I am sure there are many, many excellent, upstanding journalists in your field. In fact, I’d go so far as to say most of them are honest, and compassionate. My trouble lies with the corporate aspects of journalism. Maybe there are even some good companies out there, but when money dictates what makes the news, you can be sure that the truth will always play second fiddle. The American major news medias project themselves as a public service, as well as being non-biased. This is a lie. Individuals are such, but corporations are not.

Unfortunately, for the good ones like you, the corporations have placed you in a prison of their own design, Like me, you have to earn a living, and that means you probably have to work for a group of investors or owners who don’t always see things the way you do. I’ve known for a long while now that you place a higher value on truth in reporting than on your own image. I just wish it was more widespread.

Thanks Bene.

I don’t operate under any illusions about ‘if it bleeds it leads’ Tom, but I have a great deal of difficulty with all or nothing thinking when it comes to media. I don’t operate under any illusions news can desensitize and collectively screw up be it print or broadcast.

I’ve known too many good people, worked with people that you might chose to label as propaganda pushers, that I know for a fact are not.

I know all too well and all too personally what it’s like when the messenger gets shot.

Have I seen the pack mentality? Sure. Been trampled in it. Have I seen news become commercialized and a board room dictate cut backs and stories? Yes.

But I cannot and will not say that every news outlet and it’s employees is a propaganda machine.

My real father was a war correspondant. My grandfather was the editor a fair sized paper here in Canada. I didn’t know that when I chose my profession, or rather, it chose me.

There are a lot of ethical people in the business. I hope I’ve been one of them.

I can’t help the fact the US government decides to fund a news outlet and then starts it’s own propaganda when the newsies don’t play by the White House’s rules or dance to the politicans tune. I applaud them.

Does Al Jazeera have world class journalists working for it? Yes it does, western sensibilities aside. It does. And I believe they need the freedom to operate in as many languages as they can.

I don’t think the public is stupid. I think you can put information out there, I think it is imperative to put information out, whether it goes down easy or not.

And I don’t believe the media is needed to signal weaknesses of any nation to ‘the enemy.’

That’s just my opinion.:^)

“Assuming they are a propaganda machine is like saying CNN is”

CNN is a propaganda machine, as is every major news network. It just depends on what propaganda they are selling. They certainly don’t exist to tell the truth; they exist to make money. Individuals within these organizations may hold that the truth isn’t for sale, but the corporations themselves are a whole different animal. That’s why death and destruction make the headlines more often and much more quickly than any good news. Bad news sells, which is a reflection on humanity’s weird interests; but if an alien were to watch our news programs and read our newspapers, the image he would come away with would be of a species that experiences mostly evil and very, very little good.

By the way, the reason the US would never admit they trained or participated in the Afghanistan war with the USSR is simple; supplying the rebels was expected, but fighting with them against Russian soldiers was taboo, at least in the open. Same goes for Russian aid to North Korea and also the Viet Nam conflict. Supply is understood, but actual battle contact is taboo. Can you imagine if at the time of these wars, the press got hold of info stating that the two major powers were directly fighting each other in someone else’s war? It would have started the third world war immediately.

Some things need to kept secret, especially considering the press’ penchant for sensationalism. That, and the press’ ability to spell out for our enemies exactly what our weaknesses are, such as numerous articles and television specials right after 9/11. Can you imagine the Romans ever telling their enemies, “Boy, if the enemy hits us in our food supply, we’re screwed. Or, if they want to smuggle dirty bombs into our country, here’s how they could accomplish it.”

The American media is a propaganda machine, Bene. Therefore, I assume Al Jazeera is as well. That’s just my opinion, but I base my opinion on what I observe, and I have observed far too often the media’s bent toward making a story bigger than it really is, or more devastating than facts depict.

Good day to you.

Technically yes, and I will acquiesce to your knowledge because this isn’t something I’ve studied.
The Northern Alliance was a group of warlords holding on to 10 percent of their country from 1996 when the Taliban took over. They would have attempted to take Kabul with or without the blessing of the US.
Being under anyone’s guidance is an interesting way of defining them.

Thanks for the info. Technically speaking, if what you said is true, then still, no American ever trained AL Qaeda. What we trained may have turned into Al Qaeda, but that is a whole different thing, and one could take Al Qaeda to task every bit as much as one could take the US to task; especially if the Muslims knew that Al Qaeda had actually accepted, and been subservient to US wishes. I wonder what Al Jazeera would have to say about that? I wonder what the Muslim world would say if they realized that Osama bin Laden was nothing more than an American lackey? Maybe we ought to be publicizing the fact that we trained him. Use it in a way bin Laden would never expect, to turn his own people against him.

Anyway, I was under the impression that it was the Northern Alliance who had been under our guidance, and who had broken off with bin Laden and The Taliban after the Russian occupation ended, once they realized that life under The Taliban wasn’t going to resemble their idea of government.

Tom said #11: “I don’t know of nor have I ever heard of any American who trained any Al Qaeda anywhere.”

That’s an honest statement, he hasn’t heard, doesn’t know.

I responded with US involvement in Afghanistan prior to current UN involvement. I also provided the US State Department official position: take it or leave it; rebut it, express opinion, feelings, thoughts, facts, whatever you wish.

If in this discussion you’ve found a blogger you may enjoy, it’s been my pleasure to pass on the link to Tom’s blog.

“When I write, I am absolutely trying to make you think about something in order to change your feelings or vice versa. ”

Good for you, that’s a reason to write.

You can’t make me feel JD.
I will feel, but not because you ‘make’ me, I feel because I am a human being.
How I process and express those feelings is important to me.
What is also important is figuring out what I think in a discussion, and whether I’m going to join in.
Listening is a critical process in a blog comment section, I enjoy the challenge and the journey.
Wanting to make choices to express my thoughts and feelings in conversation with integrity and respect - regardless of how hot button the topic is a goal. Disagreement and different points of view are not threats or perceived threats.

If you feel that is willfully disingenuous, that’s fine.

And what exactly are you saying then, in the comment about US training Al Qaeda?

No one can make you feel something, that’s giving a person power that does not belong to them. There is no ’supposed to.’ 

And, guess what? I’m not at all surprised at what BD wrote in the next comment. We’re supposed to be morally outraged that the US was involved in training Al Qaeda. In retrospect, it IS outrageous. But at the time, it was simply the enemy of our enemy is our friend.

In 1979 the CIA was authorized by President Jimmy Carter to begin covert operations in the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

The fighters were called ‘resistance’ now called Taliban and Al Queda. The US through Saudi Arabi had supplied 5 thousand missles. By the mid 1980’s assistance from the US had increased (example: Operation Cyclone)

Then President Ronald Regan encouraged the involvement of Arab Muslims including Osama Bin Laden whose fighters eventually became what is now called Al Qaeda.

The US Special Forces were involved. After the withdrawal of the Soviets the civil war continued.

In 1992 about 8 thousand Afghanistan National Army deserted, having been trained by US, British, New Zealand, France and Germany, New Zealand, France and Germany.

ANA deserters took their equipment with them. Desertion remains an ongoing problem for Nato and the US.

Has the US military trained Al Queda?
Yes.

Does the State Department deny that?
Yes.
http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive/2005/Jan/24-318760.html