On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 20:47:53 GMT, ~ jan JJsPond.us
wrote:

I heard on the news the other day that the CIA has informed its people to
report on what they know, not what they THINK they know.

I'm wondering if we all shouldn't take similar advice?

I know I don't want to believe that our government went to war just because
of OIL. So I tend to side with those who also believe this.... and
sometimes I even want to "foolishly" comment to bring others over to my
side. But then I "wisely" realize, what do *I* REALLY know? We have media
that reports the bad stuff, because the good stuff wouldn't catch enough of
the audience and ratings + commericals + money-making means they've got to
grab their short term attention (us) audience quickly. Bad news works. Same
with our newspapers and/or radio.

Why doubt our media? Just talk to some of the servicemen/women over there
and they tell a different story than what we see on/in the news. (To give a
little personal clip of what *I* do know, the news showed Iraqi's living in
squalor, garbage littering the ground, goats, chickens picking thru it,
etc, sanitation problems came to my mind. Well guess what, my son who is
doing guard duty with one of units training the ING, says they just throw
their garbage on the ground and walk thru it. He picked up 150 water
bottles, piled them in front of their latrine and just watched many of them
walk thru them. Finally one guy starting picking them up and putting them
in a garbage bag, after my son and the other guards starting ribbing them
about it.)

So we're left to form are own opinion between what is showed on the news
(and not always explained, just implied) and why it looks as bad as it
does... perhaps it is just because the people there have a different
attitude about garbage in the streets? Unemployment is suppose to be high,
so why don't they clean up? Even if one doesn't get paid, it is THEIR
country.

Regarding the "majority of congress people wouldn't have voted for the
war", on the news last night, if they had 20/20 hindsight. That isn't what
I got out of the report last night, I got the opposite. When they did a
direct poll, the numbers showed the opposite was true. Hmmmm, could it be
my wishful thinking again? Did I misunderstand, was I somewhat sidetracked
at the time, with the newspaper in my lap, my computer dinging me that my
son (in Iraq) was IMing me, and half dozen other things going on or thru my
mind?

So where do the rest of you get your information to REALLY not doubt what
you THINK you know, regarding the evils of men and going to war for oil?
Seems all those dead bodies of Hussein's own countrymen Tim mentioned is an
obvious, oh wait, where we again set up by our worthless media? Was it just
a few bodies to catch our attention that evening? ~ jan


(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Jan,

On your second point, I suggest you look at these stories (watch
out for line wrap):


http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/...c&c=news&cs=nw

According to what I read, even the Republican congressional leaders
admit the resolution authorizing war would have been a toss-up if they
knew then what we know now; Democrats say it would never have passed.

On your first point, my first reaction was this was another case of
'blame the victim'. Perhaps I'm doing your son an injustice, but
here's my interpretation of what it might look like from an Iraqi
citizens POV. This armed man stacked 150 empty water bottles in front
of the latrine. I don't know why he did it, but he has a gun, and I
don't. I have to use the latrine. Do I 1. Use another latrine
2. Walk around the bottles or 3. Remove them at the risk of angering
the armed man?

Frankly, neither your arguments nor your son impress me.

PlainBill