USA Sec Def Disses RC-S Forces COIN Capability?
- Thread starter The Bread Guy
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tweetypie said:For reporting, word for word what this person said?
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The media has a bias against the military and the war on terror. The military has had a hard time getting the good news out to the public because the media wont report it. Thankfully we have seen the rise of blogging which has helped to tell the good news.
midget-boyd91
Sr. Member
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tomahawk6 said:
Unforutunately though, the majority only hear what comes from the MSM and not those who have actual knowledge.
i have read many articles regarding the war on terror.. both good news and tragic news, can you show me where the military is having a hard time in this country, getting its news out? How can one depend on or believe what is read in bloggs, when no one has any idea who really is the authortomahawk6 said:
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tweetypie said:For reporting, word for word what this person said?
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We don't know what was said, word for word, because there is no transcript (apparently) available of the initial exchange between the SecDef and the L.A. Times reporter. Until we see a full transcript, we don't know if the quotes shown in the original article were complete responses to questions as direct as "What do you think of how the allies are fighting in Afghanistan?" - they could easily have been taken from different parts of the interview, and displayed as they were to lead to the conclusion many are drawing. However, unless the L.A. Times is willing to share a full transcript of the exchange with the world, we can only take the reporter's account at face value - it is ONLY what it is, and nothing more.
Besides, if the L.A. Times story is to be trusted as in context, shouldn't one also trust all the other stories that clarify the SecDef's comments. Or are we into "I agree only with what agrees with me" mode?
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Recce By Death said:Whoa there.
That would be an independent thought alarm and some might not want to know the inconvenient facts.
Regards
Can't be having that, now can we
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I posted this in another thread:
When Good News Is No News
"Certainly it is historically odd for war reporting to diminish almost to the point of public invisibility - just as our troops are starting to gain the upper hand. But we are fighting this war with the journalists we have, not the ones we want"
Tony Blankley
Real Clear Politics
When Good News Is No News
"Certainly it is historically odd for war reporting to diminish almost to the point of public invisibility - just as our troops are starting to gain the upper hand. But we are fighting this war with the journalists we have, not the ones we want"
Tony Blankley
Real Clear Politics
George Wallace
Army.ca Dinosaur
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sgf said:who then were his comments directed at? Its Canada, Britain, and the Netherlands who are shouldering combat roles in Afghanistan? Sure he said this, and it was suddenly taken out of context when bells went off, that he was actually insulting his Allies. What a dufus. Interesting that people are buying into the taken out of context excuse here, but not when Dion says he was also taken out of context. I guess its all in who is doing the talking.. !!!!!! :
What a dufus!!!! Indeed. I have a question for you and tweetypie. Were either of you there, when the comments were made, to verify what the LA reporter wrote was indeed factually correct and in the right context? Perhaps Mr Gates isn't the dufus, but the people calling him one are.
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I'm going to say something which will irk some of you but i'm going to say it still. I heartily agree that journalists often cannot be trusted and we should not accept the original reporting of Gates remarks at face value. By the same token politicians and bureaucrats often cannot be trusted and we should not be quick either to take Gates subsequent explanation of his remarks at face value.
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Cameron
First off I agree, hard to trust a journalist, hard to trust a politician, but since none of us where there during the interview, or know the parties talking we must look at it and give it the common sense test, what makes more sense, Gates insulting the troops abilities of an Ally when the mandate in that nation is growing short and coming up for renewal, or a journalist reporting partial statements or changing the context to "spice up" a story to sell the news.
What makes more sense to you?
First off I agree, hard to trust a journalist, hard to trust a politician, but since none of us where there during the interview, or know the parties talking we must look at it and give it the common sense test, what makes more sense, Gates insulting the troops abilities of an Ally when the mandate in that nation is growing short and coming up for renewal, or a journalist reporting partial statements or changing the context to "spice up" a story to sell the news.
What makes more sense to you?
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Well, what Gates said or did not say bothers me not... I have very little time for anyone in that administration, and frankly, if he does not like what we are doing, he can go cry more to the press...
We are doing a fantastic job in Kandahar (the home and birth place of the Taliban). For equivalency terms, it would be like holding Washington DC. It is a symbol, one which the Taliban wants and needs to retake very badly... And despite their efforts, we are moving ahead with development in Kandahar City (KC) and province.
While I was there, many an IED strike was prevented in KC thanks to the local population stepping in and reporting IED teams. What does the fact, that the locals are reporting IEDs to us and the local ANP tell me? It tells me that we are winning in Kandahar Province. Parents like the fact that they can name their children before five now. They like sending their kids to school. They like that we are trying, in conjunction with the Afghan people, to rebuild their country to at least the standard they enjoyed prior to the Soviet invasion.
The fact that the locals like all of this, puts the Taliban in a very bad position, hence the reason why violence has increased... The population of Kandahar province is starting to trust Kabul, the ANA (and to lesser extent ANP) and ISAF... This trust is ruinous to the Taliban on their home turf. It always gets worse before getting better...
And now it is getting better.
We are doing a fantastic job in Kandahar (the home and birth place of the Taliban). For equivalency terms, it would be like holding Washington DC. It is a symbol, one which the Taliban wants and needs to retake very badly... And despite their efforts, we are moving ahead with development in Kandahar City (KC) and province.
While I was there, many an IED strike was prevented in KC thanks to the local population stepping in and reporting IED teams. What does the fact, that the locals are reporting IEDs to us and the local ANP tell me? It tells me that we are winning in Kandahar Province. Parents like the fact that they can name their children before five now. They like sending their kids to school. They like that we are trying, in conjunction with the Afghan people, to rebuild their country to at least the standard they enjoyed prior to the Soviet invasion.
The fact that the locals like all of this, puts the Taliban in a very bad position, hence the reason why violence has increased... The population of Kandahar province is starting to trust Kabul, the ANA (and to lesser extent ANP) and ISAF... This trust is ruinous to the Taliban on their home turf. It always gets worse before getting better...
And now it is getting better.
milnewstbay said:
Well yea, we do, because the Penthouse doesnt disagree with what was reported as to what he said either.
As I posted earlier
But then again, with all the lies that come out of the Whitehouse since GW moved in, who knows what is the truth any more
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tweetypie said:Well yea, we do, because the Penthouse doesnt disagree with what was reported as to what he said either.
As I posted earlier
But then again, with all the lies that come out of the Whitehouse since GW moved in, who knows what is the truth any more
No tweetypie, we do not know what was said for sure. I have dealt with the press on so many occasions, and to be blunt, they more frequently then not mis-quote, and remove context on purpose, all for the all-mighty dollar.
