More Media Fails: Hall of Shame Welcomes Five New Members
November 22, 2012 15:24 by Alex Margolin
As Operation Pillar of Defense appears to reach its conclusion, we round up our Hall of Shame with a further five new entries.
6. Anthony De Rosa, Reuters columnist and social media editor
for a tweet displaying so much ignorance it literally left us speechless.
While mainstream media had no shortage of concern for Palestinian civilians at the expense of Israelis, a single tweet by Anthony De Rosa, an editor at Reuters, took insensitivity to a whole new level.
Of course, it didn’t take Israeli supporters long to mount a response. Credit Robbie Guy with the best rhetorical take down of the media war.
7. John Cook, Gawker
for claiming Israel deliberately kills human shields in Gaza.
While Israel takes extraordinary efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza – as evidenced by the low number of Palestinians killed in more than a thousand Israeli airstrikes – no effort will be good enough for some of Israel’s critics.
Internet magazine Gawker, which is usually more concerned with salacious details about the lives of celebrities, waded into deeper waters by claiming the term “human shields” was no longer appropriate in the conflict because Israel did not hold back from killing them.
The concept of a human shield is simple: In lieu of an actual shield, or other defensive resource, a combatant protects his positions by relying on his enemy’s reluctance to kill noncombatants. “You can kill me if you like, but you will also kill this child, which your moral and legal precepts prevent.” The attacking party, faced with a choice between killing civilians and tolerating the persistence of a legitimate military target, chooses not to strike. The target is thereby shielded from attack. (Hamas’ utter lack of moral and legal precepts with respect to civilian casualties renders such a choice moot for them.)
This arrangement breaks down when the attacking party decides to go ahead and kill noncombatants anyway. The “shield” element fails. Which is why Netanyahu’s use of the term “human shield” is imprecise. You don’t get to call them shields after you’ve decided to kill them.
Despite all evidence, Cook promotes the ridiculous idea that Israel “decided” to kill civilians rather than working hard to minimize it at every turn. In addition, his snappy scenario ignores the fact that using civilians as human shields is forbidden under the laws of war.
This article is continued on Page 2
Issie
6:48 pm
Nov 22, 2012
The banner on the Mirror says it all…’real news, real entertainment’. No, to the first, yes to the second!
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david bebarfald
7:01 pm
Nov 22, 2012
Disappointed to read Gwynne Dyer’s op ed published in the Wanganui Chronicle, Thursday, Nov 22, 2012.
Dyer argues that the Israeli right wing are trigger happy, blaming the conflict on Netanyahu’s strategy for re-election.
“So here we go again, perhaps? Netanyahu is till the prime minister, and the next elections are due in January. What better way to ensure success than to fo and bash the Palestinians again? A week later, with more than 100 Palestinians and three Israelis overwhelmingly support the current military operation.”
Troublingly, his article he concludes, “So then Hamas fired a few of its own rockets into Israel, and Israel retaliated massively..”
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Bryna
7:33 pm
Nov 25, 2012
JUST MORE ANTI-SEMETIC BLATHER
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Ike Semaya
7:15 pm
Nov 22, 2012
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND SEAMUS MILNE OF THE GUARDIAN AND CHRIS HUGHES OF THE MIRROR OF WHO BOMBED THE LONDON SUBWAY AND BUS A FEW YEARS AGO.
TO SHAKE YOUR MIND IT WAS MUSLIMS WHO LIVE IN ENGLAND WHO KILLED MANY PEOPLE ON THE BUS & SUBWAY. I DO NOT REMEMBER ANY COMMENT FROM THE BOTH OF YOU ABOUT THAT.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOUR BIGOTRY WILL LEAD TO A TAKE OVER OF BY THE MