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Why "World Opinion" is worthless....

Cdn Blackshirt

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Definitely the best op-ed of the day....


Matthew.    :salute:

http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/DennisPrager/2006/08/01/world_opinion_is_worthless
by Dennis Prager

If you are ever morally confused about a major world issue, here is a rule that is almost never violated: Whenever you hear that "world opinion" holds a view, assume it is morally wrong.

And here is a related rule if your religious or national or ethnic group ever suffers horrific persecution: "World opinion" will never do a thing for you. Never.

The history of "world opinion" regarding the greatest mass murders and cruelties on the planet is one of relentless apathy.

Ask the 1.5 million Armenians massacred by the Ottoman Turks;

or the 6 million Ukrainians slaughtered by Stalin;

or the tens of millions of other Soviet citizens killed by Stalin's Soviet Union;

or the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their helpers throughout Europe;

or the 60 million Chinese butchered by Mao;

or the 2 million Cambodians murdered by Pol Pot;

or the millions killed and enslaved in Sudan;

or the Tutsis murdered in Rwanda's genocide;

or the millions starved to death and enslaved in North Korea;

or the million Tibetans killed by the Chinese;

or the million-plus Afghans put to death by Brezhnev's Soviet Union.

Ask any of these poor souls, or the hundreds of millions of others slaughtered, tortured, raped and enslaved in the last 100 years, if "world opinion" did anything for them.

On the other hand, we learn that "world opinion" is quite exercised over Israel's unintentional killing of a few hundred Lebanese civilians behind whom hides Hezbollah -- a terror group that intentionally sends missiles at Israeli cities and whose announced goals are the annihilation of Israel and the Islamicization of Lebanon. And, of course, "world opinion" was just livid at American abuses of some Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. In fact, "world opinion" is constantly upset with America and Israel, two of the most decent countries on earth, yet silent about the world's cruelest countries.

Why is this?

Here are four reasons:

First, television news.  It is difficult to overstate the damage done to the world by television news. Even when not driven by political bias -- an exceedingly rare occurrence globally -- television news presents a thoroughly distorted picture of the world. Because it is almost entirely dependent upon pictures, TV news is only capable of showing human suffering in, or caused by, free countries. So even if the BBC or CNN were interested in showing the suffering of millions of Sudanese blacks or North Koreans -- and they are not interested in so doing -- they cannot do it because reporters cannot visit Sudan or North Korea and video freely. Likewise, China's decimation and annexation of Tibet, one of the world's oldest ongoing civilizations, never made it to television.

Second, "world opinion" is shaped by the same lack of courage that shapes most individual human beings' behavior. This is another aspect of the problem of the distorted way news is presented. It takes courage to report the evil of evil regimes; it takes no courage to report on the flaws of decent societies. Reporters who went into Afghanistan without the Soviet Union's permission were killed. Reporters would risk their lives to get critical stories out of Tibet, North Korea and other areas where vicious regimes rule. But to report on America's bad deeds in Iraq (not to mention at home) or Israel's is relatively effortless, and you surely won't get killed. Indeed, you may well win a Pulitzer Prize.

Third, "world opinion" bends toward power. To cite the Israel example, "world opinion" far more fears alienating the largest producers of oil and 1 billion Muslims than it fears alienating tiny Israel and the world's 13 million Jews. And not only because of oil and numbers. When you offend Muslims, you risk getting a fatwa, having your editorial offices burned down or receiving death threats. Jews don't burn down their critics' offices, issue fatwas or send death threats, let alone act on such threats.

Fourth, those who don't fight evil condemn those who do. "World opinion" doesn't confront real evils, but it has a particular animus toward those who do -- most notably today America and Israel.

The moment one recognizes "world opinion" for what it is -- a statement of moral cowardice, one is longer enthralled by the term. That "world opinion" at this moment allegedly loathes America and Israel is a badge of honor to be worn proudly by those countries. It is when "world opinion" and its news media start liking you that you should wonder if you've lost your way.

Note - Does not appear to be copyrighted by source provided in url regardless....
 
I do agree with pretty much everything stated.  However, I think this article is also leaning towards a bias and we have to be careful to not give a thumbs up and take it as gospel.
 
Unfortunately, a worthless article.

Don't believe world opinion counts?  Ask the US how Vietnam went.  Doesn't matter how proficient your military is; the chair can be kicked out from under it if you lose politically (some German talked about that).

It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the Islamic world is rallying behind Hezbollah and Lebanon.  No, it's not because they are all dyed in the wool fanatics.  You ain't going to secure peace by pissing off the one billion folks who aren't in it for the Jihad.
 
There is no peace to secure with an armed group on your border with the expressed intent in words and deeds of genocide against you. The only other option is to stick your head in the sand in an act of self delusion. The world can't be relied on to come to the rescue of those facing destruction. Israel must counter threats to it's existence in order to survive. The last time soldiers were kindnapped Israel did end up freeing some prisoners to get them back. Only they got corpses that showed signs of torture. So when eight soldiers are killed and two taken prisoner it's not that surprising what the response has been.

World opinion is useless because it can't be relied on to result in any action when your in need. So world opinion condemns the slaughter in Darfur yet every week more are butchered, raped and driven off their lands. Israel could make every concession and in 20 years when the Arab nations group together and try and destroy it yet again they would still be on their own on the ground regardless of what world opinion at the time is.  I wouldn't even take this as a condemnation of world opinion just the reality of it's limitations.
 
