Biased German Media Confronted by Reality

(By Ray D.)

This report from Medien Tenor via Die Achse des Guten is even more remarkable now that the election results are in:

Medien Tenor: Arab broadcasters report more positively on Iraq election than German broadcasters

Quote from a Medien Tenor press release:

The German public television news are spreading, with their news selection, a climate that the parliamentary elections in Iraq could not fulfill their function. With that, they stand in contradiction to the position of the UN that Kofi Annan presented on the basis of UN election observers as well as in contradiction to their colleagues at Arab TV broadcasters from Al Jazeera to Al Arabia. That is shown by the current study of the media research institute Medien Tenor. The Bonn scientists found out that “heute journal” and “Tagesthemen” reported negatively nearly 80 percent of the time when the validity of the election was spoken about in cases evaluated in the time period that the study was carried out (17-26 January 2005). Marietta Slomka (heute journal anchorwoman, 19 January): “How should free, equal and general elections be held under these conditions?” ZDF correspondent Luc Walpot even doubted that the election was a decision on political goals: “In light of the daily threats, kidnappings, bombs and murders, the interest in the election programs is tiny. (…) The placards will not set the tone, fear will be decisive.” The “Tagesthemen” also expressed themselves very critically: The bombing terror threatens the election process, reported Joerg Armbruster.

A completely different picture was given to the viewers of the leading Arab TV broadcasters Al Jazeera, Al Manar, Al Arabia, etc. on the situation in Iraq. They chose different news from Iraq and, on the same day (19 January,) spread a positive estimate of the election’s legitimacy among their viewers in 100% of the cases. “The trend of the reports from ARD and ZDF (the two main state funded stations) correspond to the extremely one-sided pattern of reporting that we have observed in the public state-funded broadcasters since Schroeder’s political change of course towards the US in the end phase of the 2002 German national elections,” according to Roland Schatz, the Editor-in-Chief of Media Tenor International. “The German public is being presented a situation in Iraq twice as negatively portrayed as it was under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship. Do dead Iraqis count for Tagesthemen and heute journal first then when Saddam Hussein isn’t responsible for them?” The long term analysis of the Bonn media researcher shows that since 1994, those responsible for the main news reports at ARD and ZDF, in their presentation of elections, for example in Russia or China, dealt far less intensively with issues of the guarantee of democratic standards. “As long as the same daily fare is offered from Baghdad, the viewers cannot come to an independent judgment about what has been achieved in Iraq in the first place,” so Schatz. Viewers would be closer to that point if both a wider variety of information was researched and if different regions were given more attention.

Beyond and above that, Medien Tenor compared the current reporting on the Iraq election in leading German, British, French, Spanish and Italian media with that of the presentation in the leading Arab media. There too, the analysis shows similar differences in the evaluation of the legitimacy. While the Arab media delivers a view already mentioned above, the Western European media have far more strongly questioned the legal legitimacy of the elections.

At Medien Tenor in Bonn over 140 analysts research on a daily basis the Arab, German, English, French and Italian news programs piece by piece for which topics, people, institutions and countries are presented.

Further information at: http://www.medientenor.de

That settles it, Luc Walpot of ZDF wins this years "Idiot Prediction of the Year" award. Here again is his statement: “In light of the daily threats, kidnappings, bombs and murders, the interest in the election programs is tiny." The interest is tiny? How bout them apples Mr. Walpot: Over 70% of Iraqis vote. The election is an enormous success. Freedom triumphed over fear. You may go back to drinking the Kool-Aid with Ms. Slomka now Mr. Crackpot...er Mr. Walpot.

(Correction: Voter turnout was around 58%. Still a remarkably high number in light of the threats, terror and dire predictions of pessimism by Mr. Walpot, Ms. Slomka and the rest of the German media crowd.)

This is stunning folks. The German media has an 80% negative quotient for reporting on elections that are an undeniable and historic triumph for democracy in the Middle East. They are either completely out of touch with reality, completely biased or both. I think the following statements from Mr. Schatz are particularly telling:

"The trend of the reports from ARD and ZDF (the two main state funded stations) correspond to the extremely one-sided pattern of reporting that we have observed in the public state-funded broadcasters since Schroeder’s political change of course towards the US in the end phase of the 2002 German national elections. (...)

