hypocracy of Islam

[rtwngAvngr]

Your delusion is not my fault; I live in a media-controlled tyranny myself. Why not let Prime Minister Sharon know of your brilliant scheme, I'm sure he would be very interested.

No. No. I'm referring to the propensity of dips who believe wrong opinions of America should be pandered to instead of corrected.

 

[no1tovote4]

I'd have to agree with you that the evidence is not conclusive. I'd also agree that detainees may well be lying. The problem is, we have U.S. military "disappearing" people, holding them in custody without outside supervision. I can't prove the detainees are telling the truth. What's hurting America is that you can't prove they are lying. In the climate created by the documented torture the presumption goes against us. By changing the rules and surrounding everything with secrecy the administration has hurt its case. Guantanamo detainees who have been released are appearing on TV all over the Muslim world with stories like this. It may all be just the perception of mistreatement but there are a lot of Muslims who are going to believe "their guy" when we have no better defence that this.

And thus we lose the PR battle, the same old song and dance.

I wonder all the time, why we in a country with all these PR guys, ones that can make even Mike Tyson and Michael Jackson palatable to us, cannot hire one or two of them to work for the US Government....

I also wonder what it will take to make us understand that if the world viewpoint is to change in regards to the US it will be because we have done something about it. Not necessarily changing our actions, but making sure they are seen in a different light using media.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Not necessarily changing our actions, but making sure they are seen in a different light using media.

Not having a rabidly anti american mainstream press here at home would be a nice start.

 

[mrsx]

Not having a rabidly anti american mainstream press here at home would be a nice start.

Do you have any specific ideas about what we could say to the Arab world through the media that would make us even half as loveable and cuddly as you are?

 

[no1tovote4]

Do you have any specific ideas about what we could say to the Arab world through the media that would make us even half as loveable and cuddly as you are?

How many interviews has the Administration done on even the US run network of Arabic News stations? How many ads have we run explaining our intentions and actions? How many times have we even acted like their opinion matters to us at all?

The PR battle will continue to be lost if we do not realize that some money spent for our message is money well spent. As Franklin would have said, "An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure..."

Instead we have a media that is often contradictory to make themselves seem "objective", rather than actually being objective, to make our case for us. This is a policy that will fail almost every time.

 

[mrsx]

How many interviews has the Administration done on even the US run network of Arabic News stations? How many ads have we run explaining our intentions and actions? How many times have we even acted like their opinion matters to us at all?

The PR battle will continue to be lost if we do not realize that some money spent for our message is money well spent. As Franklin would have said, "An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure..."

Instead we have a media that is often contradictory to make themselves seem "objective", rather than actually being objective, to make our case for us. This is a policy that will fail almost every time.

Perhaps someone with knowlege of the subject could answer your questions. I know that both Powell and Rice have appeared on al Jezeera a number of times. We also set up our own Arabic language satellite TV station. Our officials have spent lots of time in Arab capitols explaining our positions diplomatically etc. It may not be enough, but they are doing quite a bit. No amount of PR can overcome the negative impact of our alliance with Israel, however. Invading a Muslim country was a big no-no - one that Poppy Bush wisely avoided in the first Gulf War. Hard to see how we are going to improve Arab opinion of us; hell, we can't even get the British public to support our policies at this point!

 

[freeandfun1]

Perhaps someone with knowlege of the subject could answer your questions. I know that both Powell and Rice have appeared on al Jezeera a number of times. We also set up our own Arabic language satellite TV station. Our officials have spent lots of time in Arab capitols explaining our positions diplomatically etc. It may not be enough, but they are doing quite a bit. No amount of PR can overcome the negative impact of our alliance with Israel, however. Invading a Muslim country was a big no-no - one that Poppy Bush wisely avoided in the first Gulf War. Hard to see how we are going to improve Arab opinion of us; hell, we can't even get the British public to support our policies at this point!

I think what you don't get is the fact that it was headed to this anyway. Let's assume we ignored the ME and stopped supporting Israel. No matter what, eventually it would have blown up. Once Iran has nukes, Syria will follow and the entire mess would explode. Bush's venture is just postponing the inevitable. Eventually, no matter what, there will be a showdown in the ME between the Muslims and the Jews that will result in massive nuclear strikes. I guarantee it.

 

[no1tovote4]

Perhaps someone with knowlege of the subject could answer your questions. I know that both Powell and Rice have appeared on al Jezeera a number of times. We also set up our own Arabic language satellite TV station. Our officials have spent lots of time in Arab capitols explaining our positions diplomatically etc. It may not be enough, but they are doing quite a bit. No amount of PR can overcome the negative impact of our alliance with Israel, however. Invading a Muslim country was a big no-no - one that Poppy Bush wisely avoided in the first Gulf War. Hard to see how we are going to improve Arab opinion of us; hell, we can't even get the British public to support our policies at this point!

Once again, not often enough. Of course we have not even tried to get British Public support on a wholesale level, it is unnecessary while the Parliament is still "supporting" our action. The necessity of the continued PR battle is paramount in the Middle East, not with our allies. Of course it will be difficult. I simply don't believe that we spend enough on prevention rather than action. It is a long course, but over time even the most "heinous" can be seen in a different light with the right storyteller. All we have to do is change the mind of only one truly charismatic Arab leader that would state our case with authority and the only way to do that is by giving them the information that they need.

 

[mrsx]

I think what you don't get is the fact that it was headed to this anyway. Let's assume we ignored the ME and stopped supporting Israel. No matter what, eventually it would have blown up. Once Iran has nukes, Syria will follow and the entire mess would explode. Bush's venture is just postponing the inevitable. Eventually, no matter what, there will be a showdown in the ME between the Muslims and the Jews that will result in massive nuclear strikes. I guarantee it.

No argument about pre 9/11 issues. You have to back to 1945 to see widespread Arab admiration for the U.S. The 1948 vote on Israel started the slide; our support for various nasty guys (including Saddam) goes back that far. Why, if all this is inevitable are you whining about the American press and lack of PR effort?

 

[mrsx]

Once again, not often enough. Of course we have not even tried to get British Public support on a wholesale level, it is unnecessary while the Parliament is still "supporting" our action. The necessity of the continued PR battle is paramount in the Middle East, not with our allies. Of course it will be difficult. I simply don't believe that we spend enough on prevention rather than action. It is a long course, but over time even the most "heinous" can be seen in a different light with the right storyteller. All we have to do is change the mind of only one truly charismatic Arab leader that would state our case with authority and the only way to do that is by giving them the information that they need.

Doesn't it seem curious that we can't find even ONE such Arab?

 

[no1tovote4]

Doesn't it seem curious that we can't find even ONE such Arab?

This person would need to be fearless, one feature of the "Arab Street" are the people are truly afraid of the terrorists. Turning in one will often kill your entire family. Queen Rayna of Jordan has been vocal and strong against terrorism and there are others. It will come, it takes time.