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Lots of interesting nibbles - and a ruthless swatter of economic gibberish.
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Must-read left of centre blog from writers who understand the threat to the West.
Clive Davis
Always interesting selection of culture and politics, from an Anglo-American bent.
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Libertarian blog, packed every day.
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The thoroughly sensible thoughts of renowned left-wing academic Norman Geras, Professor of Government at Manchester. And cricket, too.
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The public sector reform group; their website is an invaluable source of data and ideas.
Centre for the New Europe
The leading European public policy think tank.
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| July | 27 |
| 2006 |
Harry's Place has a transcript of an interview with CNN's Nic Robertson on Hezbollah's restrictions on media coverage in Lebanon. It's well worth a read as an example of how perceptions of reality are being affected by their slick media operation:
ROBERTSON: Well, Howard, there's no doubt about it: Hezbollah has a very, very sophisticated and slick media operations. In fact, beyond that, it has very, very good control over its areas in the south of Beirut. They deny journalists access into those areas. They can turn on and off access to hospitals in those areas. They have a lot of power and influence. You don't get in there without their permission....And absolutely, when you hear their claims they have to come with -- with a -- more than a grain of salt, that you have to put in some journalistic integrity. That you have to point out to the audience and let them know that this was a guided tour by Hezbollah press officials along with security, that it was a very rushed affair.
KURTZ: Right.
ROBERTSON: That there wasn't time to go and look through those buildings. The audience has to know the conditions of that tour. But again, if we didn't get all -- or we could not get access to those areas without Hezbollah compliance, they control those areas.
KURTZ: Right.
ROBERTSON: And I think to bring the audience the full picture of what's happening in Beirut, you have to go into those southern suburbs.
KURTZ: All right.
ROBERTSON: Because that's where the vast majority of bombs were falling.
KURTZ: I understand.
ROBERTSON: Again, they come with a health warning that we cannot vouch for everything that Hezbollah is saying. And I think the audience is sophisticated enough to appreciate that, Howard.
I wonder how Jeremy Bowen holding a teddy bear in a bombed building fits in with his last two sentences.
As a friend with close connections to many of those involved emailed me this morning:
This whole news coverage reminds me a lot of defensive shield - when the dust settles people will realise that a tiny bit of Beirut has been targetted and that, as per normal, the media have completely over-reacted. Last night on the 10 they followed the Israel story with the 4m dead in the congo civil war....shows they've got their priorities right.
MessageSpace
Precisely - distortion of proportion.
Here's a map that shows the effected area; it's a 12 block radius in south Beirut apparently, according to Canadian General Lew MacKenzie. And you can see that in the map.
Also, here's the NYSun discussing Kofi Annan's claims about the UN.
The big difference: Israel COULD expunge every Moslem population centre from Marakech to Manila in the course of a lazy Sunday afternoon it it wanted to. The Islamofascists WOULD kill every Jew on the planet were they able.