The German public is being presented a situation in Iraq twice as negatively portrayed as it was under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship. Do dead Iraqis count for Tagesthemen and heute journal first then when Saddam Hussein isn’t responsible for them?"

And then the same anti-American, left-wing cranks who run these profoundly biased German media institutions and who believe every word that comes out of them have the gall and the temerity to attack media networks like Fox News as biased!? This is not only hypocritical, it is disgusting.

In any case, it will be interesting to see how networks like ARD and ZDF reconcile the enormous success of the Iraqi election with their dire predictions of doom and failure. Will they ignore the success, talk up the terror or shrug it off as an anomaly? One thing is certain: They will never admit they were wrong.

(This piece published in German at Medien Tenor, special thanks and hattips to Michael Miersch and Stefan H.)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Let the Countdown Begin! Tomorrow, February 1 at 6 PM Berlin time, 12 Noon EST: Davids Medienkritik will introduce a powerful new German-language blog:

MEDIENKRITIK ONLINE 

Stay tuned!

Comments

[Joe]

Does this really surprise anyone?

Get serious people!

If you find yourself on the wrong side of history for most of the last 140 years, why change now.

Also realize this is just the beginning of a campagin to discredit these elections. It is going to get a lot worse. If you think the opposition to war was bad amoung some races, you have seen nothing yet.

An if you are an elite, which by definition means you are of the left, how could it be that people want freedom and they seek it without your support or approval. So this freedom is not freedom at all. It is just a big shame staged by Hollywood on location if Iraq.

I mean you all do remember the phony landing on the moon don't you.

[VIK BULLSHIT]

Arab broadcasters report more positively on Iraq election than German broadcasters!!

...ohh that's nothing.you have to read french news.

"le monde" even do not mention one word of 70% participation in iraq.

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3210,36-396185,0.html

BWUHAHAHAHHHAHAH !!!!!

and have a look what al-jezzera reports:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/674D4BC3-BDA3-41AF-9D40-B80D79F812F9.htm

SCAAARING ME !!!!!LOL !!!

[CHIRAC]

.......hmmmmmm !??????

[SCHROEDER]

.....OH GOTT !!!!!

[RSN]

The fact remains: this election is a triumph for the Bush Administration. And America's European enemies, who secretly hoped for failed elections, have been proven wrong.

[Joe]

If you happened to be a race of people whose governments stood in opposition to the ideals of freedom for the people of Iraq and your monolith media fully supported the position of your government, what other type of reporting could you now expect.

If you go back to the very beginning to the reasons for and progress being made in Iraq, these have been so distorted, it is difficult to turn on a penny and explain this.

The same thing is and was true here in the US. The picture presented by FOX and CNN were as if you were viewing two different events.

CNN talked primarily about the terrorist attacks and very little about the turn out or the attitude of the people of Iraq. [I went to bed around 3:30 so I have no idea when they started to report other topics concerning the election process.]

FOX on the other hand also reported these attacks but spent most of it time talking about the turnout, security in place, how brave the people of Iraq were, and how we were witnessing a historical moment.

Today I find the coverage by FOX was both fair and balanced and much more accurate on what was actually occurring in Iraq than what CNN presented it viewers.

In the US, this might explain why CNN continues to loose market share and viewership to FOX. It might also explain the recent outburst of Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, who compared FOX to Hitler.

It would seem maybe being compared to Hitler might not be as bad as some Americans might perceive it to be as if you remember so was President Bush. I guess it has to do with the prism you choose to view world events from. Hitler was in fact a very historical figure but for all the wrong reasons.

[Carl Densing]

I just checked Deutsche Welle-Online and they are underreporting the elections. This means one thing: The elections were successful. Thought there were 8 suicide attacks, Iraqis turned out to vote.

I wonder if Jesse "The Rhymin Reverend" Jackson will go down to the Sunni Triangle and tell us about those disenfranchised Sunnis. Awwww, poor Sunnnis. Well, the Sunnis shot themselves in the foot. Though the fear of terrorist attacks were a main concern for the SUnnis, they also planned to boycott the election. And now, they want to partake in the goverment without voting in the said election. Tsk tsk, whiny babies. They must have taken a lesson from the Democrats!

