Was CBS Irresponsible?

[pakrat]

After seeing the photos from the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal, I have tried to learn who was responsible for releasing them to the public. So far, all I can learn is that CBS's 60 minutes did the dirty deed. Any idiot would know that publication of such pictures would greatly undermine what the US is trying to do in the middle east, create more hatred, and make our troops and ourselves less safe. I feel that CBS was very selfserving. I blame them as much as the depraved soldiers who committed the deeds. In fact, I am furious with CBS. Why couldn't they let the military handle it?
Is it because they hate G. Bush and will do anything to bring dishoner to him? Is it to keep their ratings up? I feel they were derelict in their duties as responsible journalists. The public does not have a right to see everything. :mad: :mad: :mad:

I have tried to email CBS several times fom their own web site but the responce is always server not available. I will resort to snail mail. I want to know if anyone else feels the same was I do.

My bloodpressure is up because of this. I knew when I heard the pentagon announce an investigation of prisoner abuse in Jan. that the news media would blow it up big. Don't know what took them so long. :rolleyes:

What are your thoughts sports fans.

[JasperDog94]

I must say that I'm not surprised, but I do agree with you. Whoever released those photos did it for political reasons as well as ratings.:mad: :nerd: :nerd:

[sinton66]

While I don't approve of their actions, I can't say CBS was derelict in their responsibility. I think it is important that we maintain a unified front as a nation that we have nothing to hide. I would also caution everyone to wait until the military finishes with this to make up your minds about the individuals involved. They do not need to be tried by the press. Were they under specific orders? Did they overstep their orders? Did they do it as a sick joke? There is no way for those of us safe back here at home to know just yet.

This is somewhat reminiscent of something one of my VietNam Vet friends told me about his tour over there. The Viet Cong were especially adept at psychological warfare. The American troops came upon many a grisly scene in the jungles. One specific episode left an indelible impression on me. My friend described coming upon the remains of an earlier patrol that had not only been wiped out, but they were then mutilated and left "posed" for the next group to find. The specific details of what they saw are much too grisly and sick to elaborate on this board. Suffice it to say, that if I had come upon this scene, I KNOW that I wouldn't have had too much trouble returning the "favor" on a VC if given the opportunity.

The point is, we have no idea what our troops have gone through over there. We haven't seen what they've seen. We don't know what if anything prompted these actions, so let's not be too quick to judge.

We all know this behavior is not typical of Americans. It is the rest of the world we must now convince of this. We certainly don't need to beat ourselves up over this. The military will do the right thing.

[JasperDog94]

I'm just sick of all the media fanning the flames and making this an international issue.

[sinton66]

I hear and understand that and will echo the same sentiment. If we want to affix blame, I think you hit the nail on the head when you spoke of the person who released the photos. If info falls into the hands of the press, you can't really blame them for airing it out. My gut tells me there is more to this story than we're hearing. What kind of MORON would allow himself to be photographed committing war crimes(if indeed that's what they are)? Something doesn't smell right here.

I want to clarify that in no way am I excusing their actions over there. I'm only making the point that I have the utmost faith in the UCMJ and the military's ability to correctly apply it.

[sinfan75]

What makes me mad is that a handful of troops do something really stupid and the whole world thinks it's an outrage. But let the enemy take people hostage and then they hang em and mutilate em and it gets maybe of attention and that's it.Personally I don't give a rats a$$ what the world thinks of the U.S. Most of em don't like us any way.

[sinton66]

I agree, where's the world's outrage over the four American civilians torn apart, drug through the streets, then hung up on bridges? This is an incident akin to the VietNam analogy I posted above. The "world" seems destined to apply a double standard to the US. I agree with sinfan75, we need to quit worrying about world opinion and finish the business at hand.

[slpybear the bullfan]

Agreed 100%. We hear the silence of the world whenever terrorist acts are committed. But we are being run through the mill over such a small incident...

As for world opinion... yes, I care very much. Until caring about it starts causing my leaders to make WRONG decisions.

[sinton66]

Eventually, yes, we need to worry about world opinion. But, not in the middle of a war. War is dirty business. It's no time to worry about "image". What's much more important right now is that we stay focused, committed, and keep our opinion of OURSELVES high and not let this incident turn us against each other or our soldiers still in harm's way. We OWE the soldiers over there fighting for us that much.

[Old Cardinal]

LET'S ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY FOR OUT TROOPS!

[Old Cardinal]

I think is a shame that this incident happened. I see CBS, NBC, CNBC and ABC as prepartrators of anything they can do to get a far left wing Democrat into the Whitehouse. I think that this incident should have been handled within the military without the TV news flaming the fire 24-7. I have never heard anything on these TV propaganda machines saying anything about teachers have 5 times higher salaries, girls now getting educations, clean water across Iraq for the first time. Medicene and food for the common people. Sanitation-- and also irrigation for the crops of Iraq. No they are always looking for something to stoke the fires of naive American citizens. Yes it was an appalling thing that happened but our TV propaganda machine is bent on getting a left-winger into power at any cost! I have a son that has been involved in two Iraqi wars around ten years apart. Between these wars, 3 million Iraqi citizens were murdered. We are in a world wide war with Terrorist that will take us down internally if they can and externally if they can get propaganda to work. Thank God for the Fox network at least they deliver the news objectively without trying to sway public opinion to the far lefters.

[CHS_Grad '85]

Some where, I read a story that stated 'today's media is not about reporting the news anymore... it's about putting on a show... who looks best delivering the dialogue... what spin can be put on a story to hook an audience'... very interesting article... I have to agree with Sinton66 on this issue... we are here - safely away from the war... do we really want to know - NO... but yet it's thrown in our faces to get a rise out us... its a polital move on the media's part (:eek: )... I just wonder - if it was here - on our sacred soil - would we be as outraged...

[BIG19]

Although I do not agree with the media publishing the pictures - that is what they do in the first place, report what they think is newsworthy. I feel the blame goes back to the ones who took the pictures and to the ones who ordered the pictures to be taken. The first line of denyability is to have no proof. Now there is proof and with that will come problems for many soldiers that were doing what they were told to do. I just hope and pray that the officers that were ordering this, have to pay just like the enlisted will.

[JasperDog94]

The problem will be if any of these photos are fake. Some are probably real while some are fake. But the one's that are shown to be a fake have already done the same amout of damage. That won't be headline news. It'll be buried on page 23 of section L in fine print.:(

[pakrat]

"While I don't approve of their actions, I can't say CBS was derelict in their responsibility. I think it is important that we maintain a unified front as a nation that we have nothing to hide. I would also caution everyone to wait until the military finishes with this to make up your minds."....Sinton66

I am glad to see everyone doesn't agree with me 100%. Wouldn't be a very interesting topic if they did. :) I think the story could have been discussed without publishing the pictures. I don't like what the pictures represent and cannot understand the minds of people who do these kinds of things. But like Sinton66 said, I am willing to let the military finish the business before I make up my mind about the soldiers in the pictures.

I might not make the best journalist, but my first thought before publishing any picture would be what is the greater need, the public's right to see or the havoc I create by publishing it. Newsweek recently had on its cover pictures of the train bombing in Spain that was very insensitive to the families of dead people they displayed up close. But that only affected a few families. This prison thing affects all of us, no matter where we are. It ratchets up the hate machines all over the middle east and any where we have enemies. When we have nuclear clouds over Texas, some little pipsqueak may come forward and say, "I was neutral until I saw those pictures and then decided to kill Americans." :( :( :(