Posted on 08/02/2006 5:58:10 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
August 2, 2006 - 08:17
The uniformed Cuban military officer pictured here barks commands at a smallish crowd in Havana that responds with pro-Fidel chants. Imagine you're an objective journalist. How would you report it? "The Castro regime orchestrates a public show of support," perhaps? Not Andrea Mitchell. Appearing on this morning's Today show, here's how she characterized what you have to imagine was a less-than-spontaneous event:
"In Havana, Cubans turn out to show support for their long-time leader."
No surprise. I did ask you to imagine how an 'objective' journalist would report it.
Andrea managed to get through her segment without mentioning Communism, repression or anything else that would cast aspersions on Los Hermanos Castro. She even obligingly passed along this bit of Castro propaganda: "He [Fidel] is calling on Cubans to remain calm, and they seem to be." Despite all the conjecture as to the state of his health Fidel hasn't made any public appearances. How can Mitchell know that it was indeed the great leader who was 'calling on' the Cuban people? And was it Fidel's reassuring words, or living in a police state, that had that calming effect on the Cuban people?
The closest Mitchell came to suggesting that things weren't all sweetness and light in Cuba was her description of designated dictator Raul as 'politically hard-line.' Not a 'hard-line Communist.' Just passionate about his politics, that scamp Raul.
Andrea also expressed some curious ambiguity as to the US style of government. She mentioned that the Bush administration is planning to spend $80 million to broadcast and communicate to the Cuban people 'the American form of democracy.' The American form? In contrast to the Cuban form of democracy, Andrea? Mitchell mentioned that the Cuban government finds our efforts 'very provocative.' I bet.
If Andrea was showing exquisite sensitivity for the concerns of dictators abroad, Today weatherman Al Roker was a relative breath of fresh air at home. At the conclusion of the predictable segment on the hot weather gripping much of the nation, Matt Lauer raised the global-warming specter:
"You hear people put up with the heat, and then they say 'global warming, this is global warming.' What do you think?"
Roker's even-handed response:
"We get heat waves, this is not unusual. It's been five years since we've had one of this magnitude, but it happens. It doesn't support, nor negate, global warming."
Unintentional Humor Department: NBC's Lisa Daniels reported from Boston as part of the heat-wave coverage. As photo-ops go it didn't begin to approach Canoe-Gate magnitude, but at one point Daniels donned a hard hat to make a ceremonial shovel of steaming-hot asphalt. She later pointed to a tall construction crane and exclaimed, in sympathy with those working on it: "it's 250 feet closer to the sun!" And here I thought people go to the mountains in the summer because it's cooler!
Today Show/NewsBusters ping.
Today Show/NewsBusters ping.
Sure... Those who are not in jail, murdered, or in Miami support him.
bttt
Sorry for the double ping. Andrea has made me jumpy this morning ;-)
Should read: "In Havana, Cubans are forced to show support for their long-time opressor."
Reminds me of the George Carlin question: "Why does it take longer for rice krispies at the bottom of the bowl to dry out than those at the top? Because those at the top are closer to the sun."
So, Andrea makes you jumpy, huh?
She makes me nauseous....so I am glad I can READ about her here....LOL
I think it was Andrea that came on the night that Arafat died, with Pat Buchanan, I thought they both were going to cry through the night...poor Pat was definitely upset..and if I remember correctly, Andrea was pretty morose as well...
BLECH!
You know, I have to hope that Andrea burns in hell for that one. My stepbrother's fiance and her family escaped from Cuba in the 60's and to hear her tell it, very, very few Cubans support Castro.
Mitchell has GOT to know better and if she doesn't, she has no place giving interviews.
Oh, there are the male liars that contributed to the decline in quality. But it's the feminization that's
really done the [declining] number. Include the "girly men" as well.
Perhaps they play to the audience, since the media is complicit with the dumbing down of morals,
common sense, reality, etc.
She (her face) makes me think of a snare drum!
LOL
Andrea Mitchell is Ellen Ratner without the peyote.
Anyone even suspected of being an objector of Castro has been jailed, with long long sentences.....25 years. Castro wanted everyone who could overthrow his successor out of the way. Many have been outright murdered by brother Raoul and his minions.
They're doing their best to eliminate the possibility of an uprising when Fidel dies.
The stories my stepbrother's fiance tells about life in Cuba are so very sad. She still has family there.
And when the media speaks glowingly about Cuba's wonderful national healthcare, it's all I can do not to spit at them.
Suzie (fiance) has talked about dirty needles, filthy bedsheets, disease, non-licensed "doctors", etc.
One of "those" channels (history, learning, weather, etc.) had one about a mega-tsunami which will eventually happen when a particular island collapses into the sea (in the Canary Islands, maybe?). The entire east coast of North America will be inundated, with about eight hours notice.
Of course, it could be tomorrow or a hundred thousand years, who knows?
they have to support fidel. he's all they have. if the exiles return from miami with money and want their properties back, all holy hell will break loose. fidel is the only thing holding back the flood of repatrriation. cubans don't have much, but they're afraid they'll have even less if the exiles return. might say it's a cath-veinte-dos.
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