[PacRim Jim]

Germans are anti-democratic? Mein Gott! Better keep an eye on Braunau, Austria.

[Phil]

I already said it on the other thread: Well done to the Iraqi people who turned up in great numbers.

But according to CNN, at least 25 people were killed today and more than 70 wounded. So I think that one should not be too overexcited. The elections might have been a significant event but things can still go wrong if the violence is not brought under control. I've read the words 'Mission Accomplished' before and I hope that this time we are a bit more realistic.

But as I've said, well done to the Iraqi people who showed that they like democracy.

[Joe]

PacRim Jim,

Your posting expresses both racism and is totaltarian.

Keep it up and you will also be called a Jew.

[Joe]

This is how the euro media would really like to spin this story

Iraqi Voting Disrupts News Reports of Bombings
by Scott Ott

(2005-01-30) -- News reports of terrorist bombings in Iraq were marred Sunday by shocking graphic images of Iraqi "insurgents" voting by the millions in their first free democratic election.
Despite reporters' hopes that a well-orchestrated barrage of mortar attacks and suicide bombings would put down the so-called 'freedom insurgency', hastily-formed battalions of rebels swarmed polling places to cast their ballots -- shattering the status quo and striking fear into the hearts of the leaders of the existing terror regime.
Hopes for a return to the stability of tyranny waned as rank upon rank of Iraqi men and women filed out of precinct stations, each armed with the distinctive mark of the new freedom guerrillas -- an ink-stained index finger, which one former Ba'athist called "the evidence of their betrayal of 50 years of Iraqi tradition."
Journalists struggled to put a positive spin on the day's events, but the video images of tyranny's traitors choosing a future of freedom overwhelmed the official story of bloodshed and mayhem
Via Scareface.

Phil,

We are not talking about Switzerland here…….!

[Phil]

Joe

???

[PacRim Jim]

@ Joe
Call me what you will, as long as you call me American.

[Joe]

PacRim Jim,

Well being a fellow American and having made posts similar to the one you just made and then being called racist, totalarian and also a Jew for it.

I just wanted to prepare you for some of the other less nicer comments you might get to your posting.... LOL

And yes we are truly fortunate to be who we are... even if a lot of people cannot stand us..

Have a sure day on this very speical day in history.

[Angie Schultz]

In light of the daily threats, kidnappings, bombs and murders, the interest in the election programs is tiny.

See, now in English class they used to tell us not to use the passive voice. My high school English teacher would've made Mr. Walpot re-write his sentence like this:

In light of the daily threats, kidnappings, bombs and murders, my interest in the election programs is tiny.

This clearly identifies who has the tiny interest.

But maybe it's different in German.

[Uncle Joe]

Sorry to go off topic, but does anyone know if this article is true?

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/30/wgerm30.xml

'If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits'
By Clare Chapman
(Filed: 30/01/2005)

"A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services'' at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year.

Prostitution was legalised in Germany just over two years ago and brothel owners – who must pay tax and employee health insurance – were granted access to official databases of jobseekers.

The waitress, an unemployed information technology professional, had said that she was willing to work in a bar at night and had worked in a cafe.

Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job – including in the sex industry – or lose her unemployment benefit. Last month German unemployment rose for the 11th consecutive month to 4.5 million, taking the number out of work to its highest since reunification in 1990."

[JoeII]

WELL, SHOUTING DON'T MAKE YOU RIGHT.
It turns out the turnout is less than 70%.

[Robert in Mexifornia]

Carl, thanks for alerting me to Deutsche Welle's coverage. I had to read it for myself. The Iraqi elections were, in my view, one of the greatest acts of civil courage I have ever witnessed. DW's reporting was so biased by omissions in detail that it verges on propaganda.

[greg]

No, it's 60%. That's hardly less we get across over Europe. And nobody is threatning us with death...

(Notiz von David: Es ist wirklich interessant - wir erhalten immer noch Hinweise (wie den folgenden) auf einen Artikel von Mathias Döpfner, dessen englischen Übersetzung wir längst (am 22.11.04) gepostet haben.)

