Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Folks wonder why I grind on about how pathetic the press and media is today and this is an excellent example, just as the Haaretz article in another thread started this morning about how "Obama may lose Egypt" as though it was ours to lose.
This also illustrates why we try to get members to accurately title threads, as like newspapers and interviews as you posted in your link, the title may indicate one thing but the content within may be something else entirely. Many people just read the headline and form an opinion without ever reviewing the content and what is actually said.
These are some of the worst and crude examples of journalism and overt propaganda I've seen in a while. Only I'm not sure whether to be bugged by media and press efforts to do this or people who can't see such obvious attempts when it is done.
In the case of the link I started the thread with, the fact remains that Israel enjoys a special relationship with the U.S. and from my perspective that was the reason for leading with Israel. Yes, MSNBC did mention that Senator Paul wants to end all foreign aid, however, you'll note that there was no push back from his colleagues regarding ending aid to Africa or to anywhere else, only Israel.
Now, we could argue as to whether or not the reporter chose to only ask for reactions regarding aid to Israel, and then we'll end up circling round and round regarding the nature of that special relationship and whether it deserves special focus and so on.
I stand by my assessment that a call to end aid that includes Israel is a big deal and as such I think it deserved the headline.
In the case of the link I started the thread with, the fact remains that Israel enjoys a special relationship with the U.S. and from my perspective that was the reason for leading with Israel. Yes, MSNBC did mention that Senator Paul wants to end all foreign aid, however, you'll note that there was no push back from his colleagues regarding ending aid to Africa or to anywhere else, only Israel.
Now, we could argue as to whether or not the reporter chose to only ask for reactions regarding aid to Israel, and then we'll end up circling round and round regarding the nature of that special relationship and whether it deserves special focus and so on.
I stand by my assessment that a call to end aid that includes Israel is a big deal and as such I think it deserved the headline.
Actually I think we are on the same page, but I may have been clumsy in the use of my words.
My point is that while Paul called for the end of all aid, MSNBC, as with most every other news outlet in America only focused on the cutting of aid to Israel. Yes the United States does have as the State Department defines it, "A special relationship" which goes beyond just an alliance and offers Israel special treatment no other nation on earth gets.
The reason I object to MSNBC (not you) for using that title is because many of the posters as well as most readers or watchers of news will see just the title and assume Rand Paul is focusing on Israel and already there have been several stories accusing him of anti-Israel views and even antisemitism. Had he called only for the ending of aid to Israel and no other nation, I might see how people can then take that position, but that is not what he said.
I do focus on the precision of language, context, and what is suggest both implicitly and explicitly when I read my news.
An obvious example as is follows.
"Obama calls for murders to be punished to the full extent of the law"
Now if I post a thread or write an article that has the headline, "Obama calls for murders", then go off on some random tangent using the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon to somehow show this in whatever context I'm attempting to show, I've deliberately mislead the reader, no? Which is why we encourage people to title threads accurately, as you are well aware of how these threads go when we do this sort of thing. Now when the media or press does this, usually in a more sophisticated and subtle manner, it is still a gross misuse of context in my opinion, and what happens is what we see in this thread.
I understand fully your reasoning and agree, but I don't think everyone is willing to both read the title and the content, then post a response and I think we have seen evidence of this exact thing happening here. Now many it was the intent of MSNBC to point out only the aid to Israel but that in itself speaks volumes of our pro-Israeli bias in our press and media.
The principal reason for "foreign aid" is to provide subsuies for the American business that take that money and ship to the recieving country goods or services. Very little "aid" is ever actually spent in the countries that recieve the "aid". This is one of the principal ways American businesse have become dependant on US government spending.
If we have to keep buying stuff from these socialized companies I would prefer the stuff remain here as well. Think of how much of our roads, bridges and water works we could repair with our "foreign aid" spending.
Except for Iran, who didn't become an enemy of the US until 1979, what COUNTRIES "over there" are enemies of the U.S.?
Technically none of them are enemies, including Iran. But many of them are or have been hostile to the United States, including Libya, Iraq, Syria, South Yemen when it existed, etc.
Technically Israel is not an ally, either; we have no mutual defense treaty with them. We just act as if we did, because of the influence they exert on our elections.
I think Israel should pay us annually for sticking up for them. 5 billion should cover it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
