A look at what really happened in the presidential elections of 2000.
XXI Century: ...and nothing but the truth
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
If you are not affiliated with a college or university, and are interested in watching this film, please register as an individual and login to rent this film. Already registered? Login to rent this film.
In Part 3 the mainstream media is put on trial, including those news outlets, which sold their soul and worked as the propaganda arm of the Bush Administration.
Amongst the charges are: failure to cover massive anti-war demonstrations, failure to include opposing points of view, self-censorship on television and even in journals, willing co-optation through embedment in the armed forces, undemocratic concentration of media ownership in fewer and fewer hands, failure to provide context, such as the history of American foreign policy in the Middle East, and failure to report that the enormous weight of world public opinion opposed the war.
Those commenting include Noam Chomsky, Gore Vidal, Howard Zinn, Princeton historian Arno Mayer, Greg Palast of the BBC and The Guardian, Katha Pollitt of The Nation, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, Emily Reinhardt of Indymedia, and Danny Schechter of MediaChannel.org.
'An exceptionally well done panorama of significant political events surrounding September 11th, 2001 and the American Empire.' Willliam Blum
'Highly revealing! A documentary which celebrates the peace movement while fueling your rage to danger levels.' Red Pepper
Citation
Main credits
Zamparini, Gabriele (film director)
Zamparini, Gabriele (film producer)
Zamparini, Gabriele (screenwriter)
Zamparini, Gabriele (director of photography)
Meccoli, Lorenzo (film producer)
Meccoli, Lorenzo (screenwriter)
Meccoli, Lorenzo (director of photography)
Meccoli, Lorenzo (editor of moving image work)
Chomsky, Noam (on-screen participant)
Ratner, Michael (on-screen participant)
Tarazi, Monica (on-screen participant)
Cagan, Lesie (on-screen participant)
Goodman, Amy (on-screen participant)
Zinn, Howard (on-screen participant)
Vidal, Gore (on-screen participant)
Coen, Rachel (on-screen participant)
Seeger, Pete (on-screen participant)
White, Edmund (on-screen participant)
Pollitt, Katha (on-screen participant)
Foley, Michael (on-screen participant)
Mayer, Arno J. (on-screen participant)
Palast, Greg (on-screen participant)
Schechter, Danny (on-screen participant)
Other credits
Editor, Lorenzo Meccoli [and 5 others]; camera, lighting, and sound, Lorenzo Meccoli, Gabriele Zamparini.
Distributor subjects
American Democracy; American Studies; Anthropology; Citizenship; Civil Liberties; Conflict Resolution; Ethics; Foreign Policy, US; History; Human Rights; Humanities; International Studies; Media Studies; Social Justice; Sociology; War and PeaceKeywords
WEBVTT
00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:05.599
Plato\'s posed who said
it\'s very dangerous to
00:01:05.600 --> 00:01:09.229
allow the wrong kind of
music in the Republic.
00:01:09.230 --> 00:01:13.129
And there\'s an old Arab proverb
that says when the King puts
00:01:13.130 --> 00:01:19.920
the the poet on his payroll he
cuts off the tongue of the poet.
00:01:19.960 --> 00:01:24.124
I think of that every
time I got a job on TV
00:01:24.125 --> 00:01:31.969
The media has become an extremely
powerful force in people\'s lives.
00:01:31.970 --> 00:01:35.089
And by force I mean it
is where people not only
00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:38.149
get their news about what\'s going
on in their community and in
00:01:38.150 --> 00:01:42.619
the world and everything in between but
it\'s also where people get a lot of
00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:48.469
the ideas about who they are and what
their place if you will in society is.
00:01:48.470 --> 00:01:53.314
Democracy basically cannot work
without an informed citizenry
00:01:53.315 --> 00:01:55.969
And in a country the size
of the US that means
00:01:55.970 --> 00:01:58.699
you meet an aggressive
independent news media.
00:01:58.700 --> 00:02:01.369
Citizens are going to make
their political decisions and
00:02:01.370 --> 00:02:05.779
calculations based on information
and most of the way that we get
00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:08.794
information is through our
major mainstream media
00:02:08.795 --> 00:02:13.009
when that information is bad you
know false partial distorted.
00:02:13.010 --> 00:02:15.979
Then it\'s going to interfere
with the workings of democracy.
00:02:15.980 --> 00:02:21.780
People aren\'t gonna be informed aren\'t going
to be able to be full participatory citizen
00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:18.369
If all you read was the New York Post
00:03:18.370 --> 00:03:26.064
If all you read was the daily
news you would have no materials
00:03:26.065 --> 00:03:29.499
no information with which to form
00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:34.074
the begin to get a different
perspective and not only that.
00:03:34.075 --> 00:03:36.339
Most people don\'t read any newspaper.
00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:39.024
Most people watched television.
00:03:39.025 --> 00:03:41.649
There\'s more punditry on television.
00:03:41.650 --> 00:03:44.814
That is to say opinion
Ising than journalism.
00:03:44.815 --> 00:03:47.229
So there\'s more argument shows.
00:03:47.230 --> 00:03:53.004
Shout shows people yelling at each
other unless less light more heat.
00:03:53.005 --> 00:03:56.709
There\'s been a merger of
news biz and showbiz so that
00:03:56.710 --> 00:04:00.929
entertainment values are
infiltrating all the news coverage
00:04:00.930 --> 00:04:06.829
As a consequence there\'s less background as
context less than analysis and more image
00:04:06.830 --> 00:04:09.634
driven information which often can be very
00:04:09.635 --> 00:04:13.639
misleading or inaccurate
and work just plain wrong.
00:04:13.640 --> 00:04:19.489
People associate the news with Entertainment
Tonight or Access Hollywood or whatever.
00:04:19.490 --> 00:04:20.809
I mean they said anchor desk.
00:04:20.810 --> 00:04:23.419
So it looks kind of like
the news and people.
00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:26.599
The news is dedicated a lot
more to those kind of feature
00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:30.019
esque stories that are a lot
more celebrity reporting.
00:04:30.020 --> 00:04:32.239
It\'s Monica Lewinsky.
00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:37.669
Gary conduit OJ Simpson to a
certain extent Robert Blake.
00:04:37.670 --> 00:04:39.019
There\'s just tons of them.
00:04:39.020 --> 00:04:41.869
And in the case of someone
like Monica Lewinsky
00:04:41.870 --> 00:04:46.174
Americans have to look and say well Osama
bin Laden was out there at that time.
00:04:46.175 --> 00:04:48.019
There was a lot of things happening in
00:04:48.020 --> 00:04:50.389
the world and there always are
a lot of things happening
00:04:50.390 --> 00:04:52.399
around the world that we were caught up
00:04:52.400 --> 00:04:54.859
in whether our president was
gained a blow job or not.
00:04:54.860 --> 00:04:59.839
There is this thing called the
dumbing down of America in which
00:04:59.840 --> 00:05:02.164
fewer and fewer people read books
00:05:02.165 --> 00:05:06.259
fewer and fewer people are
interested in intellectual issues.
00:05:06.260 --> 00:05:11.449
So I think that that probably reduces
the power of intellectuals even more.
00:05:11.450 --> 00:05:13.969
But there are very few Americans
who would even described
00:05:13.970 --> 00:05:16.519
themselves as intellectuals
even those who are
00:05:16.520 --> 00:05:21.679
professors or writers or painters or whatever
they would never say I\'m an intellectual.
00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.794
It\'s considered embarrassing
to say that in America
00:05:24.795 --> 00:05:28.809
the idea of geography is very
exciting to people because I
00:05:28.810 --> 00:05:33.350
think it\'s only 7% of the
American people have passports.
00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:36.519
Only 7% had been abroad.
00:05:36.520 --> 00:05:39.789
Not counting the ones who were
sent in the military of course
00:05:39.790 --> 00:05:43.584
but 7% voluntarily going abroad.
00:05:43.585 --> 00:05:47.484
It\'s a tiny percent of those
in Congress who going abroad.
00:05:47.485 --> 00:05:51.384
Bush had never set foot in Europe
before he became president.
00:05:51.385 --> 00:05:54.159
He spent ten minutes in
China when his father was
00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:58.130
ambassador there and obviously
never went outside the compound.