Europa - dein Name ist Feigheit
Der Kommentar
von Mathias Döpfner

"Europa - dein Familienname ist Appeasement!", schrieb vor einigen Tagen Henryk M. Broder in der "Welt am Sonntag". Ein Satz, der einem nicht mehr aus dem Kopf geht, weil er so schrecklich richtig ist.

Appeasement kostete Millionen Juden und Nichtjuden das Leben, weil die Alliierten in England und Frankreich zu lange verhandelten und zögerten, bis sie merkten, daß man Hitler nicht einbinden, sondern nur bekämpfen kann. Appeasement stabilisierte den Sowjetkommunismus und die DDR, indem Teile Europas den inhumanen Unterdrückungsstaat zur ideologischen Alternative verklärten. Appeasement lähmte Europa, als im Kosovo der Völkermord wütete und man so lange debattierte, bis die Amerikaner dort unsere Aufgaben erledigten. Europäisches Appeasement, getarnt in dem Nebelwort "Äquidistanz", relativiert in Israel die Selbstmordattentate fundamentalistischer Palästinenser, anstatt die einzige Demokratie im mittleren Osten zu schützen. Appeasement prägt die Mentalität, wenn Europa im Irak über die 300 000 von Saddam ermordeten und gefolterten Opfer hinwegsieht und in friedensbewegter Selbstgerechtigkeit George Bush schlechte Noten erteilt. Und Appeasement in seiner groteskesten Form ist es schließlich auch, wenn man auf die eskalierende Gewalt islamistischer Fundamentalisten in Holland und anderswo mit dem Vorschlag reagiert, in Deutschland doch einen muslimischen Feiertag einzuführen.

Was muß noch passieren, bis die europäische Öffentlichkeit und das politische Führungspersonal realisieren: Es herrscht eine Art Kreuzzug, eine besonders perfide, auf Zivilisten konzentrierte, gegen unsere freien, offenen, westlichen Gesellschaften gerichtete System-Attacke fanatisierter Muslime. Ein Konflikt, der voraussichtlich länger dauern wird als die großen militärischen Auseinandersetzungen der letzten hundert Jahre. Geführt von einem Gegner, der sich nicht durch Toleranz und Entgegenkommen bezähmen läßt, sondern den solche Gesten, mißverstanden als Zeichen der Schwäche, nur anspornen.

Zwei amerikanische Präsidenten der jüngeren Vergangenheit hatten den Mut zu dezidiertem Anti-Appeasement: Reagan und Bush. Reagan beendete den Kalten Krieg, Bush erkannte - unterstützt nur von dem sozialdemokratischen Überzeugungspolitiker Tony Blair - die Gefahr des islamistischen Kampfes gegen die Demokratie. Seine historische Rolle wird in einigen Jahren zu bewerten sein.

Europa macht es sich einstweilen gemütlich in der multikulturellen Ecke, anstatt mit charismatischem Selbstbewußtsein die Werte der liberalen Gesellschaft zu verteidigen und im Spannungsfeld der wirklichen Weltmächte - Amerika und China - als attraktives Kraftzentrum zu agieren. Wir dagegen profilieren uns als Weltmeister der Toleranz gegenüber den Intoleranten, wie auch Otto Schily zu Recht kritisiert. Warum eigentlich? Weil wir so moralisch sind? Zu befürchten ist eher: weil wir so materialistisch sind.

Bush riskiert für seine Politik eine Abwertung des Dollar, eine zu hohe Verschuldung des Staates, eine massive und nachhaltige Belastung der amerikanischen Volkswirtschaft - weil es ums Ganze geht.

Doch während die angeblich so materialistischen Raubtierkapitalisten in Amerika ihre Prioritäten kennen, schützen wir die Pfründe unseres ängstlich verteidigten sozialen Wohlstandes. Bloß nicht einmischen, das könnte teuer werden. Da diskutieren wir lieber über die 35-Stunden-Woche, Zahnpflegeversorgungsansprüche und hören Fernsehpastoren zu, die den "Mördern die Hand reichen" wollen. In diesen Tagen erinnert Europa manchmal an eine alternde Tante, die ihre zittrigen Hände um ihre letzten Juwelen legt, während ein Räuber gerade bei den Nachbarn einbricht. Europa - dein Familienname ist Feigheit.

