Published: September 28th, 2012 at 10:54 am ET
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Title: Why didn’t CNN’s international arm air its own documentary on Bahrain’s Arab Spring repression?
Source: Guardian
Author: Glenn Greenwald
Date: Sept 4, 2012
A former CNN correspondent defies threats from her former employer to speak out about self-censorship at the network
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The CNN crew itself was violently detained by regime agents in front of Rajab’s house. As they described it after returning to the US, “20 heavily-armed men”, whose faces were “covered with black ski masks”, “jumped from military vehicles”, and then “pointed machine guns at” the journalists, forcing them to the ground. The regime’s security forces seized their cameras and deleted their photos and video footage, and then detained and interrogated them for the next six hours.
Lyon’s experience both shocked and emboldened her. The morning after her detention, newspapers in Bahrain prominently featured articles about the incident containing what she said were “outright fabrications” from the government. “It made clear just how willing the regime is to lie,” she told me in a phone interview last week.
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One April 2011 email to [Amber] Lyon from a CNN producer demands that she include in her documentary a line stating that “Bahrain’s foreign minister says security forces are not firing on unarmed civilians,” and another line describing regime claims accusing “activists like Nabeel Rajab of doctoring photos … fabricating injuries”.
Having just returned from Bahrain, Lyon says she “saw first-hand that these regime claims were lies, and I couldn’t believe CNN was making me put what I knew to be government lies into my reporting.”
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“At this point,” Lyon said, “I look at those [severance] payments as dirty money to stay silent. I got into journalism to expose, not help conceal, wrongdoing, and I’m not willing to keep quiet about this any longer, even if it means I’ll lose those payments”
Sound familiar?
According to NHK, the pressure did build and build and build. See: NHK: "The unimaginable was happening" -- Workers say part of Reactor 2 containment vessel destroyed -- After alarming pressure readings, "we heard a loud bang... pressure is now zero" (VIDEO)
Published: September 28th, 2012 at 10:54 am ET
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sending...
In Reply to the CNN video:
Jim: “Hopefully it’s just the outer structure.”
My reply: Sorry Jim, 3 full meltdowns.
Anderson: “How far are we from Fukushima? Which was is the wind blowing? We are 100km to the North…should I get outta here?”
Jim: “My guess is that your okay.”
My reply: Sorry Anderson, 3 full meltdowns. Wait Anderson, come back, where are you going, don't leave now the world needs to know what is going on. Anderson! Anderson! Coommeee Baaacckkk!
BONUS ROUND-HERE IT IS THE MOST POPULAR TALKING POINT THAT EVERY NUKE PROPAGANDIST HAS TO GET IN WHEN SPEAKING!!
Jim: “It’s not going to be a major health threat.”
My reply: Jim you didn’t know what the hell was going on and you shouldn’t have said what you did. If you did know what was going on F.U. and that is not an abbreviation for Fukushima.
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Jim makes it sound like the most recent explosion was simply a hydrogen explosion and therefore its not a big deal. Of course we now know that the #3 explosion was NOT merely a hydrogen explosion in the outer containment. It was massive criticality explosion and FUEL RODS got blown out/vaporized as a result.
True science recognizes the limits to its own knowledge; Jim is no true scientist. Anderson should have trusted his gut reaction instead of accepting Jim's reassurances. We should all have trusted our gut reactions instead of listening to the assurances of the self-proclaimed "experts."
Wonder what kinds of vested interests "Jim" has in the industry.
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Jim Walsh
Security Studies Program at MIT:
http://web.mit.edu/ssp/people/walsh/faculty_walsh.html
the program also has a Nuclear Security Fellows Program.
If Kevin Blanch (look him up on youtube if you don't know who he is) could call the meltdowns right from the start then why couldn't this guy he is supposed to be an expert? Can you say Spin?
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Well done Amber Lyon. Journalism, particularly vision media, too readily parrots the owner's line, or uses briefings rather than investigation to fill their content/airtime.
Most reporters have become repeaters.
Truth must out, not be modified as a soft soundbite to further the interests of the corporates at the expense of the public and the planet.