00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:02.739
I have to do a lot of times in
Europe is explained to them.
00:06:02.740 --> 00:06:04.269
No Americans are not stupid.
00:06:04.270 --> 00:06:05.829
They think when they meet them they think
00:06:05.830 --> 00:06:07.829
they\'re very stupid because
they don\'t know anything.
00:06:07.830 --> 00:06:10.549
I said they are not stupid at all.
00:06:10.550 --> 00:06:13.759
As a matter of fact I think we\'re
rather brighter than the average.
00:06:13.760 --> 00:06:16.969
But we are ignorant which means not
00:06:16.970 --> 00:06:21.499
knowing we have new information
because it isn\'t given to us.
00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:23.869
Our public schools are scandal.
00:06:23.870 --> 00:06:28.564
They stopped teaching geography it in
1950 and most of the public schools.
00:06:28.565 --> 00:06:32.239
By which time we were a global
empire we have a global empire.
00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:33.964
Nobody knows where anything is.
00:06:33.965 --> 00:06:36.259
Nobody knows any languages.
00:06:36.260 --> 00:06:39.709
So our statesman go abroad
and people laugh at
00:06:39.710 --> 00:06:44.430
them because they are so
dumb or seemed to be so dumb
00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:05.160
I am so very happy to be here.
00:07:10.230 --> 00:07:16.549
I\'ve been feeling isolated so lonely.
00:07:16.550 --> 00:07:21.259
So convinced by the mainstream
media that I\'m out of
00:07:21.260 --> 00:07:29.260
my mind to be worried about this path
that we are taking tours this war.
00:07:31.470 --> 00:07:36.729
Look around you and seeing how many
people are here today because I
00:07:36.730 --> 00:07:42.500
guarantee you it will not be represented this
way when you read about it in the morning.
00:07:43.890 --> 00:07:49.839
There is a growing movement in this
country that is not only protesting war.
00:07:49.840 --> 00:07:55.794
They are protesting the media
that beat the drums for war.
00:07:55.795 --> 00:07:58.269
Most people have to rely on
00:07:58.270 --> 00:08:02.829
mainstream newspapers and other
news and it\'s terrible or system
00:08:02.830 --> 00:08:06.444
that doesn\'t especially about
foreign policy scope with
00:08:06.445 --> 00:08:11.469
usually like black is white and of his damming
the Unite tells the opposite of the truth.
00:08:11.470 --> 00:08:14.789
So I think most people despite
having like very little
00:08:14.790 --> 00:08:18.019
some are are already
suspicious of his war if they
00:08:18.020 --> 00:08:21.784
actually had more access
would totally be against it.
00:08:21.785 --> 00:08:27.889
You have people saying outrageous things
like the Cheney or Rumsfeld every day and
00:08:27.890 --> 00:08:29.929
you want to journalists and to ask
00:08:29.930 --> 00:08:34.189
difficult questions about a half
a difficult question nothing.
00:08:34.190 --> 00:08:41.449
So it\'s a complete carte blanche
for the government and they are
00:08:41.450 --> 00:08:44.914
not even talking to anybody who causes
00:08:44.915 --> 00:08:48.919
a war that people in the anti-war movements
that\'s a very one-sided picture.
00:08:48.920 --> 00:08:53.059
So it doesn\'t really help a lot of ordinary
people who are confused not really sure.
00:08:53.060 --> 00:08:56.869
Why are we attacking a country
that has an attacked us
00:08:56.870 --> 00:09:01.279
it doesn\'t help how much faith
do you place on the media and
00:09:01.280 --> 00:09:09.280
the media how much safety Place and
we ministration men and the media.
00:09:10.060 --> 00:09:16.264
The US media has really taken has
just become a propaganda machine.
00:09:16.265 --> 00:09:20.329
And that\'s a fact. There\'s nothing objective
about it whatsoever at this point.
00:09:20.330 --> 00:09:23.179
So you know written you
know watching CNN or read
00:09:23.180 --> 00:09:27.544
papers for the White House Administration
from another point of view.
00:09:27.545 --> 00:09:33.829
But I mean there\'s
00:09:33.830 --> 00:09:35.839
a lot of people here and
they\'re not going to
00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:38.824
show that they might say
that there was a protest
00:09:38.825 --> 00:09:41.404
To ask whether or not you
would say that it was
00:09:41.405 --> 00:09:46.429
October 26th there was a
major anti-war march in
00:09:46.430 --> 00:09:51.109
Washington DC outlets like the
Washington Post and the LA
00:09:51.110 --> 00:09:56.299
Times ran you know big headlines and estimated
the crowd size at around a 100 thousand.
00:09:56.300 --> 00:09:59.569
People. Also noting that this far exceeded
00:09:59.570 --> 00:10:03.709
the organizers expectations you
know they got a really big turnout.
00:10:03.710 --> 00:10:10.489
The New York Times however and National
Public Radio and rather different stories.
00:10:10.490 --> 00:10:14.239
According to them there were
a few thousand people there.
00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:18.349
And organizers were disappointed
with this small turnout.
00:10:18.350 --> 00:10:21.154
We had huge
00:10:21.155 --> 00:10:27.154
Crunch backstage of TV
cameras newspaper reporters.
00:10:27.155 --> 00:10:28.669
I was the media coordinator.
00:10:28.670 --> 00:10:34.114
I was answering phone calls every five minutes
in the days leading up to October 26th
00:10:34.115 --> 00:10:38.959
There were several reports from
some major news outlets like
00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.559
the New York Times National
Public Radio which in
00:10:42.560 --> 00:10:46.774
their initial reports reported
a few thousand people.
00:10:46.775 --> 00:10:49.579
We call the New York Times and
we said why did you print
00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:52.759
this article and they really weren\'t
interested in talking to us.
00:10:52.760 --> 00:10:55.939
We issued an action alert to
our email list which went
00:10:55.940 --> 00:10:59.884
out to about 32 or 33 thousand people.
00:10:59.885 --> 00:11:04.519
And within a day there were hundreds and
hundreds of letters being written to
00:11:04.520 --> 00:11:10.039
the New York Times and NPR asking
them to please correct this coverage.
00:11:10.040 --> 00:11:12.829
Now interestingly enough the
New York Times never ran
00:11:12.830 --> 00:11:16.789
a formal correction but three
days later on October 30th
00:11:16.790 --> 00:11:22.639
they ran a second follow-up article editor and
publisher described it as a make-up piece.
00:11:22.640 --> 00:11:25.399
Noting the correct size of the rally
00:11:25.400 --> 00:11:28.699
noting the organizers were
very pleased with the turnout.
00:11:28.700 --> 00:11:31.759
And it\'s sort of just stood
in direct contradiction to
00:11:31.760 --> 00:11:34.654
the earlier piece NPR for its part.
00:11:34.655 --> 00:11:37.444
Both updated the piece on the air and put
00:11:37.445 --> 00:11:41.054
a formal apology on their website
formerly correcting the error.
00:11:41.055 --> 00:11:45.079
And I think people have begun to
understand that part of our work has
00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:49.489
to be keeping the pressure on the
media as well as on the government.
00:11:49.490 --> 00:11:53.779
In order to get the story out there we
understand in this country that it takes
00:11:53.780 --> 00:11:55.969
media activism that the media is
00:11:55.970 --> 00:11:59.119
a part of the establishment and
they have to be ripped from it
00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:05.209
to follow. What should be their original
mission and that is to report the truth and
00:12:05.210 --> 00:12:08.299
the many truths of people who believe
00:12:08.300 --> 00:12:12.364
many different have many different
views on what should happen right now.
00:12:12.365 --> 00:12:16.309
I think that under counting crowd sizes at
00:12:16.310 --> 00:12:22.384
popular demonstrations and particularly at
peace demonstrations is a very common error
00:12:22.385 --> 00:12:27.139
enough so that it\'s a trend in mainstream
media though those of us who are
00:12:27.140 --> 00:12:31.909
activists just have to see how
the New York Times which is
00:12:31.910 --> 00:12:35.509
the the national newspaper covered
00:12:35.510 --> 00:12:41.683
two anti-war demonstrations the one on October
26th and the 1-2 weeks ago on January 18th
00:12:41.684 --> 00:12:44.394
They knew perfectly well that there are
00:12:44.395 --> 00:12:48.174
a 100 thousand people at least
they\'re on October 26th.