Artikel erschienen am Sa, 20. November 2004

http://www.welt.de/data/2004/11/20/363020.html

[Stevie]

@ User above me

Amen!
Das würde ich ohne weiteres so unterschreiben!

[Erik Eisel]

ARD and ZDF -- Unfair and Mentally Unbalanced

[Carl Densing]

I was checking the BBC commentary section on the Iraqi elections, and the reactions were varied. But the most striking difference of all was the reaction from foreign observers and the Iraqis who participated in the elections.

Iraqis were more optimistic than the foreign observers.

Here's what I wrote on my magazine's blog.
The Perspective Gap

[Gabi]

Kerry is sooooo Old-European!

Sen. John Kerry, former Democratic presidential candidate, on NBC's "Meet the Press":

"It is significant that there is a vote in Iraq. But no one in the United States ... should try to over-hype this election. This election is a sort of demarcation point, and what really counts now is the effort to have a legitimate political reconciliation. And it's going to take a massive diplomatic effort and a much more significant outreach to the international community than this administration has been willing to engage in."

"What the administration does in these next few days will decide the outcome of Iraq. And this is ... the last chance for the president to get it right."

Kerry said Iraq remained more of a terrorist threat than it was two years ago. "And, in fact, I believe the world is less safe today than it was two and a half years ago."

[Carl Densing]

@Gabi

Who is this JOhn Kerry you speak of?
/sarcasm

[Carl Densing]

@Gabi

Just kidding. Yea, I just saw John Kerry's spiel played on FoxNews. John Kerry seems to be confused. He endorsed the Iraqi elections before he was against it.

In the meantime, Ted Kennedy's head just exploded, and all residents within a five mile radius from Kennedy's house need to evacuate immediately. Brain particles from Kennedy can be breathed in by unsuspecting humans, causing them to have wild delusions, speak in tongues, and in a matter of days, evolve into an idiotarian.

[sehoy]

I predict that the carpet-baggers will come next and in droves.

Carpet-baggers = "I didn't lift a finger to support this war, and I didn't support the war, but I want what the Iraqis owe me for their freedom and first elections, NOW and big time."

A pox on the carpet-baggers.

Anyone going to do the blue index finger here in Germany?

[elated for the Iraqis] sehoy

[Carl Densing]

@ Sehoy

Coalition of the Carpetbaggers
1. Chirac
2. Schroeder
3. Annan

[Mike H.]

Iraqi Jews

[Jarrod]

@ Sehoy

"... but I want what the Iraqis owe me for their freedom and first elections, NOW and big time."

And what exactly does that mean?

This article was sadly no surprise. The only news that's reasonably decent is Die Zeit and Tagesschau. Spiegel should have it's license revoked or somehow be forced to say that it's not "news" that they do.

[Eric]

http://www.n-tv.de/5485302.html

Ulrich W. Sahm
Zwischenruf

Der Irak ist ein Land, das der Welt mit immer neuen Überraschungen aufwartet. Vor gut zwei Jahren stolperten die Amerikaner im Krieg nach Angaben von deutschen elektronischen wie gedruckten Medien von einer Panne zur anderen. Gemäß dieser Berichte war der Krieg für die amerikanischen Soldaten ein reines Spießrutenrennen.

Bauern schossen da mit einer uralten Flinte einen amerikanischen Hubschrauber ab. Tagelang wurde den Fernsehzuschauern das Wrack des Helikopters am Boden gezeigt. Kurz danach wurde ein Konvoi überfallen. Tote amerikanische Soldaten lagen am Boden. Gefangene wurden gezeigt, obgleich das laut Genfer Konvention verboten ist.

Die Grausamkeit der nächtlichen Bombardements auf Stellungen der Nationalgardisten Saddam Husseins wurde aus der Ferne an der Größe der Feuerkugel im nächtlichen Himmel gemessen. Ein preisgekrönter Korrespondent hatte so gute Ohren wie einer der Gehilfen des Barons von Münchhausen, der den Kanonendonner aus sage und schreibe 60 Kilometern Entfernung hören konnte.

