How free are the media...?

One of the fundamental principles of Democracy is the concept of free speech- and here especially the concept of a free press.
Well- I’m an old heretic; questioning all kinds of things comes with the territory…

How free and independent are they- our “free, independent media”?

Let’s see…
A few years ago, the following news-item appeared on television here in Ireland.

(One o’clock news bulletin):
“Suicide-attack on a mosque in Iraq; 22 killed… blah-blah-di-blah…”
Video-footage of the aftermath of the attack runs in the background; sound is turned down- microphone of the newscaster is turned up.

(Six o’clock news bulletin):
Same thing-
“Suicide-attack on a mosque in Iraq; 22 killed… blah-blah-di-blah…”
Video-footage of the aftermath of the attack runs in the background again—
But this time, the studio-technicians have turned down the newscaster’s mike… and they have turned up the original sound of the video.
And there he is: The care-taker of the mosque in question—speaking perfect English.
And he explains that “…The first mortar-bomb landed over there (points to his left), and the second mortar-bomb landed over there (points to his right) near the other exit… That’s where most of the people died…”

Now- of course, we could argue that a ‘mortar-bomb’ is by definition a suicide-attacker—
Based on the premise that it blows itself up when it reaches its target. But…somehow it’s just not the same, is it…
We could also ask a few questions as to why the newscaster (who was the studio-editor that day) didn't even get red in the face- but that may be another question altogether. Anyways...
That story actually reminds me of another:
In 2005, police in Basra stopped a car with two Arabs in it. There followed a shoot-out during which two Iraqi policemen were killed. The two occupants of the car were arrested and brought to the Al Jameat police-station.
And those coppers discovered that the two ‘Arabs’ from that car were somehow not at all colour-proof…
They were wearing make-up, had their hair dyed and turned in fact out to be two British SAS-soldiers in drag.
And the police-chief in Basra asked a few very simple questions- like “Why are two British special-forces-soldiers travelling around in a car filled with weapons and explosives- dressed up as Arabs…?”
I would have dearly liked to hear an answer to that question as well; unfortunately the question was never answered.
Instead, the free and independent British press (the part owned by Rupert Murdoch) started to act up- screaming that the politicians had to do something immediately- before the “…corrupt police in Basra who are in league with the insurgents” would sell those two to Al Qaeda- who would then certainly cut off their heads!
Strangely, no one seemed to find it strange that the “corrupt police in Basra who are in league with the insurgents” would stop a car with two people inside who for all those coppers knew at the time- were ARABS… At that point, the colour had not yet started to run!
So it seems completely natural that there is a shoot-out with supposed insurgents- considering that the coppers were in league with aforementioned insurgents…
There is such a thing as mortars fitted with timing-devices; they are used by special-forces-troops, for example.
Once set up, the bloody thing will stand there for hours before firing once the timer has run down. And they are aimed like an artillery-piece.

And people in Iraq?
Well-they happen to live in a culture which includes the vendetta-principle. Naturally, the media never, ever lie…
So, if they are told over and over that “This attack was carried out by the Shiites” and “That attack was done by Sunnies”, they are bound to believe it- sooner or later…

And a civil war means of course that western troops just have to stay there: We wouldn’t want Al Qaeda to get a foot in the door there, would we now.

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense……