Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Bodhi on October 28, 2003, 09:57:24 PM
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Bert Kinzey is a former Army officer who became an expert in military aviation and has authored literally dozens* of books, principally aimed at the aviation enthusiast and scale modeler, and that are definitely apolitical. However, with his research efforts on military subjects he has gained a wealth of contacts within the U.S. military, and is one of the premier authorities on military subjects in this country.
Please read what Bert has to say about CNN.
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As many of you know, although some do not, I wrote a book about the Gulf War shortly after it ended in 1991. It was published by McGraw Hill, and was titled, "The Fury of Desert Storm, the Air Campaign." While that book's primary focus was on the air war, much of it also addressed the news coverage of the war. I pointed out how there were two big losers during that war; Iraq and the news media.
Both the news media and Iraq had many things in common, one of which was that they brought their problems on themselves.. I explained how the news media, particularly CNN, inaccurately reported the war, misstating the facts, and in many cases deliberately telling outright lies. I dedicated an entire chapter to a dishonest CNN report about the B-1 bomber and evaluated its inaccuracies line by line. I illustrated that the report was full of lies, and these were about clearly established facts and not about someone's opinion. I spoke in person to the people in the Pentagon that CNN had been interviewed and filmed for that report, and they told me how CNN edited what they said to make it seem like they were saying exactly the opposite of what they actually said. I spoke with CNN's people here in Atlanta and at the Pentagon, including Wolf Blitzer, and he admitted he knew nothing about the military. A CNN employee in Atlanta admitted to me that they did not care if they got their reporting accurate. They only wanted to get it on the air first and in the most dramatic manner possible. Their primary purpose was to make money by selling ad space, not reporting the news. The story goes on and on.
Unfortunately, twelve years later, the situation has not improved at CNN. I have watched them as well as other news sources recently, and their lies and inaccuracies are even more common than they were in 1991. Their bias is also beyond belief. They are showing almost exclusively an anti-war stance by people who are so delusional that they believe that peace is merely the absence of war. While everyone, including news organizations, have their own bias, it is neither professional nor honest to concentrate almost exclusively on one side of an issue, particularly one so important as this. To do so presents an inaccurate and dishonest view of what is actually happening, and this does not allow viewers to form informed and valid opinions.
For example, CNN concentrates almost exclusively on those few nations that are against us in this effort and makes almost no mention of the many more that are supporting us.. They ignore and do not report on our success in Afghanistan where we have returned women to classrooms and professional occupations and where people are returning to that country with expectations for a bright future free of terror, all thanks to America. Before we drove out the Taliban, people were fleeing Afghanistan.
CNN also makes the viewer believe that those who protest the war are in far greater numbers than those who are supporting it. This is clearly not the case, and even CNN's own surveys show that 66% of Americans support military action to disarm Iraq. (ABC and FOX surveys place that percent in the upper 70s.) For example, this past Saturday, over 3,000 people turned out in Atlanta, the home of CNN, to support the war on a dreary and rainy day. At the same time, there was an anti-war rally in Atlanta that was attended by twenty-two, that's right TWENTY-TWO protesters. Anyone care to guess how CNN covered it? I recently heard the percentage of students that protested the war at universities across America, and in almost every case, it was less than one percent. That means that ninety-nine percent did not protest against the war, and in many cases the number gathering to support President Bush and our troops far exceed the number who protested against it. But who does CNN report? Clearly, all sides need to be presented in a balanced manner, and CNN skews their coverage extremely in one direction. In my view, their coverage with its inaccuracies, lies, distortions, and blame America first bias is nothing short of criminal.
CNN has seldom reported much about the continuing atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein throughout his time in power. Here is a man who has attacked his neighbor to the east and his neighbor to the southeast. Here is a man who has fired missiles at his neighbors to the southwest and the west. Hussein has gassed his own people and habitually tortures those that disagree with him. He has had the wives and children of dissidents brought in and tortured, raped, and killed those family members before their very eyes. Here is a man who would destroy oil wells and dams to create ecological disasters and kill the Iraqi people. On the other side of the coin are the Americans who will bring freedom from this oppression to the Iraqis, who will bring food and medicine to them, who will protect Iraq's infrastructure, and who will treat Iraqi prisoners who surrender in a humane way. But CNN makes America out to be the bad guy! How does that work?
If you are like me and believe that the freedom of the press carries with it an obligation to be accurate, fair, balanced, and honest, I ask you to do two things. First, please pass this e-mail on to everyone you know so that they may realize what CNN is doing. Second, I ask you to stop the lies, turn off CNN, and send them an e-mail that you are doing so. I ask you to look elsewhere for your news coverage. I find the FOX News Network, The News Hour on PBS, and MSNBC to be far more fair. Sure, there is some bias anywhere, but it is not so extreme nor calculated. On these networks I hear both sides about equally. I hear about France like I do on CNN, but I also hear about Japan and Australia as well as the many other countries that are backing us in so many ways. As of today, three countries in Europe are against us, and twenty-two have come out in support of us. Most of the twenty-two have never been mentioned on CNN, but representatives of France and Germany are on CNN almost hourly. So please take a look at several news choices and find one that is accurate, fair, and balanced. It is only that way that you will get an honest view of what is going on. I am not telling you which one to choose, I'm only asking you to turn off CNN.