00:12:48.175 --> 00:12:51.939
And yet they said several
thousand in their coverage
00:12:51.940 --> 00:12:57.639
two weeks ago on January 18th The New
York Times reported tens of thousands.
00:12:57.640 --> 00:13:02.844
The police chief of Washington
DC estimated 200 thousand.
00:13:02.845 --> 00:13:07.689
So they\'re just symptoms of a
media that is now controlled
00:13:07.690 --> 00:13:14.139
by multinational corporations doing the
bidding of the corporations that own them.
00:13:14.140 --> 00:13:20.994
In the early days of the anti-war movement
the media actually covered it a fair amount.
00:13:20.995 --> 00:13:24.179
And that\'s how we knew
that things were happening
00:13:24.180 --> 00:13:29.599
You know they they covered when students
would walk out of classes in college.
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:30.989
Now they hardly cover.
00:13:30.990 --> 00:13:34.609
There\'s a lot of campus stuff going on in
the mainstream media hardly covers it.
00:13:34.610 --> 00:13:37.879
So one of the ways that
the movement grew was
00:13:37.880 --> 00:13:41.419
because the mainstream media was
covering it at a certain point I
00:13:41.420 --> 00:13:44.479
think they realized that
they were servicing us and
00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:48.274
helping us and the coverage
stopped or change and their work.
00:13:48.275 --> 00:13:52.219
And certainly in the last several
years of the anti-war movement there
00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:56.239
was often what they would show
is like the most what you might
00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:00.049
call the most fringe people
would you know people who wore
00:14:00.050 --> 00:14:02.914
the most kinda outrageous outfits and
00:14:02.915 --> 00:14:06.394
weren\'t dressed like mainstream
America or people who had the
00:14:06.395 --> 00:14:08.359
the weirdest sign or
00:14:08.360 --> 00:14:11.209
the most inflammatory cytokines
00:14:11.210 --> 00:14:14.449
and that\'s what the picture would
be or or something like that.
00:14:14.450 --> 00:14:18.169
And also one thing is that
while the media often would
00:14:18.170 --> 00:14:22.279
cover some of these stuff that
the anti-war movement was doing.
00:14:22.280 --> 00:14:25.579
They wouldn\'t always get it right
about what the content was
00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:29.374
and what the message was and often
it was portrayed as a kind of
00:14:29.375 --> 00:14:32.359
anti-American where it was really wasn\'t
00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:35.599
so much Anthony America\'s anti US policy
00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:38.734
and anti this war that the
United States was carrying out.
00:14:38.735 --> 00:14:42.289
I think the media\'s coverage
of today\'s movement is
00:14:42.290 --> 00:14:46.954
very similar to the way it covered
anti-war movement during the Vietnam War
00:14:46.955 --> 00:14:51.109
And for the most part to
media when it covered
00:14:51.110 --> 00:14:56.179
draft resistors or any kind of large
demonstrations during the Vietnam War.
00:14:56.180 --> 00:14:58.384
Focused earn.
00:14:58.385 --> 00:15:04.849
The most outrageous looking and most outrageous
behaving activists that they could find
00:15:04.850 --> 00:15:10.669
the mainstream middle age or older
00:15:10.670 --> 00:15:13.519
protesters who came out
with their children for
00:15:13.520 --> 00:15:17.524
example never appeared in
photographs or in stories.
00:15:17.525 --> 00:15:23.344
In the mainstream press that seems
to be happening today as well.
00:15:23.345 --> 00:15:25.729
One thing that happened
recently I along with
00:15:25.730 --> 00:15:29.209
a 100 other law professors sent
a letter to President Bush.
00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:31.879
And so to lawyers in the UK sent one to
00:15:31.880 --> 00:15:35.509
Blair and lawyers in Canada sent
went to Prime Minister Chretien
00:15:35.510 --> 00:15:38.359
about if they fight a war
with Iraq having to obey
00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:43.339
the Geneva Conventions and not bomb
civilians and kin bomb the electrical grid.
00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:48.214
And they put I put they put us on TV
on it on one of those cable channels.
00:15:48.215 --> 00:15:54.439
And they lead was can you believe this you
know look what these nutty lawyers are doing.
00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:57.904
And then they have the debate with
the person who disagrees with us.
00:15:57.905 --> 00:16:01.249
Well that\'s not really it\'s fine
that they had to debate this.
00:16:01.250 --> 00:16:05.104
I want to disagreed with us but they characterized
the whole program is if we were nuts
00:16:05.105 --> 00:16:09.694
this is after the Bush administration or
the first Bush administration. Essentially
00:16:09.695 --> 00:16:11.929
Violated the Geneva Conventions all over
00:16:11.930 --> 00:16:14.779
the place with regard to
what it did to Iraq and 91.
00:16:14.780 --> 00:16:18.844
And and then we send the letter.
They say we\'re crazy.
00:16:18.845 --> 00:16:22.729
And one of the anti-war groups
not in our name produced
00:16:22.730 --> 00:16:27.589
an ad and they offered it to MTV
MTV rejected the ad they did cover
00:16:27.590 --> 00:16:31.624
it and MTV news but they wouldn\'t
broadcasts that even though
00:16:31.625 --> 00:16:35.989
the group offered them money and even though
MTV originally agreed to broadcasted.
00:16:35.990 --> 00:16:39.739
So the group was able
to bypass MTV by buying
00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:43.744
time on the cable systems which
carry MTV and distributed
00:16:43.745 --> 00:16:49.219
Mtv so it has gotten out in some cities and
in some markets but it\'s an uphill battle.
00:16:49.220 --> 00:16:52.129
Why should people with
antiwar points of view have
00:16:52.130 --> 00:16:55.219
to buy time by ads in newspapers by time
00:16:55.220 --> 00:16:58.009
on TV to get their voices
heard why aren\'t they being
00:16:58.010 --> 00:17:01.894
heard as part of the national
debate asked the question.
00:17:01.895 --> 00:17:06.814
There have been more than a million people
who have marched in Italy in Britain
00:17:06.815 --> 00:17:11.719
in one protest alone there were
400 thousand people and they
00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:14.509
were addressed by the likes
of John pill juror the
00:17:14.510 --> 00:17:17.929
well-known Australian filmmaker
who lives in Britain the Mayor of
00:17:17.930 --> 00:17:21.739
London Ken Livingstone the
labor parliamentarian
00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:25.804
George Galloway who has been
to Iraq a number of times
00:17:25.805 --> 00:17:31.474
they were addressed by Scott Ritter the
former UN weapons inspector and many others.
00:17:31.475 --> 00:17:35.029
That protest is very significant.
00:17:35.030 --> 00:17:38.374
It didn\'t get covered by the New
York Times or the Washington Post.
00:17:38.375 --> 00:17:41.389
They did cover a protest the week before.
00:17:41.390 --> 00:17:43.969
That was that occurred in Britain had
00:17:43.970 --> 00:17:46.849
about the same number of people
that was for fox hunting.
00:17:46.850 --> 00:17:51.109
The media has been quite
00:17:51.110 --> 00:17:55.699
irresponsible I think and the portrayal
of the Arab and Muslim community.
00:17:55.700 --> 00:17:59.703
There have been numerous
examples of television shows
00:17:59.704 --> 00:18:03.949
and news programs which have
been extremely irresponsible.
00:18:03.950 --> 00:18:08.074
And this has included having
00:18:08.075 --> 00:18:12.469
the so-called experts on the
Arab world are Islam making
00:18:12.470 --> 00:18:17.359
some quite appalling statements which are
able to go unchallenged. It\'s included.
00:18:17.360 --> 00:18:21.139
For example talking about
terrorism and using
00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:25.699
the imagery of Muslim men
praying which is quite an
00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:29.629
insidious sends a very very bad message
00:18:29.630 --> 00:18:31.819
that the praying is inherently linked to
00:18:31.820 --> 00:18:34.404
terrorism which is obviously
extremely problematic.
00:18:34.405 --> 00:18:37.909
It\'s a it\'s a film based on a memoir.
00:18:37.910 --> 00:18:40.054
So it\'s not a documentary.
