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BBC Interview with Iraqis in Fallujah

  • eersandbeers
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/


    It's on the Newshour program and starts at 27 minutes into the program

    It was interesting. The man said life was better under Saddam and they currently lack every basic service and only receive 1 hour of electricity every 10 hours. University graduates working as taxi driver with 90% unemployment driving people into the hands of terrorists.

    Strange how there have been no improvements in 7 years.

    With that said, they seem to be optimistic with the elections on the horizon that a new government could possibly change things for them. They just want water, electricity, and opportunity.

    Even more interesting, they are voting across religious lines.
  • dwccrew
    eersandbeers wrote: University graduates working as taxi driver .....
    I thought you were talking about the United States for a minute there.
  • believer
    I thought the whole post was talking about the United States at first.
  • dwccrew
    believer wrote: I thought the whole post was talking about the United States at first.
    Copycat.
  • Writerbuckeye
    And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.

    See how that works?
  • tk421
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.

    See how that works?
    You're kidding me?! I thought all news organizations had ethics and reported the news factually without bias. My faith in this world is completely gone now, thanks.
  • Writerbuckeye
    tk421 wrote:
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.

    See how that works?
    You're kidding me?! I thought all news organizations had ethics and reported the news factually without bias. My faith in this world is completely gone now, thanks.
    Perhaps you should forward this to eers, too. :)

    It never ceases to amaze me when folks can find a piece like he did and think it has any real meaning.
  • tk421
    You can't trust any of those news shows/companies. There is always an angle, always.
  • queencitybuckeye
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.
    You could talk to any of the thousands of people that Sadam killed. Oh wait, I guess you can't. :-/
  • Strapping Young Lad
    I smell BS. Things are great in iraq. In fact the wife and i are looking into buying a luxury home there for our summer holidays.

    Liberal propaganda........
  • Writerbuckeye
    tk421 wrote: You can't trust any of those news shows/companies. There is always an angle, always.
    The key to newspaper reading or TV viewing is pretty simple.

    Look closely at what the lead is built around (the "hook" for the story). Is the basic premise of that lead leaning one direction or another. A news story lead should be factual (who, what, where, etc.)

    If it is taking a position, start to be skeptical.

    Then read/watch closely at how the details are filled in beyond simple facts. If you've got people quoted, who are they and what is their relationship to the piece?

    Did the reporter offer two sides of the story; did they quote two "experts" if applicable or two folks whose views differed on the situation?

    Then go one step further: if they quoted experts, where did these experts come from; what are their backgrounds and/or affiliations?

    TV news programs are very fond of having two supposedly different points of view to appear balanced, but when looking closely it is often that both are really more for one side -- even though they aren't identified.

    If the caption on a TV interview only reads "Foreign Relations Expert" without clarifying where this person comes from, then you should be real suspicious. It should name the think tank or organization the person is from. When they don't do that, it usually means there's bias involved. I know; I check these things regularly.

    Common sense says that you treat all these stories with some skepticism, and always, always read many sources about a story before forming an opinion (I know, I'm stating the obvious).
  • eersandbeers
    It's always funny when the facts don't fit someone's agenda they immediately try to discredit the source. Yeah I'm sure the BBC went looking for interviews because they want anti-American propaganda.

    This was also only with Iraqis in Fallujah. Things are better in other parts of the country.

    The BBC also pointed out that the Iraqis are optimistic about the upcoming elections despite the numerous problems in the country.

    By the way, you can't dispute facts like 90% unemployment and 1 hour of electricity every 10 hours.
  • Strapping Young Lad
    queencitybuckeye wrote:
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.
    You could talk to any of the thousands of people that Sadam killed. Oh wait, I guess you can't. :-/
    You could talk to the preteen girl stalked and raped by military men or the many civilians killed in the "war"......Oh wait, you can't. :huh:

    You can probably find some amputees crutching around somewhere......
  • eersandbeers
    Writerbuckeye wrote:
    It never ceases to amaze me when folks can find a piece like he did and think it has any real meaning.

    It never ceases to amaze me what people dismiss because it doesn't fit their agenda.

    The BBC is the best source of news in the world. I guess if it doesn't come from Fox News then it can't be true.
  • Writerbuckeye
    The BBC has just as liberal a bent as some of the major US media, like the NY Times and CBS.

    Just because it isn't based here doesn't make it better or more objective.
  • Writerbuckeye
    And here's your proof...

    The BBC has failed to promote proper debate on major political issues because of the inherent liberal culture of its staff, a report commissioned by the corporation has concluded.

    The report claims that coverage of single-issue political causes, such as climate change and poverty, can be biased - and is particularly critical of Live 8 coverage, which it says amounted to endorsement.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1554749/BBC-report-finds-bias-within-corporation.html
  • eersandbeers
    Every news media has some type of bias. You won't find one that doesn't.

    That does not negate the fact that BBC is by far, the best in the world. Anyone who listens to BBC will easily admit this fact. The knowledge and intelligence of their broadcasters is far above the idiots on American stations.

    Also in no way did your googling of an article negate what was present in the interview. I like your attempts at doing so though.
  • dwccrew
    Strapping Young Lad wrote: I smell BS. Things are great in iraq. In fact the wife and i are looking into buying a luxury home there for our summer holidays.