It is not in my present plans to write another book for the general public on this war. But that may change. I am so sickened by the reporting of CNN that I may just do so. If I do, I will not focus on the air war this time. Instead I will simply state the facts that clearly prove that CNN is lying and distorting the news about our country, our leaders, and our military.
Finally, I would like to remind you to do a third thing. As most of you know, I have a son who is a Navy pilot and who has been flying missions in the Middle East since last November. So, as the father of one of our deployed military personnel, and as a former Army officer myself, I ask all of you to remember our troops, support them, and pray for them even more than you usually do in these critical days ahead. I know many of you also have family members or friends who are over there ready to do their jobs in support of our country. It is those troops who keep us free, and who are ready to lay down their lives to protect our country. It is not the movie stars nor the news reporters that have ever protected us.
For those of you who pass this on to your friends, I thank you for your help in spreading the word about CNN.
God bless America,
Bert
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Bodhi,
I had no idea about the book. You've certainly notched up my interest about it. I'll have to look for it in the bookstores.
As to the validity of the newsies. I've seen them in action having been at several scenes they reported on. What they put out made me think I had been somewhere else. There was virtually nothing accurate about it other than the date.
There was an early time in US history where the news was all considred to be, as Dowding says, bollucks. The term yellow journalism was coined for that particular type of trash. Later there was a reformation in journalism but that seems to have fallen out of vogue. The "modern" broadcast media is again in full yellow. It only has to be fast, not accurate. Shocking or graphic to get attention so they can sell advertising. The same for most print which is mostly editorial content and not reporting.
Best wishes for your son's safety and return home.
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Here is the link to his book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0830630929/qid=1067400903/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-9547941-3148903?v=glance&s=books
Here is a link to his request to forward this message to as many as you wish provided that the content is not changed or edited.
http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/kinzeycnn.html
I have the book, and will do my best to help find it for others should they want.
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FWIW top CNN management has addmited that they sugarcoated reports from Iraq in order to curry favor and gain access from the Saddam government. Of course they only fessed up after Saddam was gone. :)
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Originally posted by Maverick
...Best wishes for your son's safety and return home.
Maverick, I am just forwarding on Bert's letter as I am a friend who felt it worth repeating. I will pass on your well wishes though.
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The only reason I posted this Grunzherz, was because of the reliance most on this board place in the media.
It is wrong.
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http://www.foxnews.com
They report, you decide :D
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I work on a military installation. It is interesting that for a number of years, the only cable news network availabe in the chow hall, in the barracks, in offices, in the operations centers and command posts was CNN or CNN Headline News. Just recently, they added Fox News. Want to guess what channel is now on regularly in all those places? Yep...Fox. Overseas in-theater, the only news available was CNN, the European version based in Paris. When they recently changed to Fox News for our deployed troops, moral was reported to go up immediately and dramatically.
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As to the validity of the newsies. I've seen them in action having been at several scenes they reported on. What they put out made me think I had been somewhere else. There was virtually nothing accurate about it other than the date.
I'd have to second that. while not having to run into them professionally very often (thank God), I have been around maybe a dozen or so times when the news showed up to report on something. in all the times I've never seen them come up with what I'd call an acurate take on the situation.
as one example we had a train de-rail downtown a few years ago. in the process it hit a major natural gas station (kind of a pipeline hub), because of the fire's heat they set up the news on the oposite side of the river. and I happened to be there when they where setting up. they where quoting things on what the fire would do to the structural integrity of the bridge that had been said by a homeless man who wandered up as they where setting up, and even asked a guy to discribe what happened who showed up about 15 minutes after they arrived.
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You can quote me on this....
Reporters and the news media are the maggots that feed on other people's misery.
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Want a glimpse at the way it works? Read this book:
BIAS: A CBS INSIDER EXPOSES HOW THE MEDIA DISTORT THE NEWS by Bernard Goldberg
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Thanks Bodhi! I first heard about Mr. Kinzey through his "In Detail and Scale" series.
mauser
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NO TRUE!
GREAT SHAITAN BOOSH CONTROL ALL MEDIA IN EVIL AMREEKA!
DETH TO AMREEKA!
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Originally posted by Dago
Want a glimpse at the way it works? Read this book:
BIAS: A CBS INSIDER EXPOSES HOW THE MEDIA DISTORT THE NEWS by Bernard Goldberg
After you read that, read Al Franken's latest book, especially the chapter "I ***** slap Bernie Goldberg"
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Originally posted by DmdNexus
You can quote me on this....
Reporters and the news media are the maggots that feed on other people's misery.
We agree on this!