00:18:40.055 --> 00:18:43.179
But it has been advertised
as the real store.
00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:46.984
The truth behind the scenes story
is sort of how HBO\'s promoting it.
00:18:46.985 --> 00:18:48.799
It\'s called life from Baghdad.
00:18:48.800 --> 00:18:53.959
And it\'s about CNN\'s coverage
of the 1991 Gulf War.
00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:58.729
The scene in question that fair
issued an action alert about was
00:18:58.730 --> 00:19:03.289
about a story widely
circulated both by media
00:19:03.290 --> 00:19:07.819
and by the US government during their first
goal for about Iraqi soldiers coming into
00:19:07.820 --> 00:19:10.519
a hospital and pulling infants out of
00:19:10.520 --> 00:19:14.299
incubators and sort of leaving
them on the ground you know
00:19:14.300 --> 00:19:19.519
implication being either they were killed
or severely injured something like that.
00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:22.609
The Kuwaiti girl testified before
00:19:22.610 --> 00:19:25.849
Congress about having witnessed
this as an atrocity and it
00:19:25.850 --> 00:19:28.429
was one of the major
motivators of getting people
00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:31.429
behind the war effort about this
terrible thing Iraqi troops.
00:19:31.430 --> 00:19:36.649
Did. The movie live from
Baghdad and retells the story.
00:19:36.650 --> 00:19:41.659
And sort of shows a CNN news
team going in trying to get.
00:19:41.660 --> 00:19:44.809
Get the real scoop on it
find out what happened.
00:19:44.810 --> 00:19:47.734
It\'s sort of unresolved in the movie but
00:19:47.735 --> 00:19:50.419
most viewers I think we\'d be left
with the impression that this had
00:19:50.420 --> 00:19:56.539
occurred and the Iraqi government was trying
to use CNN for its own propaganda to deny it
00:19:56.540 --> 00:20:03.184
And in fact those Story was a PR
concoction but it was a PR concoction.
00:20:03.185 --> 00:20:06.814
Probably of the Kuwaiti
government perhaps the US.
00:20:06.815 --> 00:20:10.849
There\'s a well-known PR firm called
Hill and Knowlton that was behind it.
00:20:10.850 --> 00:20:13.414
After the war was over it was debunked.
00:20:13.415 --> 00:20:15.094
We now know it didn\'t happen.
00:20:15.095 --> 00:20:21.274
And so when HBO announced
this film airing which
00:20:21.275 --> 00:20:23.869
had sort of portrayed this as the truth we
00:20:23.870 --> 00:20:27.529
issued a media advisory
and actual or about it.
00:20:27.530 --> 00:20:32.284
It\'s difficult to speculate
on the motivations of HBO.
00:20:32.285 --> 00:20:36.094
We do have questions about the
motivations for the movie In general.
00:20:36.095 --> 00:20:39.199
It almost functions as a commercial for CNN
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.719
And CNN and HBO are owned by
00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:46.639
the same corporate parent AOL-Time Warner
which raise some ethics concerns for us.
00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:48.754
I\'ve been investigating.
00:20:48.755 --> 00:20:51.124
What\'s going on in Venezuela.
00:20:51.125 --> 00:20:54.949
I not only have met with the
President I\'ve met with
00:20:54.950 --> 00:20:59.344
the president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez
but I met with the people kidnapped him.
00:20:59.345 --> 00:21:00.979
Back in April I met with
00:21:00.980 --> 00:21:03.319
both sides had been in the street I\'d
been trying to find out what\'s going on.
00:21:03.320 --> 00:21:06.784
I met with opec members trying
to find out what\'s going on.
00:21:06.785 --> 00:21:08.389
New York Times
00:21:08.390 --> 00:21:12.394
Runs a picture on the front page of thousands
of people demonstrating in the streets
00:21:12.395 --> 00:21:16.534
against Hugo Chavez and I was in Caracas
I saw those people demonstrating.
00:21:16.535 --> 00:21:18.049
No question. They were there.
00:21:18.050 --> 00:21:24.544
Ok what they didn\'t show is that across town
there was a demonstration which was bigger
00:21:24.545 --> 00:21:26.959
for Hugo Chavez then there\'s
00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:32.659
a literally slice the picture so
that you\'ve got a false story.
00:21:32.660 --> 00:21:37.669
And in that case you know you had a picture
that was worth a 1000 lives because he people
00:21:37.670 --> 00:21:40.129
see a picture and they
believe while you can\'t
00:21:40.130 --> 00:21:42.919
fake a picture it\'s the truth
but the picture was true.
00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.729
1000 people marching as the president
of Venezuela but they didn\'t
00:21:46.730 --> 00:21:50.779
say more people are marching for him.
So the picture
00:21:50.780 --> 00:21:55.129
was in effect fabricated propaganda
complete absolute nonsense.
00:21:55.130 --> 00:21:58.399
They they put out the story for
example that Hugo Chavez resigned as
00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:03.319
President where they get that they
actually I asked them about that too.
00:22:03.320 --> 00:22:05.809
They said oh we gotta from the
US State Department as if that\'s
00:22:05.810 --> 00:22:09.079
an acceptable source and they ran it as
00:22:09.080 --> 00:22:11.989
true they didn\'t even say the US
State Department asserts or we
00:22:11.990 --> 00:22:15.379
got this from the US State Department
no identification to source.
00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:21.739
Simply reprinting official state
propaganda which was which was
00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:28.309
nothing but a bunch of garbage crap
nonsense baloney fabricated lie end
00:22:28.310 --> 00:22:30.244
to end and a dangerous lie because
00:22:30.245 --> 00:22:33.634
By saying that Hugo Chavez
who was being held hostage
00:22:33.635 --> 00:22:37.669
had resigned that gave
legitimacy to the acute eta.
00:22:37.670 --> 00:22:42.810
Now if Chavez had been killed
we\'d have never known the truth.
00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:48.814
After they had been particularly
myelin sort of insulin
00:22:48.815 --> 00:22:53.869
in the Israeli Palestinian
conflict of I\'d written a piece on
00:22:53.870 --> 00:22:56.179
settlements and sort of
making what to me was
00:22:56.180 --> 00:23:01.234
the self-evident point namely that
there was no way of coming to
00:23:01.235 --> 00:23:06.049
an accommodation in between Israel and the
00:23:06.050 --> 00:23:12.559
Palestinians without the elimination
the collapse of the settlement
00:23:12.560 --> 00:23:17.959
So I didn\'t think I was writing anything
particularly radical or militant.
00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:24.150
But nevertheless that piece
was turned down everywhere.
00:23:24.790 --> 00:23:32.790
Even to the point where a major european
publication a weekly I won\'t give
00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:39.049
the name sort of wrote back to
00:23:39.050 --> 00:23:45.319
say that they couldn\'t publish it and
gave a number of reasons and so on.
00:23:45.320 --> 00:23:49.039
And then the additive additive
Piazza at the bottom of the letter.
00:23:49.040 --> 00:23:52.699
And he said because I happened to
know him personally you hadn\'t said.
00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:54.769
Of course you realize
00:23:54.770 --> 00:23:57.994
that I totally agree with your position.
00:23:57.995 --> 00:24:02.164
But I feel that I can publish it.
00:24:02.165 --> 00:24:04.864
35 years ago.
00:24:04.865 --> 00:24:07.999
Martin Luther King said in his
famous speech when he came
00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:10.999
out against the war a quote
and I know many of you
00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:14.119
know the United States is
00:24:14.120 --> 00:24:19.549
the greatest purveyor of violence
in the world today that was 1967.
00:24:19.550 --> 00:24:24.289
But yet if Martin Luther King were
alive today and when on Fox and said
00:24:24.290 --> 00:24:30.290
that they did arrest and what
they they killed them actually.
00:24:31.030 --> 00:24:35.179
Out of a mainstream you know we
gave you a Nobel Peace Prize.
00:24:35.180 --> 00:24:37.174
We\'ve bought one of Berkeley blonde
00:24:37.175 --> 00:24:40.464
You can just imagine what all
the talking heads with tall.
00:24:40.465 --> 00:24:45.334
Well you can\'t say that it\'s
unpatriotic shut them up.
