Saturday, January 29, 2011

ROI

I'm not sure how much money and time the U.S. government and U.S. media conglomerates spent trying to discredit Al Jazeera back during the days when we were going to be greeted with flowers and chocolates, but it doesn't seem to have worked, because Al Jazeera seems to be all anyone is watching and/or listening to at this point.

40 comments:

pansypoo said...

and the US embassy? pyramid tourists?

pointer said...

That Al-Jazeera coverage is awesome. Thank goodness for a fresh non-US corporate media perspective.

Anonymous said...

anyone wanna buy some headless money?
vox

Montag said...

Not to mention all the jet fuel and bombs they expended trying to silence al-Jazeera, both in Afghanistan and Iraq. IIRC, Little Boots even wanted to bomb al-Jazeera headquarters in Qatar, which, inconveniently, was one of our allies.

Bush loved him some free press... as long as it said nice things about him.

Olives and Arrows said...

.


pssst....

....it was actually al jazeera that gave account of our "troops being greeted with flowers".

You won't find the article in al jazeera archives, since it appears they attempted to make it disappear down the memory hole. But the account is still readily available on LexisNexis database.

Olives and Arrows said...

Isn't our computer technology wonderful? The internet never forgets....

here's the article:

Al Jazeera
April 10, 2003:



United States-led forces have defeated the Iraqi military and now control much of Baghdad. The Special Republican Guard and irregular troops are however resisting the invading troops in parts of the city.

Lieutenant General Buford Blount, commander of the Third Infantry Division on Wednesday said only irregular forces such as Fedayeen and Baath Party loyalists were fighting on the Iraqi side.

A US Marine covers the face of a statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with a US flag in Baghdad April 9, 2003 as they prepared to topple it in front of a crowd of Iraqis.The gesture, likely to be highly provocative in much of the Arab world where the invasion of Iraq has stirred widespread anger, was quickly reversed and an Iraqi flag was tied instead to the statue's neck.

.......(article continues......)

Olives and Arrows said...

......(continued.....)

Al Jazeera
April 10, 2003:




Blount said members of Hussein's Special Republican Guard, who had taken off their uniforms, were also still putting up resistance, but conventional forces had been defeated.

"We have defeated his (Saddam's) military," Blount said, adding "We have taken out his command and control." Asked if the war had been won, he replied: "I wouldn't say that."

In Washington, US President George W. Bush welcomed the joyous reception for US forces in Baghdad as a heartening sign of military triumphs but warned that "the war is not over."

As US Marines and Iraqis joined forces to topple a statue of President Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad, Vice President Dick Cheney cited "evidence of the collapse of any central regime authority" but warned "hard fighting" may yet lie ahead. “It’s a historic moment,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

Earlier, US forces met little Iraqi resistance as they took over swathes of the city on Wednesday, with looting erupting as it became clear that Saddam's 24-year stranglehold on the Iraqi people was disintegrating.

US Brigadier-General Vincent Brooks told a briefing at Central Command in Qatar: "I think we are at a degree of a tipping point where for the population there is a broader recognition that this regime is coming to an end and will not return in a way that it has been in the past."

With no news yet about the fate of Saddam Hussein or total control of the north, the invading forces desisted from stating that the invasion had ended.

"Ceasefire doesn't have to come by way of a surrender. Ceasefire is a decision and the decision will occur when we believe conditions have been set on the battlefield and also when we have political instructions from our leaders," he added.

The scenes in the Iraqi capital were chaotic. Jubilant Iraqis welcomed advancing US forces in Baghdad while rampaging looters attacked symbols of Saddam Hussein’s power.
Residents threw flowers at the armoured column as it swept past, just three kilometres east of the central Jumhuriyya Bridge over the Tigris river. Joy at the apparent removal of Saddam Hussein was tangible, with one man beating a canvas portrait of him with his slipper.
Crowds threw flowers at the Marines as they drove past the Martyrs' Monument, just three km (two miles) east of the central Jumhuriya Bridge over the river Tigris.
"No more Saddam Hussein," chanted one group, waving to troops as they passed. "We love you, we love you." One young man ran alongside a Marine armoured personnel carrier trying to hand over a heavy belt of ammunition. An older man made a wild kicking gesture with his foot, saying "Goodbye Saddam".
Women waved from balconies, girls threw flower petals at young Marines leaning across gun turrets. One woman held her baby aloft. Tank crews picked the flowers from the tops of their fighting machines, smelt them and grinned. Crowds of Shia men beat their chests in the streets.
Other signs of a breakdown were also apparent. Journalists at the Palestine Hotel confirmed that their minders had disappeared."