Doch die größte Katastrophe, so die Militärexperten in öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehstudios, war natürlich jener schreckliche Sandsturm. Die Veteranen der Schlacht von Stalingrad 1942/43 wussten natürlich genau, dass ein Sandsturm die Amerikaner erblinden ließe und Sand im Getriebe die modernsten Waffen unnütz mache.

Eine Niederlage der Amerikaner war für sie damit offenkundig. Unverständlich ist mir bis heute, wie die US-Truppen dann doch mitten in Bagdad auffuhren, um Saddam vom Sockel zu reißen - trotz der Reifenpannen und des mit Flinte abgeschossenen Helikopters.

Und jetzt wieder das gleiche Schauspiel. Überall im Irak, an jedem Ort und ohne Ausnahme, flogen täglich die Selbstmordattentäter und die Autobomben in die Luft. So genannte "Insurgents" (Aufständische oder Rebellen) - von nur wenigen als "Terroristen" bezeichnet - legten das Land lahm. Seit zwei Jahren gibt es ohnehin im Irak keinen Strom und kein Wasser mehr, weil die Amerikaner alles kaputt gemacht haben. Dass da mal irgendetwas repariert worden wäre, haben wir aus den Medien jedenfalls nicht erfahren.

Komischerweise eröffnete das Nationalmuseum zwischendurch seine Tore mit den Kunstschätzen des Irak, obgleich doch alles ausgeplündert worden war. Die von den US-Besatzern eingesetzte irakische Übergangsregierung war natürlich ein höchst unbeliebtes "Marionetten"-Kabinett.

Das Bestreben der USA, im Nahen Osten eine "Demokratie" einzuführen war selbstverständlich ein übler Trick, eine Farce, ein Versuch, den stolzen Orientalen westliche Werte aufzuzwingen. Allein die Vorstellung, dass die Bush-Administration dem Irak eine freie Mitbestimmung über ihr Schicksal zugestehen wollte - und das mit Wahlbeteiligung der Frauen und aller Exiliraker - ist nur dem christlichen Kreuzfahrerwahn eines dummen Mannes aus Texas zuzuschreiben, der sich als Weltpolizist aufspielt und keinerlei Verständnis für die hehren Werte der Moslems, der Araber, also der stolzen Iraker aufbringt.

Mit diesem Wissen vor allem aus den öffentlich-rechtlichen Medien in Deutschland und wegen der tiefen Überzeugung, wirklich gut informiert gewesen zu sein, wurde ich nun ein zweites Mal innerhalb von zwei Jahren völlig überrascht. Wie konnten da plötzlich 70 Prozent Wahlbeteiligung und ein Wahlsieg der Schiiten zustande kommen, obgleich doch viele Wahllokale angegriffen worden waren?

Irak ist also ein Land voller Überraschungen, wo sich alles ganz heimlich entwickelt, damit die Medien es nicht vorzeitig erfahren.

[Ralf Goergens]

Joe and PacRim Jim,

the article is about the German media, not the German people. Or would ypu blame Americans for the coverage of CNN, or for that matter the movies of Michael Moore? And Joe, your comments are often are racist.

[Gabi]

Carl,

BRAIN particles from Kennedy? What brain?

[Gabi]

Sahm ist spitze. Danke, Eric!

[Joe]

Ralf,

Please define what race is. I thought the idea of an Aryan race died in the ashes of the Nazi party. Please do not tell me this idea is back once again.

To disagree with me is one thing. To say I am a racist is the equivalent of me calling you a facist because I disagree with your comments.

As for the german MSM, then it does not in fact reflect the point of view of the german people and as such should be discounted.

I do find it interesting you used CNN. Much of europe believes what is reported by CNN is a reflection of the US. Of course, you realize what you are shown by CNN in germany is much different than what is presented in the US. If it was the same Ted would be even more upset as the only viewers he would have would be the extreme left in this nation.

[Athena]

I did research while studying in Jordan on the Arab media and public opinion that shows how inside news sources are much more positive about their own situation than are outside news sources.

http://www.terrorismunveiled.com/athena/2005/01/arab_media_and_.html

[Gabi]

Was Henning Hoff für zeit.de schreibt, ist so gnadenlos dumm, daß es wehtut. Daraus, daß die Terroristen selbst Journalisten bedrohen, beschießen oder kidnappen, schließt er: Im Irak ist wirklich Chaos. Da töten Terroristen doch tatsächlich Gesinnungsgenossen, oder was? Was ist mit der ZEIT passiert?! He, He, Terroristen, Feuer einstellen, wir sind auf eurer Seite.

