Posted on 06/25/2006 8:41:04 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
Edited on 06/25/2006 10:08:50 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Fred Barnes takes a look at "the My Lai lie" -- that is, the rush by the MSM to portray Haditha as another My Lai massacre before the facts are known. That rush was epitomized, as one would expect, by Chris Matthews in this exchange with Rep. Murtha:
"Was this My Lai?" Matthews interjected, referring to the slaughter of more than 300 civilians by American soldiers in Vietnam in 1968. "Was this a case of--when you say cold blood, Congressman, a lot of people think you're basically saying you have got some civilians sitting in a room [or] out in a field and they're executed."
"That's exactly what happened," Murtha replied.
In reality, as Barnes shows, Murtha did not know what happened, but that didn't not slow his rush to condemn American troops. Nor was Time Magazine deterred by regard for the facts in its coverage. As Barnes notes, it has been forced to issue multiple corrections in connection with respect to Haditha.
The subtitle of Barnes' piece is "behind the coverage of Haditha." What's actually behind the coverage of Haditha is the same thing that's behind the MSM's overall coverage of Iraq -- a desire to portray Iraq as another Vietnam. The lessons that the mainstays of the MSM took from Vietnam (including ambivalence or worse about America) were, from an ideological standpoint, life altering. The ideology that emerged, and then calcified, is just about the entire legacy that this generation of left-liberals hopes to pass on. Thus, an enormous psychological need exists to view Iraq as a confirmation of the "lessons" of Vietnam, and to attempt to impose that view and those lessons on the public.
That's the main reason why the MSM was calling our invasion of Iraq (one of the most successful in history) a quaqmire after two days, and that's why any hint of an atrocity is instantly equated with My Lai. In truth, the MSM isn't rushing to judgment. Its judgments have been made in advance of events and the only rush is to impose them.
Certainly, the MSM is also motivated by the desire to portray events in Iraq in the worst possible light, and this motive alone probably would be powerful enough to invoke specious comparisons to Vietnam. But I beleive the need to validate and perpetuate the Vietnam syndrome is an even stronger force.
See also:
Murtha says U.S. poses top threat to world peace
I hope it is fatal to his reelection! That is a big long shot, but the more mistakes he makes the more possible it becomes.
Help redeploy and retire Jack Murtha. Vote for Diana Irey
Please FReepmail me if you'd like on or off the irey/Murtha ping list.
I hope that is true. Murtha certainly deserves to lose over this.
I hope so, too. If the Democrats and their constinuents were decent and honorable, there would be no question as to his reelection chances. But since he - and they - are not, he'll more than likely get a free pass. The very most we can hope for is censure..
I have my own alternative(s) which I can't post here...;-)
Thanks for all the updates, coop.
Just back from OOTC duty, not allowed to FReep on company time from there.
3
Ms. Irey's name recognition is improving in her district because of her efforts in getting out and talking to the people and some recent media coverage.
Fundraising is far short of Murtha's because of his tenure and the pork he's brought home but hers is improving. She is receiving donations from people nationwide and even from some troops in Iraq.
http://www.irey.com/
Thus, an enormous psychological need exists to view Iraq as a confirmation of the "lessons" of Vietnam, and to attempt to impose that view and those lessons on the public.
Well said and the only thing that makes any sense.
Need your excellent graphic here.......PING
DUMP MURTHA!
I hope this turns out like the Duke lacrosse "rape" case, and murtha ends up looking as bad as the DA.
Murtha says U.S. poses top threat to world peace
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"American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said to an audience of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon."
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Murtha accuses Marines of Killing in "cold blood" back in May.
Lawmaker: Marines killed Iraqis ‘in cold blood’
Then later that month claimed a coverup.
Coverup of Iraq Incident By Marines Is Alleged
Later the official investigation rules out a coverup.
All of this indicates he is disloyal and where he is not disloyal, he is demented!
Murtha: We can support Iraq from Okinawa. Okinawa!
"REP. MURTHA: Well, it—you know, they—when I say Okinawa, I, I’m saying troops in Okinawa. When I say a timely response, you know, our fighters can fly from Okinawa very quickly. And—and—when they don’t know we’re coming. There’s no question about it. And, and where those airplanes won’t—came from I can’t tell you, but, but I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t take very long for them to get in with cruise missiles or with, with fighter aircraft or, or attack aircraft, it doesn’t take any time at all. So we, we have done—this one particular operation, to say that that couldn’t have done, done—it was done from the outside, for heaven’s sakes."
BTTT
That's where we come in. :-)
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