Olives and Arrows said...

,

heh/

....nothing about chocolates, though.

pansypoo said...

blegh, bleg, ble, bl, b

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Wow, OnAn that was a Costco size 3-roll post.

Montag said...

Not even a clever diversionary tactic, Orifices and Assholes.

We bombed al-Jazeera in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and your Bestest Preznident Evah wanted to bomb their headquarters in Doha (hey, wasn't that where the Pentagon set up its super-magnificent tv set for propaganda purposes?).

Guess that means, from your posts, that they did forget to mention the chocolate, and your pal Bush thought that was reason enough to kill a bunch of them.

Olives and Arrows said...

Montag,

....the article does a good job of dispelling a major leftist talking point, the one that ridicules accounts of our troops being "greeted with flowers". It actually happened if al jazeera the local media is to be believed. (enemy sources are easier for leftists to accept...) Thus yet another of the already weak leftist talking points is easily destroyed.

heh/ I've made more than one leftist swallow his/her tongue over that particular al jazeera article. Leftists seem to love that "the US troops weren't greeted with flowers ya know" talking point (always spoken with a scornful sneer)

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Neocon drivel.

Anonymous said...

O&A is too prolix.
Major major

Olives and Arrows said...

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...
Neocon drivel.


And we can be pretty sure who it is that Hedley is referring to whenever he uses his term "neocon".

[{Think cattle cars, tattoos and large ovens, right Hedley?}]

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

OnA, you neoconservative pissant. I'm reporting your comment. I hope you never post here again and if you do I hope your comments are immediately removed with prejudice.

Olives and Arrows said...

Given your history with use of the term "neoconservative" ...what makes you think that I am Jewish?

And I'm not surprized that you would go running to whomever you go running to. You fuckers always react with cowardice when confronted with your bigotry.

(pssst,,, don't waste any time with legal proceedings like you have threatened previously. Any lawyer worth his/her salt will laugh you straight out of their offices. Remember, I have screenshot capture of your internet comments -- including your bigotry and statements you made wishing for my death)

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

OnA, I did not conflate a religious sect with neoconservatism: you did. Then you used your cheap rhetorical projective tricks to smear me.

You can save as many of my comments as you like. I have not threatened you nor have I made material action to follow on any perceived threat. Furthermore: I am not tracking you via IP addresses as you are doing to me. Your habit of tracking my IP points strongly suggests that you are stalking me and in addition to attempting harm through slander.

Your behavior is repulsive and disgusting.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Olives and Arrows has been kicked off of Patriotboy and TGW for the same kind of shit he drops here: a disgusting display of pathological anti-social behavior.

Big question: how much longer will the turd @3:54pm be permitted to pollute this punch bowl?

Olives and Arrows said...

,

I am not tracking you via IP addresses as you are doing to me.

Hedley.
The only time I had anything whatsoever to do with your IP address was when I exposed your infantile sock puppeteering with the sitemeter. (although the sitemeter doesn't show the IP, only the server location)

I only took the screen captures because you seem to be that type of whinger to attempt legal action (as you threatened to previously). In the unlikely event that a lawyer didn't immediately dismiss you as the crank that you are, I took the screen captures, but only as a precaution.

I have no idea who/what "patriotboy" is. And I am welcome to post comment at TGW anytime that I wish to. No idea what you're talking about. You must be low on re-uptake inhibitors again?



BTW, "slander" is the spoken word, whereas libel is the written or published word....

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

As long as you're fact checking, Olives and Arrows (or is it Is/Ought?): please provide evidence of any comment that I might have made in support of your vile and offensive characterization @11:22pm.

You can't. You're a libelous fraud and an amoral coward. The thousands of innocent souls who've died at the business end of your fucked-up exceptionalist ideology might very likely agree.

Olives and Arrows said...

.

