Media, ratings, and public polls create a positive (or negative) feedback loop.
Public polls drop as war drags on and mistakes of war's prosecution become apparent. --- > Media plays up to these polls in an effort to gain in the ratings games ---> In some cases, media stories are slanted to mirror the polls ---> Public watching the resulting media produced have even a lower opinion, which is reflected in the next round of polls. ---- > ad nausium ad infinitum.....
If you watch, you will see some mention or tag negative toward the Bush Administration attached to just about any story now. Not an agency under the Administration, or a Congressional committee, if that's where policy was developed. Bush's low ratings has resulted in media attaching a negative to him on nearly any new item, no matter how obscure in some cases.
Be advised: I'm not a big fan of the Administration in general or the President in particular, but obviously biased news media (be it for ratings or political purposes) is a huge pet peeve on mine. The Proles are generally unintelligent sheep too much as things go now (Goebbels would love America today) to see it reinforced by the media impersonating "news" with this fodder.
So, I'm betting many human interests stories approaching the 2008 elections will be staged or coached.
On the other side though, that children are being raised with the goal or dream of being a martyr is easy enough to understand. Many in that region are illiterate, they cannot even read their own Koran, so much of what they get is through pro-fanatical media.... cassette tapes often, but websites, news outlet, official government pronouncements, all geared toward Anti-western propaganda and active movements. Most of the children of poor families get their education in Madrases funded by fanatical organizations and following their agendas.
