As I have said before, the fact that Guantanamo is allowed to exist shames us all.
More guilty than most are our journalists.
After six years of illegal detention and torture does anyone believe that the whole Guantanamo affair will end with a fair trial? Is this really as angry as we get about this? Surely this demands media outrage on a level never seen before.
Surely, but no.
If you expected better from the BBC then you’ll be disappointed.
Not for the first time, I found myself nodding my head in agreement after reading the Enemies of Reason blog.
It’s take on the BBC coverage:
Just as nations get the governments they deserve, perhaps they also get the media their apathy warrants.
And the atrocities.
4 comments
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February 12, 2008 at 10:45 am
Bob Piper
I agree 100%. The media in Britain get all worked up, with page upon page of comment, if an MPs conversation with his constituent may have been bugged, but sit in silent complicity whilst people, including British citizens - so they have no excuse on that one - are incarcerated and tortured in Guantanamo.
The apology of an opposition create merry bloody hell about detention of 42 days in this country, but barely raise a whisper about people being kidnapped and detained without trial for years on end. There should never be a Prime Minister’s Question Time or Prime Ministerial Press Conference when someone doesn’t put Brown on the spot about the obscenity of Guantanamo. Yes, they would always get the standard stock answer about ‘diplomatic circles’ but it would raise at least the profile and public awareness. Whatever happened to Robin Cook’s ethical foreing policy?
I’ve blogged today about Miliband and his war for democracy… well perhaps he would like to launch his campaign to close the Guantanamo torture camp as the centrepiece of his war. Some bloody chance!
February 12, 2008 at 11:37 am
ourmanwhere
Bob, we are pathetic, cosying up to the class bully and being too scared to point out when he oversteps the mark.
Something I have noticed a great deal, since my return is that while Thatcher and Blair may have moved all UK politics to the right - in the last couple of years the media, and in particular the BBC, now seems to cover everything from a considerably more right wing perspective.
Their coverage on the issues surrounding migration reads like a BNP pamphlet from the seventies. Their soft pedalling on the Bush/Blair atrocities just mirrors Fox/CNN compliance.
As regards the rest of the poulations - someone needs to get people angry again because we are taking all of this lying down. History will not reflect well on any of us.
February 12, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Diehard Geordie
At least on Radio Five Live, neither Rod Sharp or Dotun Adebayo pulled punches on Guantanamo. Its just a pity their programmes are on during the night.
I cannot understand the young ones, we marched, protested, stormed the US embassy and created hell outside South Africa House - where are they all - worrying about the future? Not all were students most of us were working class and making ends meet at the same time.
Did Thatcher really succeed with her ‘me’ politics - it looks as though she did.
The English used to be the most awkward squad on the planet - fair play - and look out for the under dog - where did it all go?
February 12, 2008 at 5:30 pm
ourmanwhere
It’s hard to say - it’s chicken and egg with the media. Did we create them or did they create us.
I personally believe we live in an age of PR - newspapers are failing and simply can’t afford large numbers of staff for investigative journalism, nor for that matter, lengthy legal issues.
So, instead they only reproduce statements and press releases and it becomes easy for it all to be compliant and celebrity driven.
We have become used to it - press barrons like Murdoch even publically play kingmaker with the likes of Blair. They scratch each others backs and the truth and outrage gets lost somewhere.
Outraged citizens went the way of investigative journalists and the bollocks to tackle governments. As I said, it shames us all.