You wrote commentary portraying "neocons" as evildoers. All six of the people you mentioned in your subsequent rant just happened to be Jewish, certainly no coincidence.
You've made numerous other negative comments whenever Israel or Jewry is mentioned. You're a run of the mill anti-semitic bigot, and you aren't even particularly good at that; much like everything else you have to say here.

The thousands of innocent souls who've died at the business end of your fucked-up exceptionalist ideology might very likely agree.

Democracy and liberalism have certainly caused some problems but nothing compared to your base ideology of leftist oppression. Leftists murdered over 100 million people in the 20th century and continue the killing into the 21st.

"...a libelous fraud and an ..."

Well done, Hedley, you've stopped referring to "slander". ....it appears that you've actually managed to learn something!
Lots of room for you to learn more, which for you is analogous to dropping a pebble into a very deep well.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

"You wrote commentary portraying 'neocons' as evildoers. All six of the people you mentioned in your subsequent rant just happened to be Jewish, certainly no coincidence."

When? How did I indentify these neocons as Jewish?

"You've made numerous other negative comments whenever Israel or Jewry is mentioned."

When? Cite and quote.

"You're a run of the mill anti-semitic bigot,"

By whose definition? Pleae cite and quote any statements that I have made that would implicate me as anti-semitic. Your claim that I am anti-semitic is without basis. What you're doing is the rhetorical equivalent of shitting in your own hand and throwing it others.

"...and you aren't even particularly good at that; much like everything else you have to say here."

Ohhh, look. There's a new 'stupid troll feature' that's all about Olives and Arrows!

Olives and Arrows said...

When? How did I indentify these neocons as Jewish?

You didn't actually indentify directly.
Six out of a possible six people in your "neocon" evildoer rant were Jewish. Bigots of your stripe always follow this similar pattern, you use "neocon" as screen for Jewish and claim you're anti-Zionist but not necessarily anti-semitic.

"You've made numerous other negative comments whenever Israel or Jewry is mentioned."

When? Cite and quote.


I won't be bothering to plough through months and months of comments to prove my point. I know you've made numerous negative statements, as do others reading here regularly. Have you not noticed that even though you are in the majority here none of the other lefties ever come to your defense when I've confronted your bigotry? I'm thinking that they're probably just as repulsed by you and wish that you wouldn't make them appear the same by association.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

"I won't be bothering to plough through ..."

Blah blah blah. If you're going to make specious accusations on a persons character have the decency to back them up with evidence. Otherwise, it's just so much hot air: your specialty.

But decency and you are strangers.

You got nothing, OnA. Sad. You're just a vapid, lying troll.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

"I know you've made numerous negative statements, as do others reading here regularly."

Its funny how you speak for others who are summarily kicking your chickenshit ass all over the "Fill in the blank" topic thread.

I feel sorry for you. Maybe you should try hydroponic gardening. I recently read it helps people like you feel better.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

See OnA, there are three critical errors in your thinking and rhetoric:

"You didn't actually indentify directly."

If I didn't actually indentify (sic) then there must be an inference. In absence of proof of an inference on my part, you must provide support for your claim. And you can't, because the inference you assume doesn't exist. You're making it up.

"Six out of a possible six people in your 'neocon' evildoer rant were Jewish."

Neocons include Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, George Bush, Jeb Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, William Bennett, Steve Forbes, and other signators of the PNAC who are clearly not Jewish. This is prima facie evidence of a conflation that you use to libel me.

"Bigots of your stripe always follow this similar pattern, you use 'neocon' as screen for Jewish and claim you're anti-Zionist but not necessarily anti-semitic."

See above.

To use your faulty logic, taking a position against the Mafia would be evidence of harboring bigotry against Italians (or Irish, or whatever ethno/religious group applies): a logical fallacy.

Most importantly, many people (including Jewish followers and non-followers alike) criticize neo-cons, militant Zionism and the extreme right-wing policies of some members of the Israeli ruling elite. These criticisms are often met with rhetorical tactics like yours to smear individuals as 'anti-semitic' or 'self-hating Jews.'

It's shameful that you resort to this disingenuous tactic which has a profound chilling effect on debate and discussion. It is a tactic that is used to suppress free-speech. It is a tactic that you have used against me and suffered for by having your offensive comments removed from the thread.

