We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, February 3, 2012

"In Lybia now the truth is coming out"

Click here to access article by Lizzie Phelan from Voltaire Network. ("HRW" referred to in the article likely refers to Human Rights Watch.)
I was video interviewed over Skype by New York Times journalist Robert Mackey about my coverage of events in Libya and Syria and my criticisms of the mainstream western and GCC media in relation to events in those countries.
Lizzie Phelan is an independent Irish journalist who has done reporting and interviews for foreign media such as Russia Today, a Syrian TV station, and other alternative media such as Voltaire Network. In this posting she summarizes the important questions presented by a journalist from the NY Times and her responses. You can also access the actual 35:14m Skype interview here.

She mentions that coverage of human rights violations in Libya has been more honestly reported since the NATO backed forces took over. I have seen extremely little coverage of this in the US. However, I checked her reference to Amnesty International and found numerous reports of atrocities committed by the NATO installed regime in Libya.

What I notice from this posting and from the live interview is the Empire's well embedded journalist, Robert Mackey, from the NY Times asking her questions loaded with pro-Empire biases and constantly re-framing her responses in such a way as to discredit her. Mackey no doubt received extensive indoctrination in US universities and ultimately hired because the Ministry of Truth, the NY Times, became convinced that he would reliably frame his reports in the interests of the Empire. He is no doubt paid very well for his services and has a bright future ahead serving the propaganda needs of the Empire.