Posted on 10/01/2006 8:24:21 AM PDT by dirtboy
Glad you did, I'm spreading the word among my non-political friends so they hopefully won't be duped during the upcoming elections.
I saw this Commie ad for the first time yesterday and all I can say is that this Darfur crowd has to be doing a whole lot a drugs to believe they can get away with blaming the fiasco in Darfur on President Bush. Probably the most disgusting thing I've heard out of a bunch of pothead, Commie sexual deviants to date. Darfur is none of our business. If the U.S. gets involved in that sewer, I'LL become an "anti-war" protestor. Somebody needs to be shot over this stupid and disgusting propaganda "ad" being shown on TV in my country.
What they are willing to grant on their own website won't find its way into the ads because of, as you suspect, their board of directors. A contributors list for this rather elaborate campaign might also be even more enlightening.
As far as the ad copy is concerned, there is a professional need to call the reader/viewer to action. And, as you note, the way this particular call to action is framed avoids stating an admitted truth and implies something that isn't the truth.
A copywriter has to work to do that. It has nothing to do with the 30-second limitation.
At best, it's sloppy writing and editing. At worst, it's probably what it really is -- propaganda.
"The recent television ads sponsored by the Save Darfur Coalition asking President Bush to take the lead in pushing for the deployment of a UN force in Darfur are not meant in any way to bash the President, but rather to urge him to follow through on the good work he and his Administration have already begun. We are both cognizant and appreciative of the fact that the President has done more for the people of Darfur than any other world leader. In fact, it is because of his leadership thus far that we direct our pleas to President Bush now."
The above is blatant disinformation. I know, I was personally there, in Central Park, in New York City, on September 17th during the "Save Darfur" rally.
I was supposed to meet two friends whose churhes have been working with one of the religious groups advocating for international action to end the conflict and genocide in Darfur. When we didn't meet-up at our designated meeting place, at Fifth Ave and 86th street, I waited awhile and then went ahead on my own.
The first thing that was so obvious was that the event was staged more as a fund-raiser, membership drive and organizational awarness raising event for one of the lead partners in the Save Darfur coalition - Amnesty International. The Amnesty people, their placards, their insignia, the banners, their T-shirts, their stick-on-your clothing decals, their staff, their workers seeking new members far and away were a more significant presence than the symbols of the Save Darfur coalition itself - by a very wide margin.
As usual with such events, things get started late. They had some music, some singing and an African dance group as "warmup" acts for the speakers. Nothing to object about.
The majority of folks in my immediate area were friendly enough, even with their Amnesty patches on their clothes.
What surprised me, but should not have, was the incongruity of their sincerity and seeming passion for the issue along side of their utter ignorance of (1)Darfur, geographically, (2)history of the conflict there, (3) racial and ethnic distinctions between the groups in Darfur, (4)role of China in Sudan, economically today, (5)role of China and Russia blocking stronger action on Darfur in the Security Council, (6)history of just what has taken place (on Darfur) in the Security Council, who proposed actions and who defeated those proposals.
There is nothing deadlier in world geo-political crises than high passion that your cause, and the views of your leaders in that cause, are right, coupled with extreme ignorance. It is just the right mix for the prevaricators of misinformation to turn your passion to their political interest.
The first speaker was a woman (whose name I forgot) but who was presented as one of the people from one of the main "humanitarian" organizations that had been working in Darfur (as she herself had) for the last ten years. She was "moderate" enough, while ending with an obvious "lead in" for the next speaker, suggesting that America alone, through its leaders, can change the course of what's happening in Darfur.
That was the "right" opening for the speach by Madeline Halfbright. Here was the Clintonista who sat on the Security Council and tolerated the genocide in Rwanda, preaching to her audience that George Bush must be asleep or he (all by himself) would have brought more action at the United Nations by now.
She was not the last speaker (to thousands) to say directly to the audience that if the United Nations failed to act, the voters should make George Bush pay for that failure in November.
I think it was mid-speech of the 2nd or third speaker after Miss Halfbright that I got up and left in disgust.
The general tone of the event had become another "bash Bush" cause and openly ignored the facts and particularly the facts that the United States UN delegation has been the most forceful Security Council delegation on Darfur and that each "appeasing" action has been forced on the Security Council by either China, Russia, or France with the applause (and votes) from the sidelines from any Arab or "third world" delegations.
One speaker as much as said that (and I'll paraphrase)
"if George Bush really wanted to, he could force the security council votes" we need to end the genocide.
The whole thing was, for Darfur, a real farce and for NY lefties a pre-November pep rally; nothing more. In sum, it showed what phonies the "human rights" organizations really are. They do not exist to promote human rights. The "Human rights" agenda is simply a political tool, with no real underlying morality.
Given the honest participation of many religious organizations in the efforts to help those in Darfur, the Central Park event was a bummer, even though I could have predicted much of the event that disgusted me.
I think we should be writing to our religious friends and asking that their organizations sever their association with the present "Save Darfur" coaltion and continue to work as their own group, without Amnesty International and its political fellow-travelors.
