Gates says AP decision to print photo of dying marine 'appalling'

I am amazed at your familarity with Bea Arthur and more than a little concerned.

That comment....is the reason why showing a picture doesn't alter anyone's thinking on the war.

So the picture is pointless....the only person it matters to is AP and their pretend care...as well for anyone else that thought it's a right to show such a picture.

It was printed to make money, pure and simple. Media whores and pimps do not care about a family's wishes. The AP has proven this by their decision. If your child was dying from an armed robbery gunshot, would it be acceptable to film and publish the death throes of your child?

Why don't we use someone you love as said background instead.

Sacrifice to be right. But you can't, because you're wrong.

Your are truly funny. Now why don't you post photos of the World Trade Towers 9/11, the Pentagon 9/11, Lockerbie crash, Muslim bombings around the world??? Now that is what the AP should have posted while manipulating the minds of Americans and other World citizens. You are not really tuned into the World are you?

@moonloon, on the contrary, if YOU were well informed, you would know that 911 was an inside job. Even your foundation is unsound. Time to shut up, educate yourself then try to think up something.

The U.S. hired Muslims to attack the Pentagon? I suspect that you drink too deeply from the cup of paranoia!

The US attacked the pentagon to hide the fact that they shot down a passenger plane. "the us hired muslims" lol what an idiot. LIke I said, learn some facts jackass. Don't try saying I said something stupid or I will check you on it. Got it?

Censorship for the purpose of propaganda is a very old practice. At not prime time hours, the satelite movie channels bring out movies from the early 1940s which were the WW2 years. There's one B & W film made in 1943 called Guadalcanal Diary in which is dripping with propaganda instead of red blood to whip up the masses. It deals with the war crimes of the Japanese to unite the public in race hatred against the Japanese which is why they had to forcibly place Neisei (Japanese/Americans) in renovated forts for their own safety. The television was 1st used in 1939 to broadcast an American baseball game(since it was an American invention) So it's no surprise that George Orwell wrote1984 while living in Nazi occupied Paris during 1943. He knew how easily the mass media can mind control the masses to gain grassroots support for any war, even
though it starts as a justified, defensive war. Truth is the 1st casualty of any war. TV has become the Fascist Corporate hypnotism to massage the masses to desensitize them to brutality, to get them to blindly accept war as something other than what it realy is- a for profit Organized Crime activity. Because there is no m.o. in warfare that isn't criminal in civil standards.
I'm a Bhuddist who converted in 1972 after the anti VietNam war protests I made in marches. The only way to end wars is to not contend, because fighting any war fights FOR war,not against it. That's why Bhuddists don't react. Because it would only escalate conflict. Peace is like Gold itself, it's valuable and endures beyond the disease of conflict because it doesn't react to anything. Case in point: Japanese
are Bhuddists too, yet their minds were so subverted by race hatred against anyone who wasn't Japanese, in the same way the Germans were against anyone who wasn't German that Tojo & Hitler were able to mind control them with the delusions of grandeur that they were invincible. Back that up with the pathological
liars their Fascist leaders were,root that in obsession, and all 3 factors spell criminal insanity, which is all that war is. Cold blooded violence is a disease that
reason, and diplomacy can't reach because it's evil per se. It's a contest to see which side can be pitted to develop the worse evil. So the victor is also the looser. Hitler's mad vision of nuclear proliferation is now the nightmare of the USA with Iran, N. Korea, et al
wanting in. There is no "way" to Peace save Peace per se. Head types call that enlightenment. Tail types call that nonsense. But since wars always waste all the time, labor, and money produced in any country's economy-including humans & their way of life, causing Recessions and Depressions...Is that simply nonsense too ?

As a presumably educated person you are well aware of the P.O.W. death rate for Japanese held prisoners vs. German held P.O.W.'s? 27%-29% died in Japanese hands. About 10% died under the loving care of Nazi's. Another over the hill hippy spouting nonsense.

First I'm pretty sure you don't respect a god damn thing acontradiction except your own pathetic point of view. they do show reporters getting killed like the one the Israeli defence force shot with a tank round a while back that was very gruesome but I'm sure you whacked off good to that one didn't you. admit it you probably just like seeing people dieing hu? I bet you could probably look at a hundred pictures of Marines dieing and would come back for seconds. Keep the wars going so we can get more of these pictures eh contra?

