Whatever Happens In Egypt…
By Mitch Berg
…at least something good happened.
No, I’m not serious. What do you think I am, a leftyblogger? I don’t believe in “karma”, but I think what goes around comes around, so I have to believe there’s at least a little cosmic payback going on for his “teabagger” slurs from two years ago.
Still – while I believe Anderson Cooper is a poster child for the Hollywooding of the American “news” media, Violence, especially physical violence, is a bad thing. People – please, stop hitting each other.
There is a more important, and sinister, story behind this; there appears to be a push by pro-Mubarak forces to push the western media away from the story. There’s a method to the madness; they’ve seen how radicals the world over (and there’s at least a fair case to be made that there are radicals behind, and using, the popular unrest for their advantage) use the western media, especially American media, to manipulate world opinion, frequently with grossly-mangled context.
Liberty as we understand it in America is a wonderful thing – one we should try to export. But before you can have liberty, you must have stability, and the rule of law. Is Egyptian society stable enough, and are their society’s institutions mature enough in their approach to the idea of the rule of law, to be reasonably sure that what replaces Mubarak will be better?
In Turkey, one can reasonably say “I think so”, and support the case.
In Iran? Michael Ledeen has been making that case better than anyone in the media for half a decade at least.
Tunisia? Syria? Egypt?
Sorry to say, I’m less hopeful.
February 3rd, 2011 at 6:19 am
???????
February 3rd, 2011 at 6:51 am
Mr Cooper looked unmarked as he sat hunkered down in his hotel room last night. I think he got shoved around, based on the video of the incident. Once again, the intrepid reporter becomes part of the news instead of just communicating events. The entire bunch of MSM reporters seem to have regained their courage after Iraq, where they became targets for insurgents even as they broadcast their anti-American vitriol. If AC can just stay out of the square and perhaps do some research instead of being a cheerleader for anarchy, he may learn how to be a reporter.
February 3rd, 2011 at 7:18 am
golfdoc;
Same thing happened in Vietnam.
We had to take those morons with us on rescue missions, but before we took off, my UH-1 pilot would always remind them that we were going into a shit storm, so it was their choice whether or not to come along. If they decided to stay on board, he would then tell them, male or female, that if they got in our way, he was going to be “dropped” into the jungle!
For the most part, they behaved, but this one little puke from Newsweek if I recall, ended up getting shot on a mission with another crew.
Unless they have been a combat trained soldier, “journalists” do NOT belong in combat. They never report all the facts anyway.
February 3rd, 2011 at 8:08 am
Where the hell is Michael Yon when we need him?
February 3rd, 2011 at 8:42 am
I’ve been reading SitD too long when I read “AC” and immediately think “Angry Clown.”
February 3rd, 2011 at 10:32 am
Anderson Cooper, angryclown. Both adept observers of human nature and contemporary events. And they’re both clowns.
February 4th, 2011 at 9:14 am
In Turkey I think one could also reasonably say “I’m not sure” and back that up as well.
Lately it seems anywhere Islam is the majority religion violence or the threat of violence seems to be the norm.
February 6th, 2011 at 7:31 am
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142147
The Copts are already becoming a target in Egypt.