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The long slow torturous death of journalism

newjesustimes's picture
Mon, 06/07/2010 - 12:53 — newjesustimes

Mainstream journalism that is; Let the character assassinations begin:
Helen Thomas quits after Israel comments

Thank you for your work, Helen. The rest of the press corps could have learned a thing or two from you (maybe some of them even did).

Thankfully the blogs are alive and kicking with some real journalism. The struggle will continue...

Comments

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 18:56 — Anonymous (not verified)

Yeah Right

Because she says some hateful stuff about removing the Jews from Israel, we should all feel sorry for.

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 19:28 — newjesustimes
newjesustimes's picture

Who said anything about feeling sorry?

I appreciate her efforts, as basically the last real journalist in the mainstream press corps over the past two decades or more.
I can respect that you can't understand that.
-peace-

PS: who said anything about "removing"?

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 23:16 — McJ
McJ's picture

Yes it is sad to see Helen

Yes it is sad to see Helen go. After she went after Gibbs at that press conference I figured she was a goner. Then when I saw that video clip of her saying Israel should get the hell out of Palestine I knew it was over for her. The retribution was swift and brutal. They even did a lengthy segment on both of our national TV stations tonight. They spent about as much time assassinating Helen as they have done on the massacre aboard the Mavi Marmara.

"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson

Tue, 06/08/2010 - 03:53 — james

thorn

I guess that shows what a thorn in their side she really was, McJ. I do think, though, it is always a mistake to apologise after speaking the truth. A breach of etiquette is one thing but laying yourself open to your enemies is not the remedy.

Tue, 06/08/2010 - 10:23 — McJ
McJ's picture

non apology

Interesting. She gave one of those non apologies for which Israel is so famous. "I deeply regret the comments I made..." sounds a lot like "We deeply regret the loss of life...". (That is, if you ignore the difference between "comments" and "loss of life".) The 'drama queens' are screaming all over the net that her apology is not enough. It works for them, I don't know why it isn't enough for her but I guess they would know being so accomplished in the art of apology. Meanwhile, here in North America...it is galloping past the story about the recent massacre on the high seas by the most (a)moral military in the world as well as their murder of four scary wet suit wearing Palestinians.

And speaking of apologies, the Israeli government was "forced to apologise(sic) for circulating a spoof video mocking activists aboard the Gaza flotilla." "The clip features a group led by the Jerusalem Post's deputy managing editor Caroline Glick" and "is interspersed with clips from the recent Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound aid ship, the Mavi Marmara."

"The YouTube clip, set to the tune of the 1985 charity single We Are the World, features Israelis dressed as Arabs and activists, waving weapons while singing: "We con the world, we con the people. We'll make them all believe the IDF (Israel Defence Force) is Jack the Ripper."
It continues: "There's no people dying, so the best that we can do is create the biggest bluff of all."
The Israeli government press office distributed the video link to foreign journalists at the weekend, but within hours emailed them an apology, saying it had been an error. Press office director Danny Seaman said the video did not reflect official state opinion, but in his personal capacity he thought it was "fantastic".
Government spokesman Mark Regev said the video reflected how Israelis felt about the incident. "I called my kids in to watch it because I thought it was funny," he said. "It is what Israelis feel." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/06/israel-youtube-gaza-flotilla

You see, that's where Helen went wrong. She should have added that while she regretted making those comments the whole thing was just a hoot and you all need to lighten the f**k up!

I was going to put the video up in a blog but I couldn't come up with anything but expletives to accompany it. You can watch it at the link but I wouldn't waste your download quota on it if I were you, it's dreadful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg. Of course, this 'misstep' by the Israeli propaganda machine caused barely a stir on the media waters.

And the idea of the master apologist and Stephen Harper policy adviser, that lying liar, the shocking and awful, Iraqi war seller and CIA agent outing cover-up artist Ari Fleischer leading the attack on Helen is rich. It makes one's blood boil.

Paul Jay CEO and Senior Editor of Real News has a post up on Huffington Post "In Defense of Helen Thomas -- On Apologizing to Apologists" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-jay/in-defense-of-helen-thoma_b_60297.... It is worth a read. Surprisingly for HuffPo, most of the comments I read were in support of Helen but I only read the first 3 or 4 pages, the attack dogs may have arrived later.

"The most unpleasant truth in the long run is a far safer traveling companion than the most agreeable falsehood." Emerson

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 23:52 — newjesustimes
newjesustimes's picture

sad and glad

the woman's been working how many years, 50? I think her retirement is well deserved and I'm happy to see her leave on her own two feet and more or less by her own choice. The sad part is wondering what kind of world we're left with without a single alternative voice and perspective to at least try and hold them honest (what one would hope journalism should provide, I think). Instead it seems we're left with what the White House spoon feeds and stage manages to the professional liars. And the blogs. Two distinct universes of reality.
Sad to read and hear that the television and papers full of paid liars are dancing on her grave. Well fuck them. She's not dead. The pen is yet mightier than the sword, there's hope she might still give the war criminals and their brazen apologists a good sticking or three. Although if she never works another day, I appreciate what she's been through as peace's lone representative up there for a few decades.

Tue, 06/08/2010 - 03:56 — james

Rest?

So well said, NJT. It will be interesting to see if new opportunities open for her. Though, she deserves her rest, as you say.

Mon, 08/09/2010 - 17:32 — Brutal Truth (not verified)

Helen Thomas was right.

Helen Thomas was right. If the Israelis want Palestinians to stop shooting rockets at them then STOP LIVING ON THEIR LAND. If the world felt like it owed Jewish people something after the Holocaust then the ones whose hide it should have been taken out of is obviously Germany, not the Palestinians. Carve them a state out of Germany and be done with it. Have it bordering the Netherlands so it's not completely surrounded by German territory. That is what should have been done in 1948 instead of founding a state with ethnic cleansing of uninvolved Palestinians (and don't anyone give me that shit about the Grand Mufti of Palestine being buddies with Hitler unless you are going to also claim that the Zionists should own Hungary or Romania or Finland or Bulgaria since Admiral Horthy, Marshal Ion Antonescu, Tsar Boris III and Marshal Mannerheim all did infinitely more to help the Nazis than the Mufti. The Palestinians as a people are blameless for the Holocaust.)

The Zionists never tire of moaning that everyone needs to respect their country's supposed "right to exist" but what about the Palestinians' right to exist? What about their right of return to their own homes and land?

Right of Return NOW! No justice, no peace!

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