"Dass die „Aufstandsbewegung“, der angesichts der weltweiten Kritik am amerikanischen Vorgehen nach der internationalen Medienlogik ein gewisses Maß an heimlicher oder offener Sympathie sicher wäre, Journalisten angreift, ist ein Anzeichen für das Ausmaß von Chaos im Land."

http://www.zeit.de/2005/05/irak_medien

[Ralf Goergens]

Joe,

maybe 'racist' is indeed the wrong term, but you frequently take negative examples and collectively blame all Germans, or at least the majority for it.
I think this can be al least be called 'prejudiced'. That said, there indeed is much to criticize, but you make it hard to discuss these issues usefully by being way too broad in your criticism.

And I am aware that CNN is not 'fair and balanced' especually not in its European edition.

[Jeff]

@ Gabi

I replied to your comment on a previous thread late last night.

@ Joe

The reason that some people think you sound racist (which is not exactly the same thing as believing you necessarily are racist) is that you say things like if "you happened to be a race of people whose governments stood in opposition to the ideals of freedom for the people of Iraq." This is an exact quote from you in an earlier thread.

When called on it, you retreat into definitional denial, just like the guy who disliked the word "Islamofascist."

[Gabi]

Buch im Gespräch

Aufstand der Patrioten

Von Bernd Greiner

Dergleichen hat es selten, wenn überhaupt, vor einer Präsidentschaftswahl gegeben: Wortführer des konservativen Mainstream meutern gegen einen Kandidaten aus dem eigenen Lager und warten mit Argumenten auf, die man gemeinhin nur von den üblichen Verdächtigen auf der Linken kennt. Die Prinzipien der Gewaltenteilung gegen eine dem »Caesarismus« verfallene Exekutive verteidigen und die in der Verfassung verbrieften Grundrechte vor dem Ruin bewahren – so lautet das Credo von Richard A. Clarke, John W. Dean, Joseph C. Wilson, Bob Woodward und Paul O’Neill, dargelegt in Autobiografien und politischen Streitschriften, die seit Monaten auf den Bestsellerlisten zu finden sind.

Der Altmeister der patriotischen Fundamentalkritik trat angesichts dieser Publicity zeitweise ins zweite Glied. Dass er dort nicht hingehört, demonstriert Gore Vidal auf seine Weise – mit einem neuen Buch.

Gore Vidal: Die vergessliche Nation

Wie die Amerikaner ihr politisches Gedächtnis verkaufen; a. d. Engl. von Bernhard Jendricke, Rita Seuß und Barbara Steckhan; Europäische Verlagsanstalt, 2004; 114 S., 12,90 €

http://www.zeit.de/2004/38/P-Vidal

------------------------------------------------------

Wortführer des konservativen Mainstream? Clarke, Woodward, Wilson etc.? Ich denke, hier liegt der Verfasser für die ZEIT völlig daneben.

Die die ZEIT zu einem Sensations-Blättchen mutiert?

[Joe]

Jeff,

Since we have never been able to come to an acceptable defnintion of race...

As I said I thought the idea of an Aryan race died with the Nazis. It would seem some believe that it is still alive and well. To those people then my comments are probably racist and for which I do not apologize. As this definition of race was one which caused the deaths of a lot of non Aryans who were considered to be inferior.

And I do not at all retreat from that at all.

[Gabi]

Athena,
a great work! I need more time to read it all.

[Gabi]

Da kommt Freude auf! Karl der Grobe wie immer gegen alles und jeden, der mit den USA zu tun hat. Negativ. Negativ. Negativ. Man spürt diesen Negativ-Mann förmlich durch den Monitor.

"KOMMENTAR: WAHL IN IRAK
Gelungen
VON KARL GROBE

In einer Hinsicht ist das irakische Wahl-Experiment gelungen: Es hat stattgefunden. Doch die Wahlen waren weder frei noch fair noch demokratisch. Nicht frei, weil sie unter den Bedingungen des Ausnahmezustands und der Gewaltdrohung des Widerstands stattfanden. Nicht fair, weil die von der Besatzungsmacht handverlesenen Kandidaten nahezu ein Monopol auf die TV-Berichterstattung hatten. Nicht demokratisch, weil die Namen der meisten Bewerber den Wählern bis zuletzt verschwiegen wurden.