Or in short, opinions are like arseholes.  Everyone has one, and they usually stink.
 
Close to the mark, but yes, it screams of a bias.

I find the whole Lebanon situation really sad. But what I find tragic is that in the Sudan, thousands more have died at the hands of proxy forces controlled by the government in Khartoum. It's all about information war I suppose, and how convenient a locale is for media folks to get their picture for the 6 o'clock.
 
To describe as "radical" those who wish to preserve the man-woman-based definition of marriage known to every civilization is to stand the word on its head. 
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50524

I guess he values world opinion when it suits his anti-gay marriage agenda.

I love the title of one of his articles:

The Islamic threat is greater than German and Soviet threats were

Could this guy be anymore right-wing?
 
The war on terror (re Radical Islam) is no different then the fight against Germany or the Soviets in the sense that its a battle of ideals.  They want the entire planet to be Muslim, Russia wanted to spread communism and the Germans their own idea's.  Yes I realize that it is simplistic but his idea isn't just being held by him but others as well.
 
Quagmire said:
The war on terror (re Radical Islam) is no different then the fight against Germany or the Soviets in the sense that its a battle of ideals.  They want the entire planet to be Muslim, Russia wanted to spread communism and the Germans their own idea's.  Yes I realize that it is simplistic but his idea isn't just being held by him but others as well.

Yes but those idea's were held by powerful nations rivaling that of the US. There was a level playing field.

Here, we have radical Islamists with no real military, living off of charity from other countries and yet, they pose a great threat?
 
Bo, there you go again.

Always putting questions to others WITHOUT answering questions put DIRECTLY to you.

Remember that one I asked you in the Lebanon thread a short time ago?? I couldn't find a response to it yet.

Here it is again..........


Bo, would you kindly review the video at the following link. Don't worry, its quite short and quite self explanatory. It wont take away from any of your "Fisking" time.

Bo, would you kindly review the video at the following link. Don't worry, its quite short and quite self explanatory. It wont take away from any of your "Fisking" time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaO-3hXeIEs

I'm curious...These Lebanese government figures of 700 "civilian" and 50 "Hezbollah" are rather curious. (cough..BS...cough)

Do me a favour and answer the following question if you would Bo, since you like to pose questions of your own.....

Would the truck driver and assorted missile crew (or anyone else for that matter)  who took cover in the building in the above clip be in the "civilian" or "Hezbollah" dead tally from your point of view??


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you kindly answer the question above please.
 
Infanteer said:
Unfortunately, a worthless article.

Don't believe world opinion counts?  Ask the US how Vietnam went.  Doesn't matter how proficient your military is; the chair can be kicked out from under it if you lose politically (some German talked about that).

It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the Islamic world is rallying behind Hezbollah and Lebanon.  No, it's not because they are all dyed in the wool fanatics.  You ain't going to secure peace by pissing off the one billion folks who aren't in it for the Jihad.

Good post. Insightful.

This is from memory:

A Vietnamese general (could have been a Viet Cong) was speaking with a reporter (could have been a writer) after the fall of Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam, and said something to the effect that (paraphrase ahead) 'we didn't win the war against the Americans on the Ho Chi Minh trail or in the jungles or on the streets of Saigon (before name change), we won the war on the streets of Washington, on the campus of UCLA, on the streets of Chicago, ... etc."



 
Bo said:
Here, we have radical Islamists with no real military, living off of charity from other countries and yet, they pose a great threat?

It is not monetary wealth nor weapons which make a person or group dangerous or a great threat.

Rather, it is the tactics they choose to employ with what they do posess.
 
well, "World Opinion" is useless to Israel because they have long ago decided that nobody else in the world cares about them. So they don't care right back.

"World Opinion" is useless to most of those we regard as enemies, because they are, for the most part, bad guys. And bad guys don't care what you think of them, as long as they get their way.

"World Opinion" means a lot to us. Sometimes, I don't know if that makes us better, or just stupid.
 
CanadaPhil said:
Bo, would you kindly review the video at the following link. Don't worry, its quite short and quite self explanatory. It wont take away from any of your "Fisking" time.

Bo, would you kindly review the video at the following link. Don't worry, its quite short and quite self explanatory. It wont take away from any of your "Fisking" time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaO-3hXeIEs

I'm curious...These Lebanese government figures of 700 "civilian" and 50 "Hezbollah" are rather curious. (cough..BS...cough)

Do me a favour and answer the following question if you would Bo, since you like to pose questions of your own.....

Would the truck driver and assorted missile crew (or anyone else for that matter)  who took cover in the building in the above clip be in the "civilian" or "Hezbollah" dead tally from your point of view??


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you kindly answer the question above please.

IMO, the guys driving the truck and the missle crew are Hezbollah. People in the building could go either way, though I have trouble believing women or children could be considered Hezbollah.
 
Bo said:
IMO, the guys driving the truck and the missile crew are Hezbollah. People in the building could go either way, though I have trouble believing women or children could be considered Hezbollah.

Okay, then it is Darwinism, right?  The dumb shall be culled from the herd.  Because if I was living in a Lebanese apartment, and my parking space was taken by a missile truck, I think I would get the hell out of Dodge pretty quick.  More likely is that the civilians are not allowed to leave, and are being kept for potential photo ops after the building comes down.  I hope after this war is done, there are people willing to come forward and tell the stories of what Hezbollah is doing behind the scenes. 

And what is the correct spelling of that group anyway?  Hezbollah, Hizbolla, Hizbellah  ???
 
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