I understand that courage can get a journalist killed or Gitmoed these days. "In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act." George Orwell
In these very precarious times ahead, I believe we will all be required to lean into our fears at levels usually reserved for the last conscious periods of life…
PS.Thankyou Maggie123, Chas, and others for your moving and supportive comments a few days back. I don't usually go back to threads, or have alerts if someone responds to my posts, so didn't see them on the day.
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omniversling: "In these very precarious times ahead, I believe we will all be required to lean into our fears at levels usually reserved for the last conscious periods of life…"
So well said!
(PS: You're welcome – your words resonated!!)
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agreed Maggie. I found this line of omniversling's both insightful and frightening…
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Greenwald's Guardian piece is thorough, well worth a read. Many worthy excerpts to increase awareness of pressures media corps face, how they respond to them, how they "make editorial decisions" that keep them in the game.
A second insight in Greenwald's piece reminds us why even "well-intentioned" media (as CNN is sometimes considered) are mindful of their position within the "official American paradigm":
"… CNNi can point to numerous recent reports describing the violence against protesters by the regime in Bahrain. Given the scope of the violence, and how widely it has now been reported elsewhere, it would be virtually impossible for CNNi never to broadcast such reports while still maintaining any claim to credibility. But …. Moreover, CNNi's reports on the violence in Bahrain take a much more muted tone than when it reports on regimes disfavored by the US, such as Iran or Syria."
Many here have viewed "Century of Self", on growth of PR industry and our psychological susceptibility to it.
It's vital we appreciate what's implied re *all* msm in this Greenwald observation:
"reports … much more muted tone than …on regimes disfavored by the US, such as Iran or Syria."
Be mindful re what is said of Iran on 'need for war' PR!!!
(Paragraph I've selected for focus is third from bottom of Greenwald's piece, whole article is good.)
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And – Lets hope more journalists are able to show the courage of Amber Lyon! What if they began leaving in droves … that would be interesting to watch!!
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M123, I read this blog regularly. It's the economics and geo-political simile of Enenews. Stockbrokers, traders, investors etc who can explain where and why the system's broken. One sharp mind is G Washington. This post of his on the PR assault against Iran:
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-09-25/guess-where-these-beautiful-pictures-were-taken-%E2%80%A6
The narrative of lies: did you see Netenyahu's bombporn cartoon drawing to illustrate his UN speech? Like Colin Powell's maps of Saddam's WMDs that was faked but used to justify the 'Shocking and Awing' of Iraq because 'they were responsible for 911'. We know that's not true either, but look at the role the media played in delivering those lies to the public SPECIFICALLY to beat the drums of war, and ferment the froth of public appetite for slaughter.
http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/27/14127075-this-is-a-bomb-this-is-a-fuse-says-netanyahu-israels-pm-draws-the-red-line-at-the-un?lite
The upgrade by the most excellent political satirist anywhere at the moment IMHO, William Banzai7:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/expd/8031783229/in/photostream/
The nex big question:
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-09-27/will-israel-blow-something-and-falsely-blame-it-iran?page=5#comment-2839480
Related topic, is how some sheeple have the wool pulled (or blown?) from their eyes, and others don't. Why are we here, and others not? Continued below:
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http://maxkeiser.com/2012/09/28/dr-paul-craig-roberts-assistant-secretar…
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Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, Assistant Secretary Of The Treasury For Economic Policy Under Reagan: America, The Next Banana Republic & A Culture of Delusion
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http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2012/09/27/a-culture-delusion/
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"Americans live in a matrix of lies. They seldom encounter a truthful statement.There is no evidence that Americans can any longer tell the difference between the truth and a lie. Americans fell for all of these lies and more: Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and al Qaeda connections. Saddam Hussein’s troops seized Kuwaiti babies from incubators and threw them on the floor. Gaddafi fed his troops Viagra to help them rape Libyan women. Iran has a nuclear weapons program. Change–yes we can! The US is “the indispensable country.” America is broke because of food stamps and Social Security, not because of wars, bankster bailouts, and a failing economy. Russia is America’s number one enemy. China is America’s number one enemy. Iran is a terrorist state. Jobs offshoring is free trade and good for the US economy. Israel is America’s most loyal ally. The US missile shield surrounding Russia is not directed at Russia. The South China sea is an area of US national interest. Financial markets are self-regulating.
