What Media Bias? Part 119
August 6th, 2008 at 12:28pm Mark Noonan
President Bush was welcomed in South Korea with a large crowd of well-wishers and a pathetic band of kook lefty protestors, as Amy Proctor notes.
So, the headline? Well from al-Reuters it was:
Bush arrives in Seoul, faces large anti-US protest
But then reality broke in and the large anti-US protests failed to materialise, and large pro-US demonstrations happened. So, what did al-Reuters do? Keep lying as best you can, of course:
Bush arrives in Seoul, anti-U.S. protest fizzles
The headline should have read, “Bush arrives in Seoul to warm welcome”, but that would be to defy the MSM’s meme about President Bush - supposedly the whole world hates us, now, and only Obamessiah can retrieve our national honor from the Bush gutter. The facts, once again, appear to be in defiance of what the MSM wants to report - and my bet is that the entire meme of “Bush hated” is overblown. Sure, there are plenty of anti-Americans out there (and, heck, in America, too) and you’ll not lack for people who can be quoted at length being disgusted with America under Bush and gushing hopeful about how wonderful America will be under Obama…but does this mean the world hates us and that we need to rebuild our reputation?
Well, we certainly don’t need to in Afghanistan, Iraq, Djibouti, Georgia, Israel, India, Phillipines, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Eithiopia, Tanzania….heck, even our relations with China are pretty good (all things considered) and getting on good with Japan and China should be next to impossible. Who really hates us? Well, the Islamists do…and so do those global leftists who will hate us even if Obama is President because they don’t really hate President Bush so much as hate the United States, period…and not for what we do, but for what we are (free, Judeo-Christian, that sort of thing).
As I’ve said before, we live in the Age of Lies, and the main thing which has caused President Bush trouble has been his inability to join in with the lies…a few lies here and there stroking the egos of the left and President Bush would be in a lot better shape as far as elite opinion is concerned, but President Bush couldn’t do it…and God bless him for it; for being, that is, one of those rare people in politics who really doesn’t give a darn what people think of him and who is thus able to do the right thing no matter what.
Entry Filed under: Media, President Bush
28 Comments
1. '08ama | August 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Oh please, Bush wouldn’t get a ‘warm welcome’ in Crawford Texas !
And please get it straight. Dont confuse our criminal administartion with America the country.
You’re right, the whole world does NOT hate us, but they sure in heck hate Bush and his cronnies like everyone else does.
2. OhioOrrin | August 6th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
meanwhile, back home there’s this -
Poll: Nearly half hearing too much about Obama
“Two-thirds of Republicans and about half of independents said they’ve heard too much about Obama, as did a third of Democrats, a significant number.”
uh ohh, not good 4 the freshman senator.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080806/ap_on_el_pr/poll_obama_overexposure
3. Hacks | August 6th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
There was obviously a free concert ,free food and beer which is the only reason people would show up in such numbers for GWB.
4. \'08ama | August 6th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I guess McCain VP candidiate and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is an Obama Kool Aide drinker and has been thoughroughly sucked in by the liberal media.
Today, Pawlenty called Obama’s message POSITIVE, and the may reason people are attracted to him.
Here’s a clip of what he said. I ahve no link, but it will be all over the news tonight…
“Say what you will about Barack Obama,” the Minnesota Republican told a conservative group, “people gravitate when you have something positive to say.” He added that McCain has been positive as well.
“People want to follow hopeful, optimistic, civil, decent leaders,” Pawlenty said in a speech to GOPAC, which helps recruit Republican candidates. “They don’t want to follow some negative, scornful person.”
“Negative, scornful’ person, I wonder who he was thinking of when he said that.
5. Kahn | August 6th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Hacks - there wasn’t. Try to operate in the REAL world.
6. Danish Artist | August 6th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
The left hates Bush and will do everything to undermine any success.
The left is in love with Barak Hussein Obama and the left in the media will do everything to insure success in November.
Goebbels never had it so good.
7. BARRASSO | August 6th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Today is the anniversary of the day Harriet Miers handed George Bush an intelligence memo entitled, “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.”. Ultimately, Bin Laden’s determination was more successful than George Bush’s intelligence. As of this writing, Bin Laden remains at large.
Haven’t heard the “liberal” media mention it.
I always thought it was more clever when you wingnuts called it “The Liberal Jew Run Media.”
8. js | August 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
reading over these posts, im glad im not like you bleeding liberals
a lot of lying charlatains more like it….
9. Retired Spook | August 6th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I always thought it was more clever when you wingnuts called it “The Liberal Jew Run Media.”