00:24:45.335 --> 00:24:51.409
Ever since 911 September 11th the
American media has tended to try to be
00:24:51.410 --> 00:24:55.099
patriotically correct not to get ahead of
00:24:55.100 --> 00:24:59.104
the viewers to try to pander
to the viewers to be able to.
00:24:59.105 --> 00:25:01.459
And they\'ve often served as a as
00:25:01.460 --> 00:25:07.699
a echo chamber a megaphone for the for
the government and government positions
00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:10.519
And they\'ve tended to cover the news in
00:25:10.520 --> 00:25:15.574
a very pro Administration way excluding
critics excluding other points of view.
00:25:15.575 --> 00:25:20.329
This is dangerous for democracy because
people are not being given all sides and not
00:25:20.330 --> 00:25:22.609
being able to be given the information they
00:25:22.610 --> 00:25:25.249
need to make up their own
minds about what\'s happening.
00:25:25.250 --> 00:25:26.749
There\'s been a lot of manipulation.
00:25:26.750 --> 00:25:28.174
There\'s been a lot of censorship.
00:25:28.175 --> 00:25:31.009
And there\'s been a lot
of self-censorship after
00:25:31.010 --> 00:25:36.739
the September 11th attacks newscasts
literally became wrapped in the flag.
00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:40.159
Both broadcast and cable
TV news they develop
00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:44.944
different little fruit fly and graphics
to literally frame their newscasts in.
00:25:44.945 --> 00:25:49.834
Many anchors are reporters
started wearing flag lapel pins.
00:25:49.835 --> 00:25:53.359
And it was a really overwhelming.
00:25:53.360 --> 00:25:57.559
And in our book and appropriate
we have figures like
00:25:57.560 --> 00:26:02.494
Dan Rather one of the best-known most
respected news people in the country.
00:26:02.495 --> 00:26:06.799
He went on The Letterman Show
and which is late night.
00:26:06.800 --> 00:26:12.364
Talk show. And said basically Mr.
President just tell me where to line up.
00:26:12.365 --> 00:26:18.259
And he started crying and it\'s just this
very emotive extensively patriotic display.
00:26:18.260 --> 00:26:22.549
There was no distinction made
after 9-11 between trying to
00:26:22.550 --> 00:26:30.550
understand political phenomenon
and thinking it was a good thing
00:26:32.060 --> 00:26:35.884
You know and people who tried to do that.
00:26:35.885 --> 00:26:40.204
People who said let\'s think
about why this is happening.
00:26:40.205 --> 00:26:45.064
We\'re called knocked unpatriotic.
00:26:45.065 --> 00:26:49.309
Susan San tag for example wrote you know
00:26:49.310 --> 00:26:53.269
500 word piece little little edit
00:26:53.270 --> 00:26:57.409
for The New Yorker in which she said
look they\'re they\'re not cowards.
00:26:57.410 --> 00:27:00.724
And also we should think about
why this why this is happening.
00:27:00.725 --> 00:27:02.809
What this represents an oh my god.
00:27:02.810 --> 00:27:05.839
She\'s so anti-American she\'s
hostile to all our values.
00:27:05.840 --> 00:27:07.384
She\'s terrible.
00:27:07.385 --> 00:27:11.059
She\'s she\'s a policy is
apologizing for that was that you
00:27:11.060 --> 00:27:15.199
could not try to understand something
without seeming to apologize for it
00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:22.654
And I think it it took months
and months and months before.
00:27:22.655 --> 00:27:28.710
It was possible to ask the questions that the
rest of the world was asking right away.
00:27:29.800 --> 00:27:34.084
In a world of change and hope and parallel.
00:27:34.085 --> 00:27:36.244
Our faith is sure.
00:27:36.245 --> 00:27:38.869
Our resolve is firm.
00:27:38.870 --> 00:27:42.859
And our union is strong.
00:27:42.860 --> 00:27:47.524
I watched the State of the
Union speech and took place
00:27:47.525 --> 00:27:52.294
and it was the most fawning agile auditory
00:27:52.295 --> 00:27:55.129
media response that I\'ve ever seen.
00:27:55.130 --> 00:27:57.229
They all talked about
Bush being determined and
00:27:57.230 --> 00:28:00.919
square jawed and giving a
great speech and really
00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:03.529
being unwavering and
made them into this like
00:28:03.530 --> 00:28:06.979
Caesar addressing the Roman
Senate which is what it was like.
00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:09.949
It was like Caesar talking about
empire to the Roman Senate.
00:28:09.950 --> 00:28:13.369
And that\'s the way if you watch
the TV yesterday I didn\'t see
00:28:13.370 --> 00:28:17.419
one commentator who is
critical at all of that scene.
00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:19.459
And of course you had all
of our congresspeople and
00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:22.069
senators clapping away et cetera et cetera.
00:28:22.070 --> 00:28:25.159
President Bush gave a press
conference and it was
00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:27.784
his eighth press conference
since he\'s been in office.
00:28:27.785 --> 00:28:34.459
By this time. Bill Clinton had given 30 press
conferences and the same amount of time
00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:37.324
Office so he doesn\'t give
many press conferences
00:28:37.325 --> 00:28:40.699
and this press conference
seem to be very managed.
00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:42.754
The President has certain message.
00:28:42.755 --> 00:28:45.589
He repeated it no matter
what question he was asked.
00:28:45.590 --> 00:28:47.419
He spoke very slowly.
00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:50.989
He talked a lot about his faith
his personal convictions why
00:28:50.990 --> 00:28:56.164
Saddam Hussein was a bad guy but he often
didn\'t even answer a lot of the questions.
00:28:56.165 --> 00:29:02.839
But worse I think than all of that the press
corps didn\'t ask him very strong questions.
00:29:02.840 --> 00:29:06.379
There was a tendency to
try to be nice to ask him
00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:10.789
Very sort whether we call softball
questions not really tough questions.
00:29:10.790 --> 00:29:17.404
And as a result I think the whole of the
whole situation was a charade of journalism.
00:29:17.405 --> 00:29:20.869
It was it was it was a disgrace.
00:29:20.870 --> 00:29:25.144
Dan Rather was on my program there
was another reporter talking to him
00:29:25.145 --> 00:29:29.509
News Night BBC television London
and he told the British audience.
00:29:29.510 --> 00:29:30.949
We can\'t ask questions in America.
00:29:30.950 --> 00:29:32.584
We know we should be
asking tough questions.
00:29:32.585 --> 00:29:34.609
I know I ought to be asking
tough questions but I
00:29:34.610 --> 00:29:37.999
don\'t because I\'ll be lynched.
I\'ll be killed.
00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:40.879
That\'s what he said. If I ask questions and
00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:43.549
people call me on patriotic
that\'s what they\'ll call.
00:29:43.550 --> 00:29:48.529
So he\'s Dan Rather is on those powerful
journalists in America television journalists
00:29:48.530 --> 00:29:53.359
Can\'t tell the truth he\'s afraid of asking
a question can you manage his interview
00:29:53.360 --> 00:29:58.534
was number one story in almost every
British newspaper the next day.
00:29:58.535 --> 00:30:00.949
It wasn\'t even covered
by any American papers.
00:30:00.950 --> 00:30:07.534
It was a small little celebrity quote in the
Los Angeles Times that was all I could find.
00:30:07.535 --> 00:30:09.409
We also had a situation where one of
00:30:09.410 --> 00:30:13.339
our top investigative reporters
seem more Hirsch well-known
00:30:13.340 --> 00:30:15.839
for investigating the me Lai massacre in
00:30:15.840 --> 00:30:19.189
Vietnam and many many
Watergate many big stories.
00:30:19.190 --> 00:30:23.509
He was attacked as a terrorist
by Richard Perle one of
00:30:23.510 --> 00:30:26.329
the President\'s top advisors called him
00:30:26.330 --> 00:30:30.889
a terrorist because he was criticizing
the fact that Richard Perle
00:30:30.890 --> 00:30:34.774
Is investing in companies that are
involved in homeland security
00:30:34.775 --> 00:30:38.794
while he\'s an adviser to the President
saying it\'s a conflict of interests.
00:30:38.795 --> 00:30:40.624
So he gets brand that a terrorist.
