Previously:
I just want to show a pattern here without going into a deep analysis which is better suited to those with more experience and time. Lets start by keeping in mind that the media ignored a Senate report about the GOP's Bush Administration lying to get us into a war with Iraq (with the CIA's help). Of course, that may be just natural media incompetence/racism as they are doing this during the current campaign to terrorize trans people by Fox and The GOP. Note: I'm assuming that anything unopposed by the GOP from their reps or endorsed by the GOP - anything for the sake of winning, as McConnell put it - is automatically a part of their party's responsibility.
Notice how, despite the Trump Administration being known for lying and openly trying to create conflict, the media fell in line without question behind a possible Iran invasion as if this GOP administration had honorable (non-lie related) intentions for war.
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Ultimately, all the years fighting the Iraq War lies led to a big backlash (despite the fact that the media did its best not to bring up the Iraq War) and the Iran War was averted despite media's initial support. But notice that the media's first response was to support the war. Not question it. Not investigate it. The best investigative reporting of that era was actually done by Jon Stewart, something which is very revealing in and of itself.
Jon Stewart grills Miller on Iraq War reporting
It was not the media's first response to question what they were told about invading a colored nation (Iran). The media wanted a war. Its obvious that's what must have happened with the Iraq War. However, the Iraq war was not so easy. they had to sell that war and the media helped. The GOP , through Fox News, were even able to label a pop group - the Dixie Chicks - as traitors! Talk about the suppression of free speech by the documented liars! Well, I guess its more documented now.
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But thats not the point of this post. The point is to compare the media's fawning over officials for war with a colored nation verses the effects of an invasion on a white nation. Clearly racists, no?
Trevor Noah Calls Out Media Racism with Ukraine War
CBS News Reporter: "This isn't a place, with all due respect, like Iraq, Afghanistan... You know, this is a relatively civilized, relatively European city, I have to choose those words carefully, where you wouldn't expect that or hope it's going to happen."
Ukraine War Is Exposing Racial Disparities in Refugee Treatment | The Daily Show
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalates, neighboring countries welcome displaced Ukrainians, and comparisons with past refugee crises highlight a less compassionate approach to displaced people from Africa and the Middle East. #DailyShow #Ukraine
Western war reporters, more used to being deployed in Middle East conflict zones, were quick to make comparisons. Some of those comparisons went overboard, causing outrage in the Arab world.
"This isn't a place, with all due respect, you know, like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades," said CBS News foreign correspondent Charlie D'Agata, referring to Ukraine. "You know, this is a relatively civilized, relatively European... city." He later apologized.
Other news outlets poured sympathy on Ukrainian victims, with interviewees and correspondents pointing out that, unlike Middle Eastern refugees, Ukrainian victims were "white," "Christian," "middle class," "blonde" and "blue eyed."
In a matter of days, hashtags, and even t-shirts, featuring the phrase "civilized" surfaced in the Middle East in protest.
The media coverage prompted the New York-based Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association to issue a statement condemning the "pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalizing tragedy" in places like the Middle East.
Its president Hoda Osman, who has reported for several Western media outlets, including France24, ABC News and CBS News, said the contrast between coverage of Western victims versus Middle Eastern ones demonstrates a dehumanization of the latter.
We asked her why she feels this is happening and what can be done about it.
Western news outlets have many more minority journalists than they used to. Has that diversity trickled down to coverage?
There's no doubt that having more minority journalists would lead to better coverage, whether it's through catching misinformation, bias and racism, booking interviews with knowledgeable people who understand the nuances, offering background and context or helping with something as simple as correct translations and pronunciations.
Over the past 16 years, we've seen the number of journalists of Arab and Middle Eastern descent working in the Western media grow significantly. There's also more diversity in the type of media outlets [Middle Easterners] are a part of, from local TV stations and newspapers to occupying senior positions at national and international news outlets. But we still need more. Simply being in the room makes a difference and results in improved reporting.
Is the level of bias that you see in the Western press unprecedented? What's the difference this time?
What is sad this time is that the [offending] comments came so casually, spontaneously, and as a result, revealed existing bias, something we would expect a journalist covering an international event to be above.
Sadly, we were not shocked. The remarks got some attention thanks to social media, but we knew this kind of bias and racism exists.
How seriously do you think news outlets are taking these claims of bias?
I think public pressure will have some impact. I also expect that many organizations truly want to do the right thing.
We have called on newsrooms to train correspondents on the cultural and political nuances of regions they're reporting on, and not rely on American- or Euro-centric biases.
Do you think now that Western journalists have covered a European war they will be more sympathetic to victims of Middle Eastern wars?
To be honest, I don't think it even matters whether or not they do. We are just asking journalists to be journalists and do a good job of reporting without inserting their own biases into the story and making unnecessary comparisons.
The transcript has been edited for length and clarity
The simple reality is that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the same as Bush's invasion of Iraq with just as much reason behind it. Unfortunately, from a moral perspective, America has no right to say anything about Ukraine. Its basically saying do as we say not as we do. Russia wants land. We wanted oil. Both committed brutal war crimes.
Moment of Zen
Bush tells the truth. Russia's invasion of Ukraine was like his invasion of Iraq. He was probably laughing or musing about the irony of this appearance before it and thus the Freudian slip.
Former US President Bush condemns 'brutal invasion of Iraq' in public gaffe | World English News
George W. Bush Finally Tells The Truth About Iraq
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