Peter Arnett: "Iraqis ... See Me as a Fellow Warrior."

[spiritof1202]

Originally posted by The Mad Viking
OHMIGOD!!! SPIRITOF 1202!!! SHAME!!!


THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GROUP FREEDOM!!!
THIS IS A LIE USED TO PERSECUTE INDIVIDUALS!!!
IT WAS INVENTED BY "DISADVANTAGED MINORITIES"!!!

THE ONLY FREEDOMS ARE INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS!!!

YIKES!!!

Right... the freedoms of a million individuals are collectively more important than the freedom of one.

[Ned]

MarkG: Do you have the same feelings about Geraldo Rivera? He was booted out of Iraqi by the military because he gave away future ops plans. Now, he may also be out of a job because being a war correspondent was his job.

[gunkulator]

Someone please tell me what freedom Arnett has lost? Noone will stop him from working for any network that wants to hire him. Not NBC, not the gov't, not the vast right wing conspiracy - nobody. In fact, he IS right now working for another network and there isn't a single US gov't agency out to stop him.

[Ned]

Originally posted by The Mad Viking



Virtually all writers on constitutional freedoms express their belief that the media should be free from coercion by those in positions of power.

The Bill of Rights protects speakers against government action, not some amorphous people in "power." In order for Arnett's rights to have been violated, he would have to show that someone in government put some pressure on MSNBC to fire him.

Actually, if someone in government did give MSNBC such a call, MSNBC would be up in arm big time about the attempted government coercion. You can bet on it.

[Ned]

gunkulator, I think there are a lot of people who do not understand how America works. In most other countries, the TV press is not free, but is run by the government itself. So, when a reporter gets fired by, let us say, Greek TV, he is fired by the government.

[Sava]

I just think its funny how people bash this guy, but yet, he has first-hand experience. He's been right in the middle of this sh1tstorm. Not sitting on his ass in front of a computer screen; or in front of a TV watching what the media conglomerates want you to watch.

[spiritof1202]

well... we are free to bash him... most do... and thats the point.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Ned
gunkulator, I think there are a lot of people who do not understand how America works. In most other countries, the TV press is not free, but is run by the government itself. So, when a reporter gets fired by, let us say, Greek TV, he is fired by the government.

a democratic, public controlled news source, or "Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch" news?

[Sava]

Originally posted by spiritof1202
well... we are free to bash him... most do... and thats the point.

I'm free to where my underwear on the outside and walk around with mayonaise in my hair... but I don't.

[spiritof1202]

Originally posted by Sava
I'm free to where my underwear on the outside and walk around with mayonaise in my hair... but I don't.

good for you. I choose to bash Peter Arnett... doen't mean I'm wrong for doing so. I disagree with his assessment. The war plan was not clearly "wrong, in a quagmire and being rewritten", as recent history has shown, and Peter was an idiot for appearing on Iraqi TV, which is clearly a 100% anti-american/british propoganda tool.

I say shame on him, good for NBC, and I won't watch a news channel which employs him.

[Sava]

Well, I think that its wrong to assume you know more about the situation than him. I don't agree with him either, but I'm not going to make myself look like an ***** by bashing him or boycotting whatever news agency he works for.

[The Mad Viking]

Ned:

In order for Arnett's rights to have been violated, he would have to show that someone in government put some pressure on MSNBC to fire him.

No, in order for Arnett's rights to have been violated, either (A) someone acting on behalf of government interests put pressure on MSNBC to fire him, or
(B) MSNBC fired him without just cause. A reporter making an inflammatory statement might be just cause, or not. Of course, it may be impossible to PROVE his rights were violated, but that is NOT the same thing.

Actually, if someone in government did give MSNBC such a call, MSNBC would be up in arm big time about the attempted government coercion. You can bet on it.

Please.
NBC is owned by General Electric. GE makes about $2 BILLION a year from the Pentagon. The Pentagon clearly could not have been pleased with Arnett's comments. How can a media outlet who is also an arms dealer be objectively critical of their customer?

[Sava]

As for Arnett getting fired... NBC is his boss, and if his boss didn't like his conduct (i.e. doing that silly interview) than NBC has every right to fire him.

[Az]

how are you doing, TMV?

[spiritof1202]

Originally posted by Sava
Well, I think that its wrong to assume you know more about the situation than him. I don't agree with him either, but I'm not going to make myself look like an ***** by bashing him or boycotting whatever news agency he works for.

Well, I disagreed with him when he said it... and he was found to be wrong. Why is it wrong to assume that I know more than he did? Factually, he was incorrect. And why is it wrong to boycott a news agency?