00:30:40.625 --> 00:30:44.719
They came up with a new idea of
co-opting journalists what they call
00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:48.979
embedding them putting them into
the military units where they
00:30:48.980 --> 00:30:53.659
would get to know the soldiers where the
story would shift from a policy story to
00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:56.179
a human interest story profiling
00:30:56.180 --> 00:30:59.914
the soldiers and where they\'re
from and and and the rest of it.
00:30:59.915 --> 00:31:02.809
Now many other people feel this
is dangerous and it\'s like it
00:31:02.810 --> 00:31:06.199
not embedding but getting
embed with the military.
00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:10.924
And this is something that threatens
independent coverage of the war.
00:31:10.925 --> 00:31:16.129
Putting reporters into the
army that is pretty giving
00:31:16.130 --> 00:31:21.274
them uniforms giving them training and
having them go along with the soldiers.
00:31:21.275 --> 00:31:29.164
I mean this is a very clever device to
bring the report is close to the military.
00:31:29.165 --> 00:31:32.899
And you know there\'ll be friends
with the with the military.
00:31:32.900 --> 00:31:35.689
They\'ll be friends with the
generals and colonels and
00:31:35.690 --> 00:31:41.134
and and they will be watched closely
about what they report about the war.
00:31:41.135 --> 00:31:47.269
So the media in the United States was not
an independent media and that\'s why we can
00:31:47.270 --> 00:31:53.704
see that the Bush administration
propagating lies in effect
00:31:53.705 --> 00:31:58.759
maintaining that there have been
documented evidence of weapons of
00:31:58.760 --> 00:32:02.059
mass destruction and yet not able to
00:32:02.060 --> 00:32:06.049
produce them after it\'s been in the
country for more than a month.
00:32:06.050 --> 00:32:09.769
Now it\'s why they\'re able to make
the case that there is a link
00:32:09.770 --> 00:32:13.789
between the Iraqi
government and Al-Qaeda and
00:32:13.790 --> 00:32:17.389
the public believes that there
is a link even though there is
00:32:17.390 --> 00:32:21.544
no evidence no evidence has
been produced of that link.
00:32:21.545 --> 00:32:24.319
And one of the reasons he\'s
able to do this was because
00:32:24.320 --> 00:32:29.839
the media the major media television
major newspapers radio stations.
00:32:29.840 --> 00:32:32.884
They have cooperated with
the Bush administration.
00:32:32.885 --> 00:32:35.854
They have not been bringing out
00:32:35.855 --> 00:32:37.864
the 2 thousand election.
00:32:37.865 --> 00:32:43.624
They have helped create an amnesia
about the 2 thousand election.
00:32:43.625 --> 00:32:49.549
They have not gone into the history of
American policy in the Middle East.
00:32:49.550 --> 00:32:51.664
They have not been talking about oil.
00:32:51.665 --> 00:32:59.665
They do not go back to the coup in Iran in
1953 they don\'t give any of that history.
00:33:00.950 --> 00:33:06.289
So with the cooperation of the media the
Bush administration has succeeded in
00:33:06.290 --> 00:33:09.199
diverting the attention
the American public from
00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:13.009
the election of 2 thousand from the
failure of the bombing of Afghanistan.
00:33:13.010 --> 00:33:17.974
From the question of allow news
networks like Fox Television in effect
00:33:17.975 --> 00:33:22.354
A mouthpiece for the government that
you can\'t really distinguish between
00:33:22.355 --> 00:33:27.274
a government press conference with government
spokespeople and Fox anchor sometimes.
00:33:27.275 --> 00:33:30.574
And this is a network that more and more.
00:33:30.575 --> 00:33:33.289
That is gaining audience
in the United States.
00:33:33.290 --> 00:33:41.290
So it\'s a it\'s a a very
discouraging situation here
00:33:41.555 --> 00:33:45.019
where more and more people
are are are receiving
00:33:45.020 --> 00:33:50.869
their news in this kinda fashion and r
As a result less and less informed.
00:33:50.870 --> 00:33:54.694
And the government is able
to get away with with
00:33:54.695 --> 00:33:59.914
an agenda which is not grounded
often in fact or in truth
00:33:59.915 --> 00:34:06.570
With the power that it has
a dangerous combination.
00:34:41.740 --> 00:34:44.070
Okay
00:35:32.260 --> 00:35:38.089
The journalist Ben bag Dickey and a
former assistant managing editor of
00:35:38.090 --> 00:35:41.059
the Washington Post did a book that
00:35:41.060 --> 00:35:44.374
was first published in 1983
called the media monopoly.
00:35:44.375 --> 00:35:48.889
At that time he documented that
50 corporations through ownership
00:35:48.890 --> 00:35:53.269
controlled most of the news and information
flow in the United States fast forward
00:35:53.270 --> 00:35:59.059
two decades by the year 2 thousand that
number had dropped to six and still dropping
00:35:59.060 --> 00:36:02.329
Well that involves concentration
of media ownership
00:36:02.330 --> 00:36:05.509
which is de facto political
and economic power.
00:36:05.510 --> 00:36:07.024
It reflects that power
00:36:07.025 --> 00:36:12.709
And it reinforces a few corporations
really control the media and controls
00:36:12.710 --> 00:36:15.379
a news outlets right now in
this country and there\'s been
00:36:15.380 --> 00:36:18.889
just a narrowing of space in the media.
00:36:18.890 --> 00:36:22.969
And that\'s why the fight to hold onto
Pacifica was so important because
00:36:22.970 --> 00:36:27.244
there are so few outlets be they
print or electronic outlets.
00:36:27.245 --> 00:36:32.779
Where where do you hear alternative
voices we hear not just challenges to
00:36:32.780 --> 00:36:36.289
the policies and the status
quo but but places where
00:36:36.290 --> 00:36:40.099
you can hear other ideas of
how life could be different.
00:36:40.100 --> 00:36:43.579
The mainstream media
beats the drums for war.
00:36:43.580 --> 00:36:46.414
Mainstream media profits from war.
00:36:46.415 --> 00:36:49.339
The corporations that own the media
00:36:49.340 --> 00:36:56.179
Let\'s look at the Persian Gulf War
in 1991 Westinghouse owned CBS.
00:36:56.180 --> 00:36:58.804
General Electric owned NBC.
00:36:58.805 --> 00:37:02.449
These were two of the major
weapons manufacturers.
00:37:02.450 --> 00:37:06.154
They made most of the parts for most of
the weapons in the Persian Gulf War.
00:37:06.155 --> 00:37:13.489
Well you know the American media is not a
very democratic institutions and the media
00:37:13.490 --> 00:37:19.038
are concentrated in a few
hands a few powerful
00:37:19.039 --> 00:37:25.774
media giants control most of the major television
stations most of the major newspapers.
00:37:25.775 --> 00:37:31.209
Most cities in the United States had only
one newspaper no competition really.
00:37:31.210 --> 00:37:36.604
And and and these media giants
00:37:36.605 --> 00:37:41.599
have very close connections with
the government in Washington.
00:37:41.600 --> 00:37:47.689
And they have a tremendous lobbying effort
they are the ones who succeeded in getting
00:37:47.690 --> 00:37:54.859
the Telecommunications Act of 1994 tasks
by Congress signed by President Clinton.
00:37:54.860 --> 00:38:00.649
The Communications Act enables
the major media to acquire
00:38:00.650 --> 00:38:06.649
even more and more of the media
outlets in the United States.
00:38:06.650 --> 00:38:13.594
So this is a billionaire owned media
00:38:13.595 --> 00:38:16.609
And they\'re interests are close to
00:38:16.610 --> 00:38:20.179
the interests of corporate America
and close to the interests of
00:38:20.180 --> 00:38:27.019
the American government show they have been
doing what the American government wines.
00:38:27.020 --> 00:38:29.554
I think this country has moved.
00:38:29.555 --> 00:38:32.719
The center has moved very far to the right.
00:38:32.720 --> 00:38:37.804
And my Syria always is that the President
determines where the center is.
00:38:37.805 --> 00:38:40.729
And so the more conservative
the president is
00:38:40.730 --> 00:38:43.369
everybody kinda just move over it
I guess it should be this way.
00:38:43.370 --> 00:38:45.994
Everybody just moved over a
little bit more to the right.
