It's a sad, sad day when an outlet that is US propaganda does a better job covering reality than does our so-called 'independent' media. Rebecca rightly suggested for late to the party we explain that Panhandle Media refers to "alternative" media. In the US the media is supposed to be independent. Panhandle Media refers to the bodies that describe themselves as "independent" even though they have no independence they can point to. They are the beggar media: "Send money! Send money! Without your money, we can't bring you copies of our magazine or broadcassts from our radio stations. Send money! We beg for money because we were unable to work in the Real Media. We were ethically challenged, had nasty drug habits and/or stole from previous employers. Except for our Hall of Famers -- they were kicked to the curb by Real Media and now work the streets with us."
So from the beggars asking for a dollar, we move to a US propaganda outlet, Voice of America. I don't need any e-mail from any VOA staffer. You are propaganda and that's why you are not allowed to broadcast over US airwaves.
But they actually earned a link and I can't figure out if it's just by comparison or if they would have normally earned it? When Panhandle Media bothers to note Iraq these days (very rarely), it's to lie and pimp for Barack. So people are lied to and told this is happening or that is happening. We've already noted the New York Times is putting Panhandle Media to shame, now even Voice of America. VOA's Meredith Buel reports on that the 16-month drawdown plan for 'combat' troops "is one of the options currently being studied at the Pentagon" according to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. One of the plans. One. He's quoted stating they "have been looking at several options, and obviously 16 months is one of them." Buel notes that the 140,000 US service members in Iraq will not come home under the "withdraw combat forces within 16 months" because "some troops will remain to fight terrorist cells, train Iraqi soldiers and provide security." Under the 16-month 'plan' as currently discussed (this is me, not VOA) at least 70,000 US troops would remain in Iraq. That's reality. And credit to VOA and Buel for serving up more honesty than our beggars in Panhandle Media can manage.
Meanwhile AP reports that Bayan Jabr has told Iraqis that the drop in the price of oil means "hard days to come" and that they should be buying gold or putting money in the bank. On the latter, considering the vast number of Iraqi banks that have been robbed, that suggestion truly is hilarious. On the former, how much money does the average Iraqi have and how safe is gold going to be stashed in the average Iraqi home? The country still struggles and already their leaders are as out of touch with the average Iraqi as their puppet masters in the US are as out of touch with the average American.
It's over, I'm done writing songs about love
There's a war going on
So I'm holding my gun with a strap and a glove
And I'm writing a song about war
And it goes
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Oh oh oh oh
-- "I Hate The War" (written by Greg Goldberg, on The Ballet's Mattachine!)
Last Thursday, ICCC's number of US troops killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war was 4226. Tonight? 4229. Just Foreign Policy lists 1, 307,319 as the number of Iraqis killed since the start of the illegal war the same number they listed last week. and the same number they listed the week before. Remember, trying to stop the war takes action and cheer leading Corporatist War Hawks wears a body out.
We'll go out with this from Peter Spiegel's "Army investigator said Green Beret's death was 'negligent homicide' by KBR" (Los Angeles Times):
An Army criminal investigator told the family of a Green Beret who was electrocuted while taking a shower at his base in Baghdad that the soldier's death was a case of "negligent homicide" by military contractor KBR and two of its supervisors.
The report last month to the family of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth said Houston-based KBR failed to make certain that qualified electricians and plumbers were working on the barracks where Maseth was killed a year ago, according to a U.S. government official who has seen the correspondence.
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