Posted on 01/07/2005 3:10:40 AM PST by kattracks
A funny thing happened in Hong Kong while UN Undersecretary for Human Services Jan Egeland was musing on wealthier nations being "stingy" in their initial response to the Indian Ocean tidal wave that washed over gigantic chunks of Southern and Southeast Asia.
While this UN bureaucrat was busy berating the more developed and affluent nations of the world, thousands of citizens from one such nation were interrupting their long-made plans to provide what would become the world's first response to the cataclysm.
That response came from the American aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and elements of the battle group sailing with her. They were enjoying a bit of well-earned Christmas liberty in Hong Kong when the 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck on December 26.
Within 48 hours of the disaster, the Lincoln and other U.S. warships had received their orders, called back their crews from shore leave, taken on whatever supplies they could and weighed anchor for the hardest hit areas to begin the relief effort. Around the same time, other ships and aircraft were being dispatched from the American naval facility on Diego Garcia in the heart of the Indian Ocean.
All this military power - most notably the efforts of 13,000 sailors, soldiers, marines and airmen - isn't cheap, and the Pentagon Thursday noted that the American military role in the humanitarian effort adds up to about $6 million a day. Over the course of the past week, that represents a greater relief effort than what's been pledged by any number of sovereign nations including Saudi Arabia.
To the credit of the media, this humanitarian response by our military has not gone un-noticed. The men and women who are carrying out this work represent the very best of the United States to the entire world and it is right the news media take note of this.
So why is it the media have been much less interested in the equally important humanitarian work carried out every day by our troops in Iraq for the past year and a half?
Since the spring of 2003, American forces have been laboring under the most dangerous circumstances imaginable to help rebuild Iraq. Even as fighting was taking place mere kilometers away from them, American and allied troops were working to restore electrical power, rebuild schools and hospitals, deliver potable water and medicine, and perform any number of other vitally important jobs.
American humanitarian efforts in Iraq have been Herculean, yet have been barely touched on by the establishment media, which prefers instead to focus on rare foibles by individual soldiers, death tolls and perceived policy failures.
This disparity of news coverage suggests the political agenda of the liberal media in America. The humanitarian aspects of our military in response to a random geological disaster is favorably noted, but similar efforts over a far longer period of time in conjunction with a war against tyranny and terror are virtually ignored.
What the media are trying to do, in essence, is define for us what is and is not an appropriate use of American military force. When we see images of our troops doing good in the world, Americans largely support that effort, which is likely one element driving the positive news coverage regarding the tsunami relief effort.
It's just as likely an element driving the virtual absence of reporting on the good works of our troops in Iraq. The media are reluctant to report on these efforts knowing that doing so would likely increase support for the ongoing war there.
The bottom line is the media flexing its muscle as a means of political manipulation. While the media's target of such manipulation is President Bush, his policies on Iraq and the war on terror, the casualties come not from the White House but the men and women in arms and their families.
These are the people bearing the burden of risk and labor and separation involved in rebuilding Iraq, yet they receive scant credit in the news media, which essentially translates into even less credit by the American people at large. In their attempt to undermine U.S. foreign policy, the establishment media succeed in disparaging the work and sacrifice of our troops in Iraq.
Talk about stingy.
Scott Hogenson is executive editor of Cybercast News Service.
Pathetic.
So why is it the media have been much less interested in the equally important humanitarian work carried out every day by our troops in Iraq for the past year and a half?
Note to the MSM: Busted.
Outstanding article bump
They are using the same playbook. They didn't say diddley squat about the humanitarian efforts in 'Nam either, and, frankly, I doubt they'll change their tune here.
To do otherwise would go against their treasonous nature.
Dan Blather himself went aboard the Abraham Lincoln and flew with their helo crews to deliver supplies to survivors.
I heard in passing this AM that the Indonesian Islamofascist are worried that people will turn to Christianity because of the work our young people are doing to save them.
Well it does take some time for a ship to travel and I don't think we want our carriers rushing into an area where a second tsunami is still a threat. But the "Bubble Headed Bleach Blond" would never even think that logically.
I guess you are right. She seemed to be having trouble with the "why" USN warships would be combat loaded, and have to be unloaded and reloaded for a relief mission. God save us from the "perpetually indignant".
Just another example of CBS groveling to get out of the "DogHouse" with the President and his administration.
Same thing happened during Viet Nam. On three different occasions, I was involved in typhoon disaster relief in the Philippines while in the US Navy. We received medals for it, but no MSM play.
thanks goodness for the threads on the US and Australian military riding to the rescue..
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