But in their minds the statements on the website give them an "out" against criticism. And I imagine they will use the 30-second defense regarding the TV commercial - that there simply wasn't time to tell the whole story.
But that falls flat given they didn't tell the whole story in the print campaign.
"if George Bush really wanted to, he could force the security council votes" we need to end the genocide.
Amazing. If Bush ever threatened or strong-armed a Security Council member, the shrieks from the left would deafening.
without Amnesty International and its political fellow-travelors.
Amnesty is big into a fall membership drive at the moment.
From the same crowd that decries that Bush seeks to go it alone in the world.
Very interesting.....like I posted earlier..the last line of this ad is "Please President Bush, stop the genocide"....it all fits now!
Instead of this:
Please, Mr. President. Beyond politics, beyond borders, beyond religion, there is the moral imperative to save lives. Mr. President, the world is waiting. The lives of two million people hang on your every word tomorrow. Please don't let them down.
Try this.
President Bush and America have done more to recognize that beyond borders, beyond religion, there is the moral imperative to save lives. We must keep up this good work. The lives of two million people depend upon it. Please give President Bush your support.
More honest. And, maybe, a little more effective...
Which is to say, "What thirty-second problem?"
Liberals! Bah!!!
Just thought you might find that interesting if you hadn't already seen it.
There is no military solution, internal or external to the situation in Darfur.
Typical lefties. They had no problem with a military solution to the claimed genocide in Kosovo. But since Bush is in the White House instead of Clinton, all of a sudden we can't have those EVIL Republicans rattling the sabers at Sudan. After all, Sudan IS a member in good standing on the UN Human Rights Commission, whereas we know everyone knows the Bush Admin has less moral authority than Sudan because they are torturing the detainees at Gitmo by making them fresh baklava for Ramadan.
Sudan will continue to draw out the process as long as no one threatens them with a military response. It's that simple. They, like all other despots, have learned they can count on Russia or France or China to veto any effective UN response and can rely on bureaucratic dithering to delay action until the dirty work is done.
bump
US slams Annan deputy for criticizing US, British stand on Darfur
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - US Ambassador John Bolton took UN deputy secretary general Mark Malloch Brown to task after the latter criticized Washington and London for their "megaphone diplomacy" in trying to persuade Sudan to accept a UN force in Darfur.
In an interview with the Independent newspaper, Malloch Brown, Kofi Annan's deputy, said the US and British approach was "counterproductive almost" and opened the door to Sudan comparing itself to Iraq and Afghanistan, both invaded as part of the "war on terror".
"These remarks bring discredit to the UN and are a stain on its reputation," said Bolton, the US envoy to the UN. "Mr Malloch Brown should apologize to (US President George W.) Bush and (British Prime Minister Tony) Blair."
"We are proud we have called the attention of the international community to the tragedy in Darfur ... And to have Malloch Brown attack those efforts brings great discredit to this effort," he added.
In June, Bolton clashed with Malloch Brown after Annan's deputy suggested that Washington was not informing the American people about the UN's good work in support of US foreign policy goals.
In response, Bolton, on a trip to London, then said: "It is illegitimate for an international civil servant to criticize what he thinks are the inadequacies of the citizens of a member government."
Last month, the UN Security Council agreed to send 17,000 troops and 3,000 police to Darfur to take over from an ill-equipped and cash-strapped African Union force. But Khartoum is adamantly opposed to the deployment of a robust UN contingent in Darfur.
"Sudan doesn't see a united international community," Malloch Brown told the Independent.
"And that allows it to characterize themselves as the victims of the next crusade after Iraq and Afghanistan... So Tony Blair and George Bush need to get beyond this posturing and grandstanding," he noted.
"This megaphone diplomacy coming out of Washington and London -- 'you damn well are going to let the UN deploy and if you don't, beware the circumstances' -- isn't plausible," he added.
Because of Khartoum's refusal to accept the UN force, African Union leaders have agreed to extend the mandate of their operation until December 31 after receiving promises of UN logistical support and funding from Arab states.
----------------
So on one hand, you have the likes of SaveDarfur running ads saying Bush needs to do more to stop the genocide. And then you have some UN pinhead saying the US needs to do less.
Typical liberal squeeze play - set up a situation where you can damn Bush if he does and damn Bush if he doesn't. Who cares if it all sandbags efforts to end the genocide?
EXACTLY!
"Methinks liberals should start adapting the informercial approach for their political ads. After all, both promote things that don't permform anywhere near as well as claimed in the commercials."
Maybe we can get Ron of Ronco fame to do the infomercials:
"Folks, let me introduce you to the "Liberl-o-Matic!
It taxes!
it spends!
it lies!
it subverts!
it cheats!
And best of all, ladies and gentlemen, it never needs cleaning! That's right! Everyone knows you can't clean up a Liberal, so why try!
and it's yours for only $129.95!!!!
Now THAT'S some copywriting!
LOL!
Very good!
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