The father who is asking for pictures of his dead son not to have been shown?

No dumb ass Defence Secretary Robert Gates. Sheet your thick!

He is a pronoun and not a name.

There are two he's in this story.

AND....where's that objectivity?

what the fuck is "OBJECTIVITY" you keep going on about? I'm not a fucking reporter I'm a private citizen who says what he want and does not give a stick of shit what someone like you thinks or says about it. So take you "OBJECTIVITY" you thought you were being so clever brandishing about and shove it where the sun don't shine bucko.

You have more care about words on a screen than how a man feels about pictures of his son being shown about like a prized medal.

Sad.

Damn, "Hombre", you are a real badass!

There is enough blame to go around. There is no way that they shouldn't get some of it.

Nice try in deflecting, even though it wasn't good enough.

j-jammer I am amazed at how many posts you make here at current. .....It's almost as though you think someone cares or that people like you........it so special.

Doesn't look like it exists.

I told you your objectivity was fake and now you show everyone how right I was.

Why should a newspaper get blamed for showing people what's happening in the world because of a matter of government policy?

I think that they are heros for publishing it.

The weak thing would have been to cower and not publish it.

It took real bravery and commitment to the truth to publish that.

Now if you want to talk about the role that the press played in the lead up to the war, that is a different argument. What we're talking about now, is THIS photo, and the decision to publish it.

They won't change the war or make it stop. No picture in history has ever stopped war.

NONE.

So it wasn't brave, it was stupid...especially when they were asked, by the family, NOT to.

You can't justify that in your little Amoral world.

That is such a naive thing to state.

Who doesn't know what war does? What person hasn't had a history class? There is no way they think it's care bears and unicorns over there.

They did not allow pictures to be shown during bushes reign. what are you talking about "the last 8 years"?

Jan, you must realize that people are bombarded by so many images, ideas, concepts and advertisements on a daily basis. Especially if they watch TV; which a vast majority of American do; watch TV. It has become a mighty oracle that tells them what to think, what to wear, what to eat, what to believe, and mostly how to behave. It like "Network" or even "They Live".

The only thing that people respond to is shock and awe. Love and caring nurturing and all the great spiritual blessings cannot compete with the monstrous Zeitgest that is Mainstream Media.

That is why it is important for the real things to be shown. That is why the censorship of war images is so great, because if the real war was televised, people would be jumping out of their skin demanding that we stop, investigate, put perpetrators on trial.

Remember, it was the images from Germany and the bodies of Jews being dumped into mass graves that finally marshaled the collective will of the American people to fight Germany in WW2. It was the graphic images of Vietnam that marshaled the collective will of the American people to end that war.

Images are extremely powerful conveyors of information and help to create myths. It can create presidents and destroy kings.

Maybe a few photos of the victims of 9/11 will jog some memories. Maybe close up shots of the mangled and burnt bodies from Lockerbie will remind the clueless of the wages of pacifity.

And I never stated I was against the photo being shown, but that I was against going against the wishes of his parents and not doing at least something to maintain the dignity of it based on their wishes. If they gave permission THEN FINE. So I doubt I will be posting anymore to this News site regarding this war. So tired of having my opinions twisted to suit those who only wish to attack my views.

Jan, you know you are on to something when Current Member attack. Don't give up. Your critical thinking skills are reaching people. Who gives a crap what a few people think on this website. There are a bunch of loudmouthed fools here and those that are here to steer the discourse away from a sincere inquiry into truth.

"besic", If this is not too personal a question, what war was your father involved in? I would like to comment if you do not mind.

Let me get this straight you don't think people are doing enough but you bitch when the AP at least does something to expose the waste of this war. The more of your comments I read the more I'm convinced you'd bitch about anything as long as people see that your tougher than everyone else onwhatever the daily beef is. your like that person that always has to one up every one else it's pretty pathetic really. But whatever floats your boat. Have fun being pissed about everything and everyone, let me know how popular that makes you or your causes.

She may be a complainer more so than most, but that does NOT mean that what she has decided to complain bout today is less important.

If you base what you think of a situation on who is telling you about it instead of the merits of the situation itself....you're being too emotional.