00:38:45.995 --> 00:38:49.549
And so we moved a little
bit back at with Clinton.
00:38:49.550 --> 00:38:52.399
And now it\'s moving way to the right.
00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:57.019
Just way over there is still
a left in the United States.
00:38:57.020 --> 00:39:00.454
Well you know if you had
asked me this question
00:39:00.455 --> 00:39:06.889
a year ago I would\'ve said
essentially know that
00:39:06.890 --> 00:39:09.709
what there is is that there are
00:39:09.710 --> 00:39:17.659
a collection of loosely
friendly single issue groups.
00:39:17.660 --> 00:39:20.269
There\'s the environment.
00:39:20.270 --> 00:39:21.889
There\'s feminism.
00:39:21.890 --> 00:39:24.604
There\'s racial justice.
00:39:24.605 --> 00:39:29.029
A few years ago not so much now
there was a lot of activity in
00:39:29.030 --> 00:39:34.710
solidarity with Latin American
liberation movements.
00:39:34.800 --> 00:39:40.524
But a year ago it didn\'t
seem to me that the
00:39:40.525 --> 00:39:43.719
that there wasn\'t anything really
that you could call a left that was
00:39:43.720 --> 00:39:46.599
it was more than 3 thousand people.
00:39:46.600 --> 00:39:49.854
In our country. I pick
that number out of a hat.
00:39:49.855 --> 00:39:54.039
But today I think that
it\'s a little different.
00:39:54.040 --> 00:39:57.789
I think that this a number
of things together have
00:39:57.790 --> 00:40:02.634
really waking people up and one of
them is the prospect of this war.
00:40:02.635 --> 00:40:07.254
And the other is the Bush administration.
00:40:07.255 --> 00:40:12.639
You\'ll remember that when the
election was in dispute.
00:40:12.640 --> 00:40:18.204
A lot of people thought well Bush is
go if he if he becomes the President
00:40:18.205 --> 00:40:23.319
He\'s he\'s he was elected by
the minority of the people.
00:40:23.320 --> 00:40:27.849
And he\'ll be aware of that he\'ll govern
from the center he\'ll be moderate.
00:40:27.850 --> 00:40:32.469
He\'ll have to placate all those
angry Democrats out there.
00:40:32.470 --> 00:40:35.799
He took the ball and like the Republicans
00:40:35.800 --> 00:40:38.829
always do they take the ball and
they run with it as far as they can.
00:40:38.830 --> 00:40:41.379
It\'s only that Democrats
who said oh my goodness
00:40:41.380 --> 00:40:44.754
a lot of people don\'t like
me I better not do anything.
00:40:44.755 --> 00:40:47.784
Either to try to make those
people who don\'t like me happy
00:40:47.785 --> 00:40:53.199
no the Republicans they say
we\'ve got four years at least.
00:40:53.200 --> 00:40:56.769
And we\'re going to go after abortion.
00:40:56.770 --> 00:41:01.094
We\'re going to go we\'re going to do all kinds
of things for conservative Christians.
00:41:01.095 --> 00:41:05.239
We\'re going to take this
homeland security thing
00:41:05.240 --> 00:41:07.219
as far as we can we\'re
going to invade people\'s
00:41:07.220 --> 00:41:09.319
civil you know do what we
want with civil liberties.
00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:11.479
We\'re going to do what we want with
00:41:11.480 --> 00:41:17.149
so-called tort reform and all kinds
of other pro-business legal things.
00:41:17.150 --> 00:41:20.719
We\'re going to change the calorie
cut the taxes of rich people.
00:41:20.720 --> 00:41:23.404
And we\'re just gonna do that.
00:41:23.405 --> 00:41:29.314
And I think that that\'s beginning to sink
in that now that the Republicans control
00:41:29.315 --> 00:41:34.009
the White House Congress
still the majority of
00:41:34.010 --> 00:41:39.514
governorships and many state legislatures
with the Supreme Court in play
00:41:39.515 --> 00:41:44.254
I think that people are beginning
to say wait a minute here.
00:41:44.255 --> 00:41:47.644
These people are way too
conservative for us.
00:41:47.645 --> 00:41:50.374
This isn\'t what we wanted.
00:41:50.375 --> 00:41:54.739
And I think even some people who voted
for Bush may come to feel that way.
00:41:54.740 --> 00:41:56.629
It\'s a difficult period.
00:41:56.630 --> 00:42:01.654
And what surprises me is that
there isn\'t more opposition.
00:42:01.655 --> 00:42:07.069
I think it\'s partly that through probably
an accident an unhappy accident.
00:42:07.070 --> 00:42:10.819
There are no significant
leaders on the left.
00:42:10.820 --> 00:42:15.739
So we just don\'t happen to have any
good powerful magnetic people.
00:42:15.740 --> 00:42:18.889
It\'s partly because politics
is so corrupt in America.
00:42:18.890 --> 00:42:22.054
And so much an affair of
money and big business
00:42:22.055 --> 00:42:27.529
I think a lot of talented and
intelligent and dynamic people
00:42:27.530 --> 00:42:30.214
don\'t go into politics anymore.
00:42:30.215 --> 00:42:34.009
It\'s not a good field to be in
especially if you\'re on the left.
00:42:34.010 --> 00:42:36.964
It\'s just hard to get the financing to run.
00:42:36.965 --> 00:42:42.169
So anyway it seems to me very much
that there that there are lots of
00:42:42.170 --> 00:42:50.170
different leftTouches causes that are
being violated by the present government.
00:42:50.885 --> 00:42:52.579
I mean there\'s a whole array of things.
00:42:52.580 --> 00:42:57.274
The environment is being destroyed
by the Bush administration.
00:42:57.275 --> 00:43:01.219
The black affirmative action.
00:43:01.220 --> 00:43:03.769
It has been revoked.
00:43:03.770 --> 00:43:09.619
The big businesses being
00:43:09.620 --> 00:43:11.989
favored through the new tax plan and the
00:43:11.990 --> 00:43:15.364
rich are being favorite at
the expense of the poor.
00:43:15.365 --> 00:43:19.369
The anti-war movement is very strong so
00:43:19.370 --> 00:43:24.124
the gaze or certainly have no
friends in Washington right now.
00:43:24.125 --> 00:43:28.639
So it seems to me that in
every area that you could
00:43:28.640 --> 00:43:33.319
say composes the left traditionally
there are people who
00:43:33.320 --> 00:43:38.839
are watching their rights being eroded
and I think it would be natural to
00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:42.064
expect all of these groups
to come together and form
00:43:42.065 --> 00:43:46.219
a new coalition against
the Bush administration
00:43:46.220 --> 00:43:50.344
But there\'s very little press on the left.
00:43:50.345 --> 00:43:53.599
So especially in a time
of war it is important to
00:43:53.600 --> 00:43:57.319
bring out independent
voices voices of dissent.
00:43:57.320 --> 00:44:02.569
And I think that those voices don\'t
represent the marginalized fringe.
00:44:02.570 --> 00:44:05.869
They don\'t represent even
the silent majority but
00:44:05.870 --> 00:44:11.149
the silenced majority silenced
by the mainstream media.
00:44:11.150 --> 00:44:14.119
They\'re not independent systems.
00:44:14.120 --> 00:44:17.434
They\'re part of a system
of domination and power.
00:44:17.435 --> 00:44:19.489
That\'s true institutionally.
00:44:19.490 --> 00:44:21.784
That\'s true ideologically
that\'s true if they\'re
00:44:21.785 --> 00:44:24.739
cooked the cultural background
of the people who participate
00:44:24.740 --> 00:44:27.769
and the by-and-large serve that interest.
00:44:27.770 --> 00:44:29.589
So they\'re doing that Jim.
00:44:29.590 --> 00:44:32.689
And I mean if they I mean take say
00:44:32.690 --> 00:44:38.629
some concrete case and take this
famous New Europe old your business.
00:44:38.630 --> 00:44:44.659
Okay so the old old Europe which
denounces France and Germany and new
00:44:44.660 --> 00:44:51.634
Europe which is with us is Italy
and Spain and Hungary and so on.
