[thechat] reporter fired for reporting

[Bob Haroche]

Erik Mattheis wrote:
> No, what I meant to mean was that...he was fired: because his
reporting "undermin[ed] the
> Bush administration's strategy."

I think you're right.

> He was fired because he exercised his First Amendment rights.

Somewhat less right here. Arnett has a First Amendment right to talk
about his pet poodle, but it's within his employer's right to fire him
for doing so on air. I agree that he was probably canned for not
towing the party line, but I don't think the First Amendment really
enters it.


> I'm not saying that Hussein and his cronies are all love and
> flowers, but they've been demonized by lies.

I'll grant you that the US goverment, past and present, has demonized
Saddam with lies. But won't you grant me that, stripped of all the
lies, the un-varnished truth is that he's still a cruel, sadistic,
murderous man? I mean, there are lots of Iraqi exiles, as well as
Arabs and Muslims the world over, who believe this -- many from
personal experience.

Yes, the story about the babies dying from their incubators being
unplugged was total fiction. But there are thousands and thousands of
incidents of equal cruelty by the Baathist regime which have been
properly documented. Amnesty International has reported extensively on
them for years.

While these incidents may not justify a US invasion, I don't see how
it serves the peace movement when it ignores or plays down these
facts. That's the problem when one side over-sells a position -- be it
the White House or the protesters -- he robs himself of
credibility.[1]


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[1] It is, however, entirely appropriate to over-sell a position for
the purpose of humor.

Q: What's the difference between Bush and Hitler?
A: Hitler was elected.

--

In another post Erik wrote:

> I don't have a TV, so only see the war movie in bars

You know, there's joke to be had here too, but I won't go there...


-------------
Regards,
Bob Haroche
O n P o i n t  S o l u t i o n s
www.OnPointSolutions.com