On a personal note (since your cowardly smears have taken a deeply personal tack): I have many, many Jewish friends. I love them all. Some of my friends are as close as family, and we would go to the ends of the Earth for each other. They would be uniformly shocked that I have been labeled 'anti-semitic' and in general we are in agreement regarding the senseless horrors perpetrated in the name of the U.S. exceptionalism and extreme right-wing Zionism.

When you disgrace me with your thoughtless reflexive smears, you disgrace my friends and our mutual desire for peace and grace.

Olives and Arrows said...

.

"You've made numerous other negative comments whenever Israel or Jewry is mentioned."

When? Cite and quote.

If you're going to make specious accusations on a persons character have the decency to back them up with evidence.



Alrighty, then. If you insist.

I didn't really feel like wading through Atta's archives and the blog doesn't have a search function, so I googled some of Hedley's blogging history.

Here's what I found in under 10 minutes, a singular search with the terms "Mr. Hedley Bowes neocon"
Hedley's quotes are in italics.

april 14, 2010 Rising Hegemon
Kagan? I fear she'll turn out to be a right wing nutcase like her namesakes. The prospect of a Kagan on the Supreme Court completely freaks me out.

aug 6, 2006 The Cunning Realist
Thank you for the background on Schumpeter. I haven't read him, but my limited study of economics and business theory would suggest that he would be limiting his theory of 'creative destruction' to markets and technologies, NOT governments and cultures.

july 31, 2006 The Cunning Realist
Mr. Hedley Bowes said...
"...neocon (code for “Jewish”) conspiracy...
Actually, 'neocon' is code for charlatan.



july 18, 2008 Democratic Underground
"The criminal neo-con cabal running America has held nearly continuous political power since rising from the swamp of American politics in the immediate post-Watergate era."
and a long time since. Too long.


And from the deeply anti-semitic cesspool website
"CIA-Drugs"

Hedley addressing a series of literally dozens of anti-semitic comments by a creature calling itself "Liberty Antigone". Including one angry rant where he/she refers to Jewish people as "ziocons"

Hedley Bowes (Seattle)

Liberty...thanks for all your posts. I watched all of the Montreal series yesterday. There is substantial new information there.. I'll be at the IMA until 6:30 this eve (saturday) top floor cardios or pool overlook if you want to meet.


march 28, 2010 Rising Hegemon

Mr. Hedley Bowes said..You know, the WaPo could use a return to the kind of investigative journalism that was its raison d'ĂȘtre back in the days of Woodward and Bernstein. First up: where exactly was Bill Kristol on the afternoon of July 14, 2001 and what was he doing there?



sept 26, 2007 The Cunning Realist
Mr Hedley Bowes said...

My objective credibility meter drops to zero when I see 'Islamofascism' as part of an argument. The term itself is a fabrication, perhaps from Frank Luntz.




july 5, 2006 The Cunning Realist

Mr. Hedley Bowes said..

This is the government that Grover Norquist promised: drowing in a bathtub. From the Israeli side, it's what's left of our tax dollars at work.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

I believe it's time to suspend U.S. aid to Israel.




july 26, 2006

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Has anyone else noted the irony?
The modern State of Israel was born in the United Nations.
I second 277fia. Our tax dollars should not be funding these atrocities.


Hedley was active at two websites quoted above that I won't provide link for. The Cunning Realist and CIA-Drugs. Both are extremely anti-semitic choir boards, as any visitor can easily see.
It should be noted that Atta's website Rising Hegemon is DEFINITELY NOT anti-semitic -- and just because Hedley is a regular here the site shouldn't be painted as such.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Amusing.

And how exactly are my statements 'anti-semitic'? For all your research, you've proved nothing that I haven't already stated earlier in this thread.

As someone said in the 'Fill in the blank thread' where your ass is being thoroughly chewed: you seem to confuse opinion for fact.

I applaud your research. Keep at it: just don't let it appear to be 'internet stalking' k?

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

(pssst, OnAn: Woodward and Bernstein...you forgot to highlight their names, too. But Schumpeter? I studied him in graduate level economics. Brilliant guy. Too bad his theories got hijacked by your 'charlatan' buddies.)

"Our troll is so stupid..."

Olives and Arrows said...

.

And how exactly are my statements 'anti-semitic'?