00:44:51.635 --> 00:44:58.819
To do their job properly for media have
to point out I have to fail to point
00:44:58.820 --> 00:45:01.729
out that in Italy and Spain and
00:45:01.730 --> 00:45:06.694
Hungary opposition to the war is even
higher than it is in France and Germany.
00:45:06.695 --> 00:45:09.129
Now they have to suppress it.
00:45:09.130 --> 00:45:13.174
You know it\'s true and explain
that countries knows it\'s true.
00:45:13.175 --> 00:45:18.154
And in fact what they are what
they also have to fail to say
00:45:18.155 --> 00:45:23.989
is that all of this talk about any country
in any country at all supporting us.
00:45:23.990 --> 00:45:29.134
Anyone is just a statement
that we despise democracy.
00:45:29.135 --> 00:45:34.399
We hate it with such a passion
that we will call a leader.
00:45:34.400 --> 00:45:39.289
Berlusconi say we\'ll say he\'s
honored his countries on our side.
00:45:39.290 --> 00:45:42.634
If he is hates democracy as much as we do.
00:45:42.635 --> 00:45:48.019
And therefore he follows her murders over
the objection of 85% of its population.
00:45:48.020 --> 00:45:55.069
And that case he\'s a good guy that
expresses contempt for democracy
00:45:55.070 --> 00:45:57.949
in such a brazen form that it\'s
00:45:57.950 --> 00:46:02.209
hard to think of any counterpart
and that has to be suppressed.
00:46:02.210 --> 00:46:07.219
So occasionally you\'ll see a hint saying
well some Europeans don\'t like us.
00:46:07.220 --> 00:46:09.189
There\'s nothing but the
data aren\'t presented.
00:46:09.190 --> 00:46:12.319
And in fact the effect the extent
of suppression is impressive.
00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:17.909
And so for example take say the Gallup polls
not not an obscure organization exactly.
00:46:17.910 --> 00:46:24.750
Now Gallup International and did a
poll on Europe in the in January.
00:46:25.020 --> 00:46:30.759
And you know what resulted true and
it showed that for the war that
00:46:30.760 --> 00:46:36.774
Bush and Blair are announcing namely ruin
ourselves with a coalition of the willing.
00:46:36.775 --> 00:46:44.775
The highest support in all of Europe was
11% in Romania mostly lower than that.
00:46:45.310 --> 00:46:49.509
For most of the countries it\'s
seventy-five percent of Spain.
00:46:49.510 --> 00:46:52.104
We don\'t want to go on and
worried and the UN authorizer
00:46:52.105 --> 00:46:55.824
but for support for the war they\'re
talking about is invisible.
00:46:55.825 --> 00:47:00.129
You know a couple of people in no
Berlusconi in his cabinet maybe
00:47:00.130 --> 00:47:03.279
but and therefore so what happened to
00:47:03.280 --> 00:47:07.904
the outfall Well I\'m actually
somebody did a database search
00:47:07.905 --> 00:47:12.694
One newspaper The Christian Science
Monitor had something about it.
00:47:12.695 --> 00:47:18.000
It was mentioned in Milwaukee in general.
00:47:18.520 --> 00:47:24.529
And that\'s normal. So when right
00:47:24.530 --> 00:47:30.754
after 9-11 the wish administration was
announced and it\'s going to bomb Afghanistan.
00:47:30.755 --> 00:47:36.604
Now there was a Gallup poll asking people
about that and almost no support for it.
00:47:36.605 --> 00:47:39.439
They could then publish
it wasn\'t published in
00:47:39.440 --> 00:47:42.964
nowhere because the story
was everybody\'s porches.
00:47:42.965 --> 00:47:47.464
So the fact that nobody wants to bomb
Afghanistan he just can\'t report.
00:47:47.465 --> 00:47:50.224
And you know the most striking fact
00:47:50.225 --> 00:47:52.939
was the reaction in Latin America.
00:47:52.940 --> 00:47:57.274
Latin America has a little bit
of experience with US power.
00:47:57.275 --> 00:48:03.844
2% support in Mexico for
present in some other country.
00:48:03.845 --> 00:48:06.454
Basically nobody supported.
00:48:06.455 --> 00:48:08.134
Well you know that\'s really important.
00:48:08.135 --> 00:48:13.774
What it says is countries that felt a
little experience with their benevolent.
00:48:13.775 --> 00:48:18.379
Overwhelmingly opposed to
air Bonnie Afghanistan.
00:48:18.380 --> 00:48:21.964
But you can\'t say that because
what you have to say is we\'re
00:48:21.965 --> 00:48:25.384
noble and right and so and
so that got no publication.
00:48:25.385 --> 00:48:31.024
Actually one small notice in Omaha.
That\'s it.
00:48:31.025 --> 00:48:33.334
That\'s what the media are supposed to do.
00:48:33.335 --> 00:48:34.984
They\'re serving their purpose.
00:48:34.985 --> 00:48:42.904
You do not want to tell people our leaders and
our intellectual elite despised democracy.
00:48:42.905 --> 00:48:45.619
And we\'re supported by no
one in the world though.
00:48:45.620 --> 00:48:47.299
We\'re going to go ahead
anyway because we have
00:48:47.300 --> 00:48:50.494
the power you know I tell people that know.
00:48:50.495 --> 00:48:54.649
So which tell him is we\'re
hadn\'t humanitarian
00:48:54.650 --> 00:48:58.999
objectives and we\'re going to carry out
the liberation and so on and so forth.
00:48:59.000 --> 00:49:04.984
And of course you don\'t add that Hitler and
Mussolini said exactly the same thing.
00:49:04.985 --> 00:49:07.894
Yeah they were going to
liberate everyone and
00:49:07.895 --> 00:49:10.879
overcome ethnic cleansing
and so on and so forth.
00:49:10.880 --> 00:49:12.484
I\'m just full of nobility.
00:49:12.485 --> 00:49:16.399
And in fact there isn\'t a leader there
isn\'t a resort to violence in history.
00:49:16.400 --> 00:49:20.479
At least there hadn\'t been able to find where
the leadership didn\'t say the same thing.
00:49:20.480 --> 00:49:25.639
But you don\'t tell people that what you tell
him is we\'re doing it because we\'re angelic.
00:49:25.640 --> 00:49:29.569
And therefore support our leaders
and march to the beat of
00:49:29.570 --> 00:49:35.014
the drum and the world is with us except for
some crazy for an instrument and so on.
00:49:35.015 --> 00:49:43.015
Basically the story. There is on the
issue of Iraq and there had been
00:49:43.340 --> 00:49:47.509
these last months an incredible drum beat
00:49:47.510 --> 00:49:54.604
of manipulation by the media
00:49:54.605 --> 00:49:58.429
The syllabus that I think really is
00:49:58.430 --> 00:50:03.019
incredibly rare and at the same
time needs to be explained.
00:50:03.020 --> 00:50:06.034
Though God knows it is
difficult to explain.
00:50:06.035 --> 00:50:11.629
The full power and influence of the
media and the fact that there are
00:50:11.630 --> 00:50:16.729
so few genuine dissenting
voices that can be
00:50:16.730 --> 00:50:24.730
heard whether this be on radio on
television or in a print media.
00:50:26.890 --> 00:50:34.890
In my more mischievous moments I\'m inclined
to think that gobbles would be proud
00:50:37.145 --> 00:50:45.145
Well could be proud of the way in which the
media in the United States in particular
00:50:47.720 --> 00:50:54.469
the managed to I would almost
say control channel and
00:50:54.470 --> 00:51:01.849
above all set limits to what kind
of discussion that is admissible.
00:51:01.850 --> 00:51:06.270
In this particular moment of
the history of this republic.
00:51:18.970 --> 00:51:21.420
Okay
00:52:00.940 --> 00:52:03.240
right
00:52:54.170 --> 00:53:01.000
and so on.
00:53:27.800 --> 00:53:29.970
At
00:53:48.690 --> 00:53:51.830
Some point.
00:54:43.720 --> 00:54:46.260
Mr.
00:54:49.900 --> 00:54:52.170
Two.
00:55:32.140 --> 00:55:34.440
Okay
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 56 minutes
Date: 2005
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 10-12, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Docuseek? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
Patriotism, the 'chicken-hawks' and weapons of mass destruction.
Spreading human rights and democracy...or empire?