BARRASSO, could you provide an example from the archives of this site where any of us has used that term? If not, an apology would seem to be in order.
10. BARRASSO | August 6th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I’m talking about the early 90’s, back when U.N. black helicopters were coming to take your guns, now you like Israel as a an ally in killing the moooslims.
11. Kahn | August 6th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Barrasso - Bin Laden is STILL determined to do that. Its not an actionable piece of information, is it?
Oh, thanks on the unsubstantiated accusation. What a dick.
Of course, that was just about the time the FBI under Clinton killed 81 Americans in Texas with tanks. They let the little kids burn to death and their bodies melted into pools of fat. But they deserved it, I guess.
12. Kahn | August 6th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Just for you Barrasso. Got the courage to open it?
http://www.wizardsofaz.com/waco/waco.html
13. Retired Spook | August 6th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
What a dick.
I second that, Kahn.
14. Carl Gordon | August 6th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
All this balderdash about who’s this and who’s that, Repug/Demo, con/lib, it’s all a puppet show, designed to amuse and acify whilst your pockets are picked clean by one form of con man or another.
I believe I can cut through the knotted guts of the quandary, as to what the major problem is betwixt the two “warring” sides in this pointless battle for the gory heart and simple minds of the body politic, as delivered nightly by rich over-paid and pampered Hollywood stars and Narcissistic pundits and their no-neck pinhead children, the MSM.
The GOPpers. Problem: Your belief in free will of vocalizations, until someone half intelligent says something that upsets your reality pretext. You still assume Republicans support limited government. You seemingly give a darn about perimeter veracity, because whence you tried to find out the status of your boner pills prescription, the automated voice system at your chemist asked you to compress 9 for Spanish. You believe the government is actually trying to advance education. You hug every morsel of bullshit you can unearth to prop up your ridiculous belief system, and disallow all observed substantiation to the contrary. You believe the economy’s doing fine. You accept as true that there’s an afterlife for the solitary rationale that you don’t want to die. You distinguish the divergence between patriotism and nationalism — it’s nationalism when foreigners do it. You despise anyone who appears smarter than you. You believe $9 trillion in debt is manageable. You worry more about zygotes than real people. You love to fault people for their hardships, even if it means screwing yourself over. You assume two parties is sufficient. Your understanding of politics and government are rendered absurd by your apprehension for Britney Spears’ children. You think purchasing Chinese merchandise fuels our economy. You feel you’re going to get universal health care. You stomach the phrase “enhanced interrogation techniques.” You can’t spell. You assume lowering taxes will elevate revenue. You suppose watching CNN makes you bright. You’re idiots.
Exhibit A: Anything, anytime that spews, dribbles, or otherwise churns out of their fetid mouths concerning “family values”, “the founding fathers”, “Contract for America”, Patriotism, the sanctity of anything, taxpayers, responsibility, (deleted due to space constraints…).
Of course “the loyal opposition” is anything but loyal and not so much opposition as nauseatingly self serving. Graduates of the Neville Chamberlain school of poultry and appeasement, the Democratic headship persists to disregard the Constitution, and the American people, by dodge and misdirection, thus keeping impeachment “off the table” and declining to defund the war. True panty-waists, they’re too dim, spineless, pathetic and outmatched politically to achieve anything essential, their “tactic” fundamentally boiling down to droning like moon calves a lot while handing the infidel Boosh whatever the hell he desires. There is just no way that appearing this frail and inadequate could be any better for them politically than impeachment. Everything that the White House gets away with, it gets away with because congress allows it.
Exhibit A: Failure to persuade the two thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto is moot: They could defund the war with a 41-senator budgetary filibuster. But that would take moral fiber and confidence.
15. Danish Artist | August 6th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Barasshole,
Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US
Clandestine, foreign government, and media reports indicate Bin Ladin since 1997 has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the US. Bin Ladin implied in US television interviews in 1997 and 1998 that his followers would follow the example of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and “bring the fighting to America.”
After US missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Ladin told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a [--] service.
An Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) operative told an [--] service at the same time that Bin Ladin was planning to exploit the operative’s access to the US to mount a terrorist strike.
The millennium plotting in Canada in 1999 may have been part of Bin Ladin’s first serious attempt to implement a terrorist strike in the US.
Convicted plotter Ahmed Ressam has told the FBI that he conceived the idea to attack Los Angeles International Airport himself, but that Bin Ladin lieutenant Abu Zubaydah encouraged him and helped facilitate the operation. Ressam also said that in 1998 Abu Zubaydah was planning his own US attack.
