The Common Ills: On helpers and remarks

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

On helpers and remarks

And this is how you Tweet:

UNAMI ‏@UNIraq 3 hours ago

#Iraq: Reaching vulnerable families with emergency supplies in #Anbar http://bit.ly/1o5Nj6r via @UNICEFiraq

4 retweets 11 likes

How you Tweet?

Why, oh, why, wondered 4 e-mails didn't I note the BBC covering ____? _____ had reTweeted about their BBC coverage and _____ had Tweeted about how great they were.

They were bringing safety to Iraqi children, they were doing this for Iraqi children, they were . . .

The self-aggrandizing was all a bit much.

Foreigners going into Iraq to help?

Very good.

Foreigners who portray themselves as the saviors rescuing Iraq?

Not so good.

UNAMI's done some good work above. But UNAMI's not making it sound like they've saved 'poor, backwards' Iraq.

When certain organizations put forward that thought -- intentionally or unintentionally -- you start to wonder if maybe they should have kept their help in their home country because anything they're accomplishing physically is being undermined with their online messaging.

Another e-mail insists that US President Barack Obama, in Cuba, used the death of a Marine ( who was killed Saturday in Iraq). Did he?

In the remarks I saw (on TV), he didn't.

I almost noted this topic in yesterday's snapshot.

Because I did feel the Secretary of Defense used the death for political points. I felt Barack was merely noting a death and I was honestly glad that he was noting it.

We didn't have time to cover the Congressional hearing in yesterday's snapshot but may today. If so, I may quote Barack in full if I can find a clip of his speaking (in full on that section -- it was like a sentence or two). But I was glad he noted the death. As I heard the remarks, he didn't have anything to regret about them.

Betty's "REUTERS over reaches" has gone up and the following community sites have also updated: