What's happening in the middle east?
 

This is a question my husband asked me last night after I gave him a bit of a run down on current events.

I was a bit surprised to have to say to him that I didn't really know because everyone's so worried about the World Financial Crisis (WFO) that no one seems to care much about the middle east atm.

So, is the fact that everyone's losing money more important than people being killed in far off foreign countries?

In the US, yes.

Well obviously in Australia too. I can't remember the last news report on the middle east or 'the war on terror' on TV or in the first few pages of the paper.

Probably because the going well and that would be a political plus for the Reps and the media is too busy promoting Obama.

Just a thought.

I think there are a combination of reasons, but obviously the financial crisis is heading up every news broadcast. The US election usually takes second place even here in Australia, then it's what Australia's government is doing about the financial crisis, then it's usually something about teen crime on the Gold Coast.

It's not a liberal bias. It's a bias towards reporting the news. If there is no news coming out of the mid-east because there are no attacks, then they won't do a report on the mid-east. They will report on something else, like the stock market losing a lot again yesterday.

They don't read a list of all the places in the world where everything is just fine and there's no violence or strife, they focus on the places where there are problems. You know, news.

News from the Middle East is still in our broadsheets, it's just not front page.
For example I know a British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan today.

We probably heard more about Iceland than you did in America because it's part of Europe, and so they are effectively our neighbours. Also because we've given them a £100m loan. Also because in some quarters, Dalring is blamed for the run on the Kaupthing bank and effectively setting off this whole chain of events...

The US election is usually about the third item on the news and that's stayed the same.

But people here are worried about putting food on the table, fuel in their cars and keeping warm this winter. If money can just be wiped out, can just disappear, can you be sure you'll get your wages this week, this month? IS your money in the bank safe? Why is the tax payer having to bail out banks when the banks are where the money is kept?

Every day since I moved, I walk past a little local branch of the Halifax (Building Society). At any time between 09.00 and 09.30. This week there has been a queue of approx 10 people waiting for it to open at 09.30. There wasn't last week. I can only assume they are there to draw money out, as a safeguard.

People are scared, and the news bias reflects that.

There is a clue buried in here about human nature, I just can't put my finger on it.

Sure it is a liberal bias. If there are no plethora of deaths and dying Americans or dying inocent civilians at the hads of Americans which they can use to bash the current administration or tie the events to McCain then it serves no purpose to report on anything. If there was no bias they would report on the positive progress, the change in attitudes, and the increasing responsibility of the elected government in Iraq taking increasing responsibility.

Bullshit. If everything were turned around, and the war belonged to the Democrats, the reporting of the events would not change: it would not all of a sudden become all sweetness and light in order to promote this so-called liberal bias.

"Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down.
We love dirty laundry."

Well, I suppose you'd know about bias. You have a raging case of conservative bias, yourself. Did you ever stop to think that there might be a big huge world out there, full of complexities and issues far beyond whatever you dreamed of in your little parochial philosophies? :rolleyes:

The Washington Post a month or so ago did a big story on the reduction of deaths. It ran a big chart and everything.

Are they supposed to report every day that there are still no new deaths happening in Iraq?

Absolutely! Why not? They, and many others reported daily that death toll, why not report ZERO deaths everyday too? Or the state of things or some pieces about what is going on. The lives of the people in Iraq? Improvements, progress... if any. Whatever is going on there. Then again maybe nothing is happening. I don't know, but I'd like to - and thats my point.

I think even Michael Yon left Iraq because there is nothing going on to report.

This is interesting and seems potentially newsworthy.

Yes. It's certainly newsworthy.

A quick Google News search shows that it's been reported at over 320 news outlets.

Iraq: U.S. Agrees to Limited Iraqi Jurisdiction
Over American Troops

Wow an actual end date being discussed? After all the upheaval in the past, I think this is more than newsworthy. Isn't this what virtually everyone wants?

glatt, C'mon... srsly.

I don't know what you are trying to say. You are quoting news stories that have already been reported, and saying that they ought to be reported. If you are trying to say that they deserve more press, then that's probably true. I won't argue with you over that, but we have had a year's worth of news happen in the last two weeks. Something has to be cut.

In yesterday's presidential debate, the two presidential candidates didn't talk at all about Iraq, that I can remember anyway. It's not just the "liberal" press moving on to other issues.

Calling the press "liberal" is one of those things that has been repeated by the conservatives for so long, people are starting to believe it to be true without even thinking about it.

:lol2: Now that shit right there is funny as hell... I don't care who you are. :D

And people who don't want to draw attention to it are getting people to repeat that it is not a fact, for so long now and so often, that people are beginning to believe it.

A rather unbiased study of the issue. The only one I have seen to date done in an academic setting.

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/7726

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla...UCLA-6664.aspx

I would say that there is more corporate bias going on than political bias.