    Liberal propaganda........
    I suggest visiting in the winter months. It'd be much too hot in the summer. I am also looking for a highrise condo in Baghdad. They keep suicide bombing the buildings I am looking at though.
    Strapping Young Lad wrote:
    queencitybuckeye wrote:
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.
    You could talk to any of the thousands of people that Sadam killed. Oh wait, I guess you can't. :-/
    You could talk to the preteen girl stalked and raped by military men or the many civilians killed in the "war"......Oh wait, you can't. :huh:

    You can probably find some amputees crutching around somewhere......
    Hell, you could find some amputees of the Iraqi war here. This war has produced the most maimed soldiers and amputees since the civil war (exception is the Vietnam War which lacks reliable stats according to this article.) The good news is more injured soldiers are surviving though, but many of those injured ones come back with severe disabilities.
  • Writerbuckeye
    eersandbeers wrote: Every news media has some type of bias. You won't find one that doesn't.

    That does not negate the fact that BBC is by far, the best in the world. Anyone who listens to BBC will easily admit this fact. The knowledge and intelligence of their broadcasters is far above the idiots on American stations.

    Also in no way did your googling of an article negate what was present in the interview. I like your attempts at doing so though.
    Ridiculous and unverifiable puffery.

    But believe what you will.
  • Strapping Young Lad
    dwccrew wrote:
    Strapping Young Lad wrote: I smell BS. Things are great in iraq. In fact the wife and i are looking into buying a luxury home there for our summer holidays.

    Liberal propaganda........
    I suggest visiting in the winter months. It'd be much too hot in the summer. I am also looking for a highrise condo in Baghdad. They keep suicide bombing the buildings I am looking at though.
    Strapping Young Lad wrote:
    queencitybuckeye wrote:
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.
    You could talk to any of the thousands of people that Sadam killed. Oh wait, I guess you can't. :-/
    You could talk to the preteen girl stalked and raped by military men or the many civilians killed in the "war"......Oh wait, you can't. :huh:

    You can probably find some amputees crutching around somewhere......
    Hell, you could find some amputees of the Iraqi war here. This war has produced the most maimed soldiers and amputees since the civil war (exception is the Vietnam War which lacks reliable stats according to this article.) The good news is more injured soldiers are surviving though, but many of those injured ones come back with severe disabilities.
    The brochure for the bulidings I looked at said nothing of suicide bombings, so I asked. The nice lady told me those stories about suicide bombers were just propaganda pieces promoted by the liberals. There are no suicide bombings, in fact......:dodgy:

    They even went so far as to name the highrise I'm looking at: Dubyah Towers......
  • dwccrew
    Strapping Young Lad wrote:
    dwccrew wrote:
    Strapping Young Lad wrote: I smell BS. Things are great in iraq. In fact the wife and i are looking into buying a luxury home there for our summer holidays.

    Liberal propaganda........
    I suggest visiting in the winter months. It'd be much too hot in the summer. I am also looking for a highrise condo in Baghdad. They keep suicide bombing the buildings I am looking at though.
    Strapping Young Lad wrote:
    queencitybuckeye wrote:
    Writerbuckeye wrote: And if I decided to take a camera crew into Iraq, I'm betting I could find all kinds of people who love the way things are now, and who are doing terrific. I'd simply do some editing and you'd have the best propaganda piece in the world on behalf of the "new" Iraq.
    You could talk to any of the thousands of people that Sadam killed. Oh wait, I guess you can't. :-/
    You could talk to the preteen girl stalked and raped by military men or the many civilians killed in the "war"......Oh wait, you can't. :huh:

    You can probably find some amputees crutching around somewhere......
    Hell, you could find some amputees of the Iraqi war here. This war has produced the most maimed soldiers and amputees since the civil war (exception is the Vietnam War which lacks reliable stats according to this article.) The good news is more injured soldiers are surviving though, but many of those injured ones come back with severe disabilities.
    The brochure for the bulidings I looked at said nothing of suicide bombings, so I asked. The nice lady told me those stories about suicide bombers were just propaganda pieces promoted by the liberals. There are no suicide bombings, in fact......:dodgy:

    They even went so far as to name the highrise I'm looking at: Dubyah Towers......
    I'll have to check this out. We may become neighbors!
  • majorspark
    War is over in Iraq. We won. Go ahead and purchase the condo.
  • dwccrew
    majorspark wrote: War is over in Iraq. We won. Go ahead and purchase the condo.
    Define won. I'm still trying to figure out what the objective was.
  • Glory Days
    i know a few places for sale across the street from the Equestrian Club in western Baghdad. There is even a race track there if you are into horse racing. It is also only a short drive from Baghdad International Airport.
  • Footwedge
    Iraq is a huge shithole today. Anyone that thinks the Iraqis live better today are delusional. There was nothing accomplished of substance and a lot was destroyed. Over 2 million Iraqis (about 8% of their entire population) left the country altogether, and live as nomads, mainly in Syria and Lebanon.

    We will be forced to keep armed people there for a long, long time. And once we leave, a brutal dictator will assume power. The same thing will happen in Afghanistan.

    The war was a true fleece job.