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Originally posted by Bodhi
Here is the link to his book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0830630929/qid=1067400903/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-9547941-3148903?v=glance&s=books
I have the book, and will do my best to help find it for others should they want.
Two reviews - 1 said it was great, then 3 years later someone said it was horrible. I think a better book about the Desert Storm campaign would "Storm Over Iraq" by Richard Hallion. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1560987235/qid=1067450885/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-7102023-6261532?v=glance&n=507846
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Another view on media and the war in Iraq:
_Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq_, by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber.
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the reason FOX topped CNN is because the majority of viewers with half a brain clearly saw through the liberal/left/dem slant of CNN "reporting"
the irony is Desert Storm made CNN what it became before its fall
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Originally posted by midnight Target
After you read that, read Al Franken's latest book, especially the chapter "I ***** slap Bernie Goldberg"
Not if you sent it to me for free and put a dollar bill between each of the pages.
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"viewers with half a brain"
That explains a lot about Fox viewers.... ;)
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The only reason I posted this Grunzherz, was because of the reliance most on this board place in the media.
I have to agree.. most American's make their minds up on just about anything based on the 'news' (i.e. media).
Most news and media reporting is short-sighted, incomplete and extremely biased... world-wide.
How often have you witnessed or been involved in something that comes out totally in the newspaper from what really happened. Soooo many times I've thought.. WTF?
it's usually simply to drum-up viewers, buyers, etc..
sensationalism for EVERYTHING.. make it sound interesting, etc
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Originally posted by FUNKED1
NO TRUE!
GREAT SHAITAN BOOSH CONTROL ALL MEDIA IN EVIL AMREEKA!
DETH TO AMREEKA!
Ya know Funked I gotta say, I really impressed that you have switch over from saying "Satan" in these posts to "Shaitan". It shows much more cultural awareness and senstivity.
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You guys ever seen "Fist Full of Dollars" ... Eastwood rolls into town ... plays both sides of each other ... both sides kill each other (mostly) and eastwood leaves with the money ... (Cnn is like Eastwood)
Funny how the Media likes Wars until we get into them ..... (Wars are good for bussiness, and so is Anti-War)
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oioioiooooo DA DA oioioiiooooo DA DA!
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I blame Clinton
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Originally posted by Wlfgng
I have to agree.. most American's make their minds up on just about anything based on the 'news' (i.e. media).
Most news and media reporting is short-sighted, incomplete and extremely biased... world-wide.
How often have you witnessed or been involved in something that comes out totally in the newspaper from what really happened. Soooo many times I've thought.. WTF?
it's usually simply to drum-up viewers, buyers, etc..
sensationalism for EVERYTHING.. make it sound interesting, etc
HAve to agree with you totally Wlfgang.
THe news media needs to be accountable for what they report.
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Originally posted by Bodhi
HAve to agree with you totally Wlfgang.
THe news media needs to be accountable for what they report.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Yellow journalism is still rampant in America.
But you know accountability will put Rush and O'Reilly out of work! :lol
Here's an annotated list of O'Reilly's... many mis-facts.
http://www.fair.org/extra/0205/oh_really.html
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quote:
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Originally posted by FUNKED1
NO TRUE!
GREAT SHAITAN BOOSH CONTROL ALL MEDIA IN EVIL AMREEKA!
DETH TO AMREEKA!
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Ya know Funked I gotta say, I really impressed that you have switch over from saying "Satan" in these posts to "Shaitan". It shows much more cultural awareness and senstivity.
__________________
- Thrawn
Thrawn, it is funny in a way to see Funked use the word "Shaitan" but to me its a sign that he wants to "Know thy enemy." Even though he has made a joke, he has also made an effort to learn the Islamic words. Its a good thing.
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Originally posted by DmdNexus
Here's an annotated list of O'Reilly's... many mis-facts.
http://www.fair.org/extra/0205/oh_really.html
He says what his audience wants to hear. That is what is making him rich. The truth is irrelevant.
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Originally posted by Sixpence
He says what his audience wants to hear. That is what is making him rich. The truth is irrelevant.
As is the case with all conservative banter... and public policy.
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Originally posted by DmdNexus
...But you know accountability will put Rush and O'Reilly out of work! :lol
Almost all journalism in this country is a bunch of misguided BS intended to be sold to the masses to make $$$. It is not a solely conservative deal, nor is just liberal... regardless if you choose to try to paint it that way. But you are welcome to remain obtuse if you choose, but you look as stupid as this has all become.
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you got it.. it's all about the dollar
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Originally posted by Wlfgng
you got it.. it's all about the dollar
I've been saying it since 1979 Hostage crisis in regards to the media....
"Chaos is CASH"
(http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/images/smilies/blingbling.gif)
(I would even go as far as saying that in my version of "Future Shock", we may have domestic terrorism created at the hands of the media for sheer profit of covering the event, via sponsors)
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Ripsnort, I have believed that for quite sometime...
Who knows... prolly already in the works.