No doubt about that. But that might be another thread or another subject and it does not diminish the fact that media bias exists. Certainly we could say that media bias exists on Fox News, but it is far from a hard core Right Wing news source that people make it out to be, well except when Sean Hannity is moving his mouth. And when compared to all the other sources of news, print and tv, they are in the minority.

That is what I was saying. It deserves more coverage.

Which is completely contrary to what research has noted for decades. The press are repeatedly found to be some of America’s most conservative (but not wacko so). The press also reports on change, on things that are new, and therefore "must be liberal" to those who know without first learning. “We don’t know those things so liberals must be reporting it”.

Meanwhile, more Americans are dying in Iraq then when George Jr proclaimed "Mission Accomplished". That is not new and therefore worthy of front page reporting. Also no political solution exists - still. Only way to end a civil war is with a political solution. But Americans cannot even admit it is a civil war; not a war against Al Qaeda. Therefore nothing new to report; nothing has changed.

Also little reported is that Afghanistan is so firmly in Taliban hands that even the White House started a complete reassessment of Afghanistan. It is so bad as to even get the George Jr administration attention. Marines have been saying this for over a year. Marines wanted out of Iraq long ago before Afghanistan got worse. Inaction by the George Jr administration means Afghanistan got even worse. More than 4 years ago, more than 50% of Afghanistan was in Taliban hands. Since the mental midget got us in a quagmire in Iraq, better is to ignore Afghanistan.

But none of this is as significant as what Wall Street events predict. This crash is only equaled by 1929 – and similar. History suggests massive job losses four years later. The $trillion wasted on "Mission Accomplished" is trivial by comparison.

lol...you're kidding right? That right there is some funny shit. I don't care who you are. :D

Ok, so what did you think of the coverage of the debate when you watched it last night? or the night before? Or any night say.... in the last month? Really, I am interested in your views on what you think about it.

Well the coverage of the debate(s) has been fairly standard. There'd be hell to pay if each candidate didn't get exactly the same amount of coverage for example.

My point is that fox news in general is a joke. It's so far right that it's almost off the table. I'm not quite sure what they're going to do with themselves for the next 10yrs now that a democrat is going to be elected and the situation in Iraq seems to be almost sorted (or at least past the point of daily blowing up of things)...not to mention the whole 'war on terror' rhetoric taking a nose dive.

Tell me, what are they going to do?

Oh good God woman. The Demoncrats will give them plenty of material. It will be like Comedy Central.

So, you think they are far right from your experience watching Fox News? Reallly? When is the last time you watched?

We flick it on every now and then if we can't find anything else and we need a laugh. ;)

Probably once a week or so we might watch half an hour. That's usually about all I can stomach of the assortment of idiotic bimbos they have on.

Which show? the general news, or what?

Well, the worst of course is fox and friends, but any of the fox news is fairly slanted in my view.

I only watch one or two shows. Brit Hume and O'Reilly. Both of them have on a bipartisan group of people. I guess I am just in a minority of the population, because I never have considered Al Sharpton, Juan Williams, Alan Colmes, Morgan Fairchild, or Mora Liason as hard core conservatives. I mean really. They are all regulars on both of those shows and do a pretty good job of keeping things real and balanced. I must admit, I really don't watch anything else on FOX.

O'Reilly is a tool, figuratively and otherwise.

More specifically a power tool - just plug him in and watch him go!!!!!!

How specifically? I mean you obviously don't like him. I can agree with about 75% of what he has to say. 25%, not so much. How is he a tool in your grand experience of the ways of the world? Really.

On CNN today, an awesome feel-good story about American assistance to an Iraqi school for the blind. Featuring assistance and donations of braille typewriters and dictionaries, for which there was much gratitude.

Why be such a dick...please tell me.

O'Reilly is/was a mouthpiece for this administration. I can disagree with 90% of what he says...the other 10% just I probably missed. I have never watched him and felt good about it. He's also a blowhard egomaniac.

He is one of the few who have consistently criticized "this administration", you obviously have never watched him. Please tell me how you think I am “being a dick” by stating my opinion and responding to your posts? I am just responding in kind to your unbiased view.

Consistantly? LOL. I dont know about that. He may be doing it now, but its safe to do it now...and expected.

I dont watch O'Reilly because when I do I want to throw things at my TV. Yes, I'm biased, because he usually attacks things I agree with. And, he is just a blowhard jerk. He made a niche for himself on Fox by delivering the 'Fox Spin'.

Like I said, it is obvious you have never watched it.

He did it pre-2004 as well. O'Reilly is just a simple populist. He becomes a lot more digestible when you know that the average age of Factor viewers is 71. Then you see him slowly reading simple bullet points that are also shown on-screen, and you understand.

His interviews of Hillary and Obama were respectful and pointed out many strengths in each of them. In particular I think his treatment of O was generous and a reassurance to his audience and will increase the O vote.