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Chomsky Interview

11:06 / 22.03.04

An new interview with Noam Chomsky over at the Guardian here: here

I thought this snippet was worthy of note.

Not very many people are aware of the fact that the US is planning to construct what will be the world's largest embassy in Iraq, with maybe 3,000 people.

But, y'know, it wasn't about resources or geopolitics or anything. Course not.

14:14 / 22.03.04

Anyone got any thoughts on the reason why these kind of issues aren't picked up by the media? In the UK, we have a situation where the reasons for war are popularly thought of as dubious in the extreme, yet discussion very rarely progresses onto the "why" behind this. Even in today's Independent, Jimmy Carter has condemed the war, yet in speaking of the reasons behind it, he's said pretty much is was simply young George finishing off Daddy's work. It seems a bit mad to me that the issues of resource control, colonialism etc. are never picked up on. I'm startig to feel like lone conspiracy weirdo boy.

A related matter - the docuements showing George Galloway to be a "Saadam's Stooge" have been shown to be forged, yet no one seems to be interested in who did it. Why is this? Did the fogeries just materialise out of thin air? Isn't it important? M money would be on the security services. I know there won't be any evidence but even the possibility isn't brought up...

14:41 / 22.03.04

To feel less like a conspiracist, read ZNet, if you don't already. Also, the reasons why you don't get much in-depth coverage in the mainstream media of the reasons behind the war is the subject of the book Manufacturing Consent.

Broadly, media outlets are subject to lots of systematic pressures that tend to influence perspective and focus. Media ownership, Government monopoly on certain news outlets, the requirement to be profitable and attendant pressures, "flak" from organisations that impede controversial and "unbalanced" reporting and the myth of market and domestic benevolance all help.

Chomsky would probably say that the reason we are getting so much anti-war press is that a significant segment of the establishment is horrified at the expensive bungling by Bush. This is also why you don't get lots of denunciations of the motives - because only the methods are contested, not the goals. It sounds like conspiracy, but it isn't.

Dunno about Galloway though. I'm wary of being too supportive of him, myself.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

18:09 / 19.02.06

British people with satellite telly: ITV4, Sunday (19/02) night, 11:50, Manufacturing Consent.

unheimlich manoeuvre

22:14 / 20.02.06

Thanks Our Lady. Had to reload the freeview but got the watch the whole thing while at work. I hadn't seen it in ages.
Came out in 1992 yet it was still sadly relevant. I find it difficult to pin down his quotes but emotively it was inspiring.

10:12 / 21.02.06

Anyone got any thoughts on the reason why these kind of issues aren't picked up by the media?

Well,Lurid already beat me to the punch when ze said:

Broadly, media outlets are subject to lots of systematic pressures that tend to influence perspective and focus. Media ownership, Government monopoly on certain news outlets, the requirement to be profitable and attendant pressures, "flak" from organisations that impede controversial and "unbalanced" reporting and the myth of market and domestic benevolance all help.

The entertainment aspect of modern journalism is also a big reason why such matters are not discussed. Everything must havethat "videoclip" feel to keep today audience tuned in. Apperantly, it has become common place in mainstream media to assume everybody in front of the telly/computer suffers from ADD. So,indepth political analysis tends to find itself banished to some very specific venues (such as this) that the bulk of the public just ignore. Scandals are only good if you have some strong imagery (i.e. videotapes,recordngs of secret conversations where the person blatanly admits hir "evil ways",etc) togo with it, other than just some paperwork, which the public may find too "boring" and "brainy" to be worth watching/reading about.

But I like to think political and economic pressure (via sponsors) is still the main reason for that silence. It's just as bad a motive, but at least it's less stupid...