Ressam says Bin Ladin was aware of the Los Angeles operation.
Although Bin Ladin has not succeeded, his attacks against the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 demonstrate that he prepares operations years in advance and is not deterred by setbacks. Bin Ladin associates surveilled our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as early as 1993, and some members of the Nairobi cell planning the bombings were arrested and deported in 1997.
Al-Qa’ida members–including some who are US citizens–have resided in or traveled to the US for years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks. Two al-Qua’ da members found guilty in the conspiracy to bomb our embassies in East Africa were US citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990s.
A clandestine source said in 1998 that a Bin Ladin cell in New York was recruiting Muslim-American youth for attacks.
We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a [--] service in 1998 saying that Bin Ladin wanted to hijack a US aircraft to gain the release of “Blind Shaykh” ‘Umar ‘Abd al-Rahman and other US-held extremists.
Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.
Wow, a lot of history. No new information to tell us when, where or how that attack would be carried out. - NOT MENTIONED IN THE LIBERAL MEDIA!
“OBL has been wanting to conduct attacks in the US since 1997….” - SCANT MENTIONING IN LIBERAL MEDIA.
Uh, refresh my memory, who was president in 1997 and what actions did he take?
Also, refresh my memory, who wrote a national security assessment in 1999 that only mentioned bin Laden TWICE and AL QAEDA ZERO times? The same person in question 1.
Image Bush acting on this memo with similar actions he is taking now - increased surveillance, increased security at airports, wire taps etc. etc. etc.
The left is bitching about what Bush is implementing (even thought they vote for it) and we are in a war against terrorism.
What would the left have said then when we were not at war?
This goes to show you, barasshole, that the left will stop at nothing to hinder and bash Bush at any chance they will get, putting politics above the security of this nation.
Yep, Spook and Kahn, I’ll have to agree too.
16. gotbrains? | August 6th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
The size and number of demonstrations against the US when Bush travels abroad have been unprecedented. Of course, any president traveling overseas will run into demonstrators - the difference with Bush has been one of scale. Never has a US president caused this level of negative backlash for such a sustained period in countries that are our allies.
But what’s happening now is that people around the world just don’t give a crap about Bush anymore. With only a few months left in office, he hardly merits large-scale demonstrations anymore. People are looking forward to a world thankfully without this incompetent, dim-witted, messianic bully buffoon who has done so much damage to the ideals the world used to admire about America. They are looking now towards a new future with President Obama leading an America that people can look up to again - an America that rejects torture as barbaric and useless, that rejects fear-mongering as a tool to launch wars for profit, that respects the rule of law, and that leads on the common issues facing our planet.
17. cam | August 6th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
There is no liberal media bias.
Judith Miller, working for the alleged liberal Yeah Yeah York Times was key to the selling of the justifications given for invading Iraq. The same media continued to pander to the Bush adminstration and failed to ask the tough questions afraid they would be excluded from the inside track as Helen Thomas found out. All of the conspriracy to fix the facts has been confirmed by Richard Clark, Ex-Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil, the Downing Street Memo and Scott McClellan among numerous others. Now a new book out by Ron Suskind outlines how the Bush Administration orchestrated this con job and hardly a peep from the media. If it was Clinton instead of Bush you would probably find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys and hang them high in a tree by now. But the liberal media makes barely a whisper.
18. Teafor2 | August 6th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Noonan, this quote has to rank way up there in the hierarchy of the many, many, (many) asinine things you write daily.
Thanks for the chuckle.
Yeesh. Get a grip
19. FmrMarine | August 6th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Kahn, Spook
>>>What a dick.
I second that, Kahn.>>
I add, WHAT a BUNCH of (marxist) DICKS!!! LOL
20. Kahn | August 6th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
gotbrains? Got numbers to back that up? Size of demonstrations in various countries? I won’t be holding my breath.
Oh, and what about the huge crowds in Africa welcoming Bush for his anti-aides efforts? Aww, never mind. It would make your head hurt to think THAT hard.
21. New Conservative | August 6th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I can’t believe the media won’t report any thing positive about the President. If only the situation in Iraq would improve everything would be ok. Oh, it has. Why is this the first I’ve heard of it!?!
http://thenewconservatives.blogspot.com/
22. neocon | August 6th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
“But what’s happening now is that people around the world just don’t give a crap about Bush anymore.” - gotbrains
I could provide more examples, but only one is needed to expose the ignorant propaganda.