The list is endless. Lies dominate every policy discussion, every political decision. The most successful people in America are liars"
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cont/
Of course, debate what is 'successful', but I take Roberts to mean in the econonomic/materialist/merchantilist/endless growth model that is served up to us as the dominant narrative.
Being defined by what one has, not by who one is.
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Omniversling, and Max1 below: To your shared point – heard a KPFA Berkeley "Letters and Politics" earlier today that ran clips from Greenwald's "Koch Brothers Exposed" documentary.
I appreciate manipulation comes from many directions, regardless of who's trying to increase power/control over public perception. But the Kochs, because of their massive wealth and extreme and focused views, have been extraordinarily successful – especially in state legislatures re voter ID and 'shoot first' laws.
Federally, their campaign against social security and against environmental oversight of energy corporations was launched some years back.
I'll invite any interested to run browser searches for Koch Brothers. There's lots of literature and commentary on their agenda, style, etc. on line. Sections of the documentary are available on YT. It's also supposed to be available at Netflix.
A year ago or so they pumped money into a Canadian ultra-conservative think tank, the Fraser Institute. The Kochs are dedicated to seeing the XL pipeline become a reality.
(I'd paste a link and will if asked but I've promoted several programs here off KPFA in last few days and feel I might be thought some kind of shill!)
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Am I blind or is there no link to the original article?
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The article title is the link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/04/cnn-international-documentary-bahrain-arab-spring-repression
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Those who control the message…
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while we're about the issue of misleading the public…
Academic Prostitution in The Field of Terrorism Studies
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/09/28/academic-prostitution-in-the-field-of-terrorism-studies/
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Today I was at a small business. The operator offers two unrelated types of products, one gets quite a lot of business, the other infrequent but brings in higher value when something sells. It so happened that he was busy with a customer for the infrequent part of his marketing. He's a friend, so I was happy to wait, and as there is trust between us he was able to leave me while disappearing to the other part of his building. Fox TV was running, so I had plenty of opportunity to listen. A 'conversation' type program, talk among 3 Fox people. A constant stream of unsupported assertions of the type likely to increase believer anger/rage. Only one time was evidence offered – a clip from Rush L. was played to prove one of the assertions. L's statements (the ones used as proof)were more of the same – angry, vile, unsupported assertions!
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Government/media lies and false flags. A fact of everyday life in a democracy as perverted as ours…
If you can't make it happen, make it happen…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M84l19H68mk
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I thought the speaker was being ironic on purpose! He means what he says? Who is the lobbyist speaking?
Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), Wikipedia, (Note – this quote is from the 'Criticism' section of the Wiki article.:
"John Mearsheimer, a University of Chicago political science professor, and Stephen Walt, academic dean at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, describe (WINEP) as "part of the core" of the Israel lobby in the United States. Discussing the group in their book, The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy, Mearsheimer and Walt write: "Although WINEP plays down its links to Israel and claims that it provides a 'balanced and realistic' perspective on Middle East issues, this is not the case. In fact, WINEP is funded and run by individuals who are deeply committed to advancing Israel’s agenda … Many of its personnel are genuine scholars or experienced former officials, but they are hardly neutral observers on most Middle East issues and there is little diversity of views within WINEP’s ranks.""
(Wish they had said "current Israeli government's agenda" instead of the more all-inclusive "Israel agenda"!)
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more problems with websites and videos from japan
looks like Ghost riders report and his interviewees are having a hard time getting the truth out..
the whole sordid story here
Interview with Tozen Union Activist in Tokyo Japan | Labor Issues in Japan
http://nuclear-news.net/2012/09/29/interview-with-tozen-union-activist-in-tokyo-japan-labor-issues-in-japan/
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more journalism here
USSR’s first-ever nuclear sub was destroyed by “beer bottle cap”!
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“A non-standard gasket from…a beer bottle was installed in the ballast tank. Naturally it was displaced, the hydraulic fluid leaked under the pressure of 100 atmospheres and got sprayed onto the lamp, which had a broken protective cap. Inflammation occurred immediately,” former assistant commander of the K-3 said.
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“By falsifying documents, investigation allegedly found that a submariner climbed into one of the compartments and lit a cigarette, but it was not true!” Leskov told a news conference
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http://nuclear-news.net/2012/09/28/ussrs-first-ever-nuclear-sub-was-destroyed-by-beer-bottle-cap/
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