Day: August 19, 2010

Is It Really Over?

It was a beautiful sight….the last of the combat troops in convoy heading for the Kuwaiti border….bringing an end to the combat phase of the invasion of Iraq……but the US involvement in Iraq is NOT over….but at least for now the combat phase is…..as reported by FOX News……

As the exit of the troops was shown live on TV in the U.S. Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley described the end of combat operations as a “historic moment,” but vowed that America’s long-term commitment was unwavering.

“The last thing that we want to see is an occasion where we have to send troops back into Iraq yet again so we are ending the combat phase of our involvement in Iraq for a second time,” he said.

“We’re not ending our involvement in Iraq. We will have important work to do. This is a transition. This is not the end of something. It’s a transition to something different. We have a long-term commitment to Iraq.”

Like I said a great thing…..but I am concerned that the present lack of a government in Iraq will lead to growing violence and eventually the US will have to return to restore order….well what passes for order……

I am also concerned that the “theory of recurrent cycles” will once again become the order of the day….it has been there from the beginning of Iraq as a country…if it does then American forces will be returning to the desert…the heat….and the violence that is Iraq.

“Fair And Balanced”?

Daily Agitator

We on the Left and yes I consider myself “on the Left” have been bitching about the doings at FOX News…that it in essence is a outlet for the GOP to get the day’s talking points out to the public….while FOX has said that it is a news outlet and that it is “fair and balanced” reporting……well that has come to a halt and I would like to see how the talking heads on FOX report this…if at all….

From the WaPo……(I know the WaPo is one of those “lame stream media” outlets)

Murdoch’s News Corp. has made a $1 million donation to the Republican Governors Association, triggering swift criticism from Democrats that a contribution of that magnitude casts a shadow on his media properties, particularly Fox News.

Asked whether such donations raise questions about other networks’ coverage, Daschle said: “The Fox contribution is in a completely different league. Other media firms’ donations are generally small and about equal to the many committees that receive money.” His group spent Tuesday trying to drum up interest in the issue, unsuccessfully pitching a dozen Fox producers and hosts to get Daschle booked on the channel.

And the group rushed out a fundraising letter assailing what it called Murdoch’s effort to help “put wild-eyed Tea Party candidates in charge of our states and Congressional redistricting” and asking potential donors to “make News Corp. regret this decision.”

Before I get the inevitable bashing for talking badly about FOX and I will get a couple of shots…..I will say that other corporations that own media outlets make contributions also….however most of them have NOT given a million to one specific outlet and they donations are spread between the two major parties….not one or the other exclusively….but FOX has and that, IMO, makes the “fair and balanced” reporting just a slogan with NO foot in the truth…..and what of the possible candidates that are on the payroll of FOX, Palin, Huckabee, Newt?

So the question is….if FOX has decided to be the propaganda arm of the GOP, can they still be considered a “news” organization?