Emotion is not a problem until it blinds you enough that all you see is your fixation on a single person instead of the bigger picture they are trying to convey.

Bringing death here, death there....this is bad, American bad, this war is bad...blehblehbleh

does NOT make what the AP did any better or make it less worse and we should just all be ok with it. So stop pretending you're objective and start noticing how you don't have a heart.

Oh my, you have no reply about the content so you attack me. Typical. So I am COMPLAINING by stating I want this war to end and that this chicken sh** media is only an accomplice in its continuation by cherrypicking its coverage proving it isn't about caring but about sales and ratings? That's says much about you. I suppose people who work for better work conditions, healthier food, and cleaner water are complainers too? What BS. The point remains if this is such a FREE PRESS then they need to PROVE IT ALL THE WAY.

And for your enlightenment, it is "complainers" like myself that got women the vote, environmental laws to protect our air and water passed, and held the feet of politicians to the fire all of these years. You find it to be complaining to simply diminish the validity of what I typed. Goodie for you.

I made my comment for the thread Jan I'm addressing your constant bitch about how you do so much and the rest of us just dont do enough even while comenting on some people doing something it hypicritical and I wanted to point that out. So drop the whiny "whay are you attacking me?" 'why dont you respond to the thread?" boo hoo.

Where have I typed that I do so much more than anyone? Project much? Again, you can't address the comment based on its validity so you make a personal comment. My opinion on it stands. When this media starts showing ALL OF IT on both sides and demanding this war end, perhaps they will then look credible instead of cherrypicking only what they want to show for sensationalistic value. But hey, let's see how many people show up in front of the White House today demanding this war end because they saw that one picture. Will you be there?

No I wont be there Jan. I suppose you can drop what ever you are doing and throw down the cash to go to DC and protest, frankly if you can good on ya. But I digress,I personally can not afford to drop everything nor do I have the cash necessary to travel to DC but I do what I can where I am when I can. And here we get to my gripe about you its not enough obviously to you and some how I think if I told you I went to DC and was unable to accomplish anything I suppose you would dig on that too. It's a good thing I know better than to try and please people like you.

Betico where were you born?

Dunkle, you are an ass. America was the victim of a terroist attack by Muslim extremists. Clearly you are an uneducated victim of a liberal press, most likely from outside of the U.S. Americans by and large do not give a flying f88k about other countries, as long as they stay within their moronic borders and reject terroism as a political weapon.

I see how that has stopped the war America is still in. Maybe he'd like more sacrifices to this cause of stopping the war.

"I see how that has stopped the war America is still in"

By journalists I was referring to the people covering the war not Stewart. The only reason I posted the video was because his point hit the nail on the head.

"Maybe he'd like more sacrifices to this cause of stopping the war"

What a wonderful way to make every other comment you make irrelevant.

They get paid well. They get paid more for being deployed.

Is that ALL YOU GOT? Name calling??? I WIN AGAIN!

Spot on as usual.

You are right about the BBC, but with their coverage we know more of whats going on. However seeing that boys pictured stirs me deeply, he was so young, my prayers are with his family. It was a shock, a wakeup call, again.

if the photo served no purpose than freedom of press serves no purpose either.

A zip of the lip can be warranted under certain circumstances.

I do not agree. The death of a loved one is a private matter, not to be used for political purposes.

tell that to the people still giving us live updates on M.J. DEATH WATCH! 09!

he simply doesnt have the balls,

That's bias, though. You're siding with what you imagine would be objective and confusing that with cold heartedness.

People know the horrors of war just fine. The only way they'd really get to know it is to actually go there. I suppose you think taking citizens to a war torn area so they can get a sense of war would be a great idea.

people may know it, but they will never understand it.
a picture of the mess that's going on is an easy way to help people understand.

i know that war is gruesome, but i can never understand it truly, short of becoming a solider and experiencing it. pictures, videos, and sounds, its all so that we can vicariously be there, to help us understand the turmoil that goes on. without that, its just empty words going into our ears, without any real context.

you may understand how horrible war is, but not everyone does, they just know its bad, like they know its bad to piss on the toilet seat.

"Ras", they were civilians stealing fuel from the stranded tankers. Morons like this kill themselves every day in Nigeria and no global protest is made. Here is a good rule for global citizens,"if the fuel does not belong to you, stay away"!