... Freude über das Votum der vielen Mutigen kann da nicht aufkommen."

http://www.frankfurterrundschau.de/ressorts/nachrichten_und_politik/die_seite_3/?cnt=625017

[Jabba the Tutt]

Do dead Iraqis count for Tagesthemen and heute journal first then when Saddam Hussein isn’t responsible for them?

Actually, Saddam Hussein is still responsible for the Iraqi dead over the past two years. During the time the US and UK went to the UN to try to placate the unplacatable (ie the French, Germans, Russians and Chinese), Saddam used this time to organize the post-war terrorism. New reports show that Saddam called in a 1000 of his thugs, killers and intelligence officers for a two month guerilla war training session. The killers who killed for Saddam are still killing for Saddam, but it's more fun to blame the Americans.

For the Coalition of the Unplacatable, wars only matter is the United States is involved. There was zero outrage among the "anti-war" folks, when France went into the Ivory Coast unilaterally, illegally without UN approval and in the process massacred unarmed civilians. Not a problem, because the evil, over-weight, uncultured, Big Mac-eating Americans weren't involved. The Left is so transparent, so predictable, so hate-filled, so partisan, that no serious person pays attention to them.

[Gabi]

Clemens Wergin vom Tagesspiegel:

"Es ist bedauerlich, dass sich gerade den Europäern so wenig von der Erhabenheit dieses Tages mitteilt, an dem sich ein von einem Diktator geknechtetes Volk daranmacht, über seine Zukunft selbst zu entscheiden. Als wenn wir nicht wahrhaben wollten, dass ein falscher Krieg auch einige positive Folgen haben kann – selbst inmitten des Nachkriegsdesasters, das der Irak noch immer darstellt."

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/index.asp?gotos=http://archiv.tagesspiegel.de/toolbox-neu.php?ran=on&url=http://archiv.tagesspiegel.de/archiv/31.01.2005/1620811.asp#art

Wergin schreibt oft gute Kommentare, aber sie klingen oft irgendwie, als traute er sich nicht richtig, gegen den Negativ-Mainstream in Deutschland anzuschreiben.

[Libertarian Girl]

The Arab media is no friend of the U.S., so it's pretty telling if they are positive about the election while the Germans are negative about it.

[Jabba the Tutt]

LOL! @ Carl Densing:

"I voted for the Iraqi elections, before I voted against them."

John Kerry, leading Democrat Party thinker (if you can call that thinking).

[Jeff]

@ Joe

Your quote was: "If you happened to be a race of people whose governments stood in opposition to the ideals of freedom for the people of Iraq." Note the word "race" in your post.

Nothing in that entire post was about other people's use of the word "race." Please define what you personally meant in your own post by the word "race" and why it was not at least racist in tone if not intent.

[George M]

@ Ralf

I don't think Joe is being disrespectful towards the German people. But you have to admit, the German people are again on the wrong side of history in regards to the Iraq war.

The reason the Germans are on the wrong side of history is due in great part to the German MSM reporting the news to justify the policies of German politicians, rather than reporting the news as to the actual facts that were occurring.

We have heard from the German MSM phrases like "Unvolkerrechte Krieg," "Weltmacht am Praengnis," "Besetzer" gegen "Wiederstandskaempfer." This type of reporting has isolated the German people from what was really occurring: a bitter fight between religious fascism and democracy.

What you saw this weekend was a clear majority of the Iraqi people rejecting the past of Saddam Hussain and rejecting an Islamo-Fascist future. This goes against the grain what the German MSM has reported for the last two years.

It so clear that the German MSM, along with the left leaning American MSM are totally stunned and in shock.

[Ralf Goergens]

George M,

I agree that there is much to criticize about the German coverage, but it is also the case that there are hardly any websites that scrutinize the media in other countries as closely as Media Tenot and David are doing. That makes it look as if anti-Americanism is much worse in Germany than elsewhere, which isn't the case.