A New Police Force for a New Country

Originally posted by hogtie
No free press has ever been given such open access to military operations.

Hogwash, I grew up watching the dead and maimed bodies during the vietnam war every night on the evening news. Please dont insult me by claiming the us military is giving open access to the press in iraq.

Our government isnt even willing to honor our soldiers by showing the flag drapped caskets returning from the middle east, let alone allowing the real carnage in iraq to be shown. The government is acutely aware that if the american public is shown the truth that the public would not tolerate the travesty occurring in iraq.
.

Originally posted by df1
Hogwash, I grew up watching the dead and maimed bodies during the vietnam war every night on the evening news. Please dont insult me by claiming the us military is giving open access to the press in iraq.

Our government isnt even willing to honor our soldiers by showing the flag drapped caskets returning from the middle east, let alone allowing the real carnage in iraq to be shown. The government is acutely aware that if the american public is shown the truth that the public would not tolerate the travesty occurring in iraq.
.

Hogwash?! Indeed good sir, you go too far. I'll have your guns for that!

I said "such open access". In Vietnam you did not have daily Q&A sessions with the military, or reporters riding shotgun with every unit. The sad part is that a lot of reporters just used this to promote their carreers or get a book deal. Vietnam may have been the "television" war, but nowhere near this much. If there's a problem with the stories coming out of Iraq, look to the reporters, not the military.

[edit on 18-7-2006 by hogtie]

Double post. Sorry.

[edit on 18-7-2006 by hogtie]

Originally posted by df1

Originally posted by 2manyquestions
I counted a total of 26 reports on bad news...

Perhaps the reason that all of the news reports out of iraq are bad is that nothing good is happening in iraq that merits being reported.

You misunderstood. I wasn't talking about news out of Iraq, I was talking about LOCAL news. That means within the City. If 26 reports were on 'bad' news, does that mean nothing of a 'good' nature was going on within the city? Of course not! I happen to live in one of the safest cities within the U.S. and I know for a fact that there are dozens, if not hundreds of good acts going on daily within this city,....everything from charity, to the cop who defended a potential victim, maybe even took a bullet for him/her.

Its quite hard for a reasonable person to believe the fairy tale being being spun by the goernment when all other evidence points to the contrary.

There is no evidence that points to the contrary. There are only news programs and newspapers who happen to focus most of their air-time/space on bad news. Of course it is difficult to believe anything good is going on in the world if nothing good is given equal attention, ESPECIALLY if you don't live in that region, and can't see what is really going on around you. Your only window into Iraq is what is being televised for you. Other people make decisions on what YOU should see! Why should you give attention to one source more than the other, when you don't know who's feeding/filtering these images and reports to you? To continue to believe that the Governemnt is constantly lying to you, but the News programs and newspapers (in other words businesses) are telling you the truth is ridiculous. If you're going to be paranoid about one group, why would you fully trust the other?

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. It is imperative for the problems with the iraqi police force to be indentified otherwise those problems will not get fixxed.

I completely agree with you. The problem (if there is a problem) must be recognized, and dealt with.

The misinformation from our government may make you feel good and proud to be an american, but it is doesnt do a damn thing for the citizens of iraq, honorable iraqi police personnel or for the american troops that must work with the iraqi police.

You know why I feel proud to be an American (a fairly new American at that)? Because I know what it is like not to be able to make up your own mind, to have someone tell you what you can and can't do. I know what it is like to be truly brainwashed. I know what it is like to be confined to only a few countries, and being forbidden to visit most of the world. I know what it is like when the Government can come in and simply take all your land because they want it (they did this to all land owners). I know what it's like to be told that ambition is bad, unless it is to further the reputation of my Government. I know what its like to live in fear that someone will come and imprison my entire family because I said "the government sucks" to a couple of 'friends', or didn't want to cooperate with the commrades.
Basically I love having the freedom to now be able do all of those things above, and to be able to choose what source from what country I want to read and believe. I don't have five to choose from anymore, all put out by the Government with the exact same opinions. I'm sorry, but for those of you who have always lived in Democracy, you simply don't know how good you have it. I understand! Believe me, I do. You just don't know any better, and at one point I didn't know any better either. While the U.S. Government may be filled with conspiracies, and maybe some form of propaganda, you still have the choice NOT to believe. You still have a choice and the freedom to seek outside opinion on many situations in the world. This freedom I'm talking about is all these proud Americans want for the Iraqi people. They remain hopeful that this is possible. You may think that this hope doesn't do anything for the Iraqi people, but I bet it has a big effect on them. The fact that they're not afraid to take on the streets sometimes in protest of the U.S. occupation says it works. Did they ever have the guts or the freedom to protest Saddam? I don't think so. All this is just my humble opinion of course.

2manyquestions,
You're right. A lot of us do take our freedom for granted. That is why new blood is important. Welcome to the US. I'm glad you're here.

Thank you Hogtie. I hope people will realize that while they still have freedom to discuss these subjects here on boards such as these without being followed by the secret police and imprissoned for their opinions, they should be proud to be Americans, and wish those same freedoms for other not-so-fortunate countries as well. My choice is to see the negatives AND positives of this war. You don't have to like the situation to enjoy some of the positive outcomes. I'm sorry about the long-winded replies. I'm hopped up on caffeine, and it makes me very verbal today.

"....Its quite hard for a reasonable person...."

REPLY: Something you show yourself not to be. I, too, grew up during the VN war. I saw how people like Kerry, Kennedy, Fonda (and people like you) were so proud to cause us to lose that war; and that war was lost right here in America, not in Viet Nam. Our soldiers won every major battle in Nam.

So, in your efforts to cause our brave soldiers to lose again, you choose to refute and/or disbelieve any proof of the good things happening, even from those, like myself, who have seen it first hand. You're getting as bad as Souljah.

Our government isnt even willing to honor our soldiers by showing the flag drapped caskets

REPLY: Since WW2, there are restrictions on what can be shown. Showing the coffins does not honor those who gave it all. It gives aid and comfort to the enemy, both here (like you) and abroad, and also reduces the resolve of some soldiers in the field who, by the way, are fighting for your right and ablity to dishonor them.

Feel better?

[edit on 19-7-2006 by zappafan1]