k ya’ll if u doubt me im a piece of fu*king white rash and i say it proudly and fu*k this battle i dont want to win im outtie …here tell this people something they dont know about me.
Fu*k the liers who made the trade,
and put us in the shade.
Fu*k the politicians who kissed that ass bush,
and forced us to push ppl out in mass.
Weapons of Mass Destruction? Yeah fu*k you, all there is, are heartless money hungry evil Wankers of Mass Deception.
We need to clear the furture of problems like this by Bush wacking!
this site is fuckin gay