Africa welcomes Bush with open arms
http://www.globalsoulpower.com/blogs/56/In-Other-Odd-News-Africa-Welcomes-Bush-with-Open-Arms.html
23. neocon | August 6th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
cam,
You are so right. I have never heard that Bush conspired about the war in Iraq, or lied in an effort to over exagerate the possible threat. Why if you hadn’t just reminded me, I would have completely forgotten because I have never heard that repeated in the MSM.
In fact, the MSM has completely given Bush a pass. I see what you mean now.
great job
neocon
24. cam | August 7th, 2008 at 12:46 am
neocon,
It is not about saying it once and approaching every story as though they all have two sides. It’s the lack of follow up and comprehensive investigative reporting. Fact is the media is neither biased one way or the other. Ultimately they are all just lazy and have made the news into just another ratings game.
Certainly you will be able to find stories biased to the right or to the left. And certainly the majority of journalists, as I understand it, have a left leaning personally. However, the majority of media outlets are owned by large corporations who have always leaned right. Ownership typically leans to the right. And ultimately all people who work for an employer know what the company line is and know not to cross it. So ultimately if any story is to get too uncomfortable for ownership, it will get quashed. Sure those left leaning journalists may get some free rein but if they cross the company line watch out. Anyone who wants to keep their job knows just were that line is.
It used to be that the news was a loser financially. News was seen as important and every effort was made to do in depth investigative reporting. As such many stories could not be used until a full in depth investigation was completed. As such a huge investment had to be made many times in order to develop the story with no guarantee that any particular story would ever pan out.
Now, most stories are done with little in depth investigation and the ultimate outcome is glossed over. News organizations rely more and more on sensationalism, prepackaged press releases and other dubious sources. With so much flotsam it has become easier for scoundrels like the ones currently in the White House to get away with criminal behavior as the latest distraction provides fodder for this entertainment that passes as news.
While there are good sources for hard news you have to look for it and the majority of people, I believe, do not or do not even want to be taken away from those things that are truly of interest to them. Someone said give them bread and circuses. Well, my friend, this is truer than ever.
25. neocon | August 7th, 2008 at 9:07 am
cam,
You’re a lot like Obama. You spout something off and then later have to define and clarify your position which is a sure sign of someone not grounded in reality. And considering that you seemingly know everything about the inner workings of corporate media, I’d say that lack of reality assessment is spot on.
I enjoy reading your naive posts though, you’re a good reflection of youthful ignorance.
26. Diane Clark | August 7th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Divided country with extremes on both sides with neither seeing the truth. OBL sent and made us feel the pain in the Middle East on 9-11. The Bush Admin’s reply was to commit to redirecting all that violence back to its source. Can we connect the Middle East to the world including the huge youth bulge that is now happening there or will we give that fight to future generations. Sanctions you say, well 50,000 mostly the very young and the very old died due to sanctions every year since 1991. Where is your outrage on that one? It did not hamper Saddam at all in fact France was working with the UN to lift the sanctions. The Middle East is what happens when economics and content flow comes to traditional societies and it comes before security and political changes. Just bombing them will not address the basic problem of horrible dictators, they remain and are emboldened even more. America is not about empire, we never have been, we have walked away from more power than any nation in the history of the world. I am an American and proud to say so. I see bad decisions on both sides of the aisle. I say we are a force for good in the world and am proud of our young officers who get it and relish their role in bringing peace to us and them. Ask yourself what did you do?
27. Danish Artist | August 7th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Something else that Barack Obama has failed to bring up … and that the leftist media has failed to point out (there’s a surprise) … is that Obama voted for an energy bill in 2005 that included billions in subsidies for oil and natural gas production. Dick Cheney was credited with writing, or at least influencing, much of the bill. And yet Barack voted for it … TWICE. Even more surprising is that John McCain did not vote for the bill “because it included billions in unnecessary tax breaks for the oil industry.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080805/ap_on_el_pr/obama
Where is the MSM on this?
Crickets.
28. cam | August 7th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
neocon,
I must be spot on.
You are now resorting to the “young and naive” assertion you have used before. When you can not disprove my analysis you resort to unsopported proclomations.
But then, if you actually took the time to try to put together a reasoned argument, you might find you would have to admitt that, my arguments are close to the mark, even in your world.
Now you wouldn’t want that. It would destroy one of the most overused specious arguments ever put out by the right. Without that argument, you would have little if anything. It always seems to be the “liberal media’s” fault.
But then that seems to be a pattern with you. Without a reasoned response you resort to proclomations.