It's the frequency with which you criticize Jewish people and Israel, all the while hiding behind (what may you think is) more tolerable packaging with your use of terms like neocon and zionism.
Perhaps even more alarming is your laudatory compliments toward more virulent anti-semites at some of the websites you visited. (in one case inviting a person for drinks that is a ring leader who uses terms like ziocon) At least two of the websites you've frequented in the past are sounding boards for some very nasty anti-semitic bigotry.

I have little doubt the examples I found in a ten minute google (with just one set of terms) are merely a drop in your ugly bucket.

Hopefully you're finished with visiting these sites, though, and are mellowing out some of that hatred you've previously accepted into your life.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

By the way: Cunning Realist is a site run by a Columbia MBA and tends to the conservative side of global finance. Odd that you would interpret that as a haven for anti-semitism?

Indeed, the comment you cited finds me rejecting another commenters idea of 'neo-conservatism' as a code for 'Jewish conspiracy'; rather my response was "Actually, 'neocon' is code for charlatan."

Just the facts.

Speaking of finance, you might have run across some of my criticism of Lloyd Blankfein, whose idea of God's work is selling fraudulent mortgage backed securities to AAA customers then hedging against them when they default, with the net effect of ripping average people out of their homes and making billions in bonuses for it. Coincidentally, Blankfein is Jewish. Does my criticism of his amoral behavior make me anti-semitic?

I don't recall posting at a 'CIA-Drugs' website. I checked it out just now and there doesn't appear to be a comment function. I didn't go too deep. Are you suggesting there is a connection between CIA-Drugs and anti-semitism and me?

Keep going on that research.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Yea, well I criticize the Bushes, Cheneys, Rumsfelds, Bennetts, Forbes and Kochs too.

By your logic that make me anti-Protestant? Good heavens!

OnA, since you're on such a research bent by all means Google 'Bush Brown Brothers Harriman'

Cheers!

Olives and Arrows said...

,

I don't recall posting at a 'CIA-Drugs' website.

Of course you don't. Isn't that convenient? Especially since it's quite damning for you, the comments that you made there.

Hedley addressing a series of literally dozens of anti-semitic comments by a creature calling itself "Liberty Antigone". Including one angry rant where he/she refers to Jewish people as "ziocons". In other numerous posts he says that Jewish people planned and committed the 9/11 atrocities.

Your post from July 12, 2008:

Hedley Bowes (Seattle)

Liberty...thanks for all your posts. I watched all of the Montreal series yesterday. There is substantial new information there.. I'll be at the IMA until 6:30 this eve (saturday) top floor cardios or pool overlook if you want to meet.


Hedley. You invited a virulent anti-semite for drinks after thanking him/her for anti-semitic comments. July 12, 2008

This in combination with your frequency of criticism towards Jewish people leaves you caught red-handed. (after only 10 minutes of what you referred to as research.) Who knows what else might be found with looking a little deeper, huh Hedley?

By the way: Cunning Realist is a site run by a Columbia MBA and tends to the conservative side of global finance. Odd that you would interpret that as a haven for anti-semitism?

No, actually it isn't an odd interpretation. Currently the majority of anti-semitism does emanate from the left, but I'm not at all surprized to see the same of the right side of the political spectrum, especially in finance.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

Olives, you continue to make inferences that are based on your own distorted opinions and not on fact. You can repeat your distortions ad nauseum (as you will) but that doesn't make them true.

Maybe that's another reason why our troll is so stupid.

How'd your research on 'Bush Brown Brothers Harriman' go?

Cheers!

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

p.s. critiquing radical Zionism is not anti-Semitism, because not all Jews are Zionists. Likewise, not all Zionist are Jews: there are plenty of Zionist Christians who hope for some apocalyptic outcome to the Middle East problem so as to hasten in their 'second coming'

Likewise, I have criticized Israel for the atrocities in Jenin. I oppose genocide and apartheid violence wherever it occurs.

Show me where I condemned anyone based on their religious faith or their geneology. You can't, because I haven't.

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

p.p.s last night I watched 'Casino Jack'

Does that make me anti-semitic too?

Mr. Hedley Bowes said...

p.p.s. I follow and highly regard:

Paul Krugman
Robert Reich
Medea Benjamin
Noam Chomsky
Steve Jobs
Jon Stewart
Ben Bernanke

among many others.

Does that make me anti-anti-semitic?

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