J Street’s statement about the Obama administration’s capitulation to Israeli demands reeks of desperation; what happens if Washington doesn’t deliver, people? Though we welcome the government of Israel’s expressed willingness to restrain settlement growth, we echo the Secretary’s statement today in Morocco that offers made to date fall far short of the Obama administration’s position…
Showing all posts tagged New York Times
Aceh moves to the sharia beat
Having just visited Aceh in Indonesia, this New York Times feature about the place is timely: Just before noon prayers one recent Friday — a mandatory session for men — the Shariah police’s all-female brigade hopped onto a Toyota pickup to begin patrols. Dressed in olive uniforms, the officers hewed to the city center, away…
We are keeping the Gazan people alive, barely
A strong New York Times story about the Gaza tunnels that keep the people there alive: Dusty sacks filled with cans of Coca-Cola were being loaded onto trucks by young boys, headed for supermarkets in Gaza City. Thousands of motorcycles were lined up on display in a nearby stadium, ranging in price from $2,000 to…
Old media still battles with new media
The following piece by Shakira Hussein in Crikey discusses a recent media conference in Canberra, Australia: Last week’s conference on “War 2.0: Political Violence and New Media” amounted to a loya jirga of different tribes – old media, new media, academics, and the odd military representative. The conference generated some interesting discussions on the implications…
Reporters are whores for war (repeat after me)
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting remind us that the corporate media has remembered nothing from the Iraq debacle; their job is to amplify those in power: There have been recent discussions (e.g., New York Times, 9/29/09) about whether the press is doing a better job covering allegations about Iran’s nuclear program than they did during…
Those indigenous Afghans should just shut up anyway
The New York Times today features many “experts” to explain “10 Steps to Victory in Afghanistan” yet no Afghan voice are heard. Guess they don’t really matter.
How attractive is conflict to the New York Times?
The New York Times was intimately involved in selling the case for war against Iraq. Six years on, with Iran in the cross-hairs, little has changed. Corporate and complicit media at its worst.
Hearing the Burmese cries for freedom
Brutality in Burma has been occurring for decades. A friend recently spent time in the country and has published this powerful story in the New York Times about the fledging democracy movement there: U Win Tin, Myanmar’s longest-serving political prisoner, was tormented, tortured and beaten by his captors in the notorious Insein Prison for nearly…
The crushing of the Iranian spirit
Iranian Ibrahim Sharifi protested during the recent post-election uprising. His story, told here in yesterday’s New York Times, is devastating: Mr. Sharifi was one of five brothers raised in north Tehran in a middle class family that was religious but not fanatically so. His father, a retired military officer, was a supporter of the 1979…
America signs yet another deal to kiss Israel
On some days, such as today, I look at the Middle East “peace process” and wonder how any serious journalist can’t write about Israel and Palestine and not simply laugh (or cry). Talks, meeting, summits, statements of intent and yet the occupation only grows. A farce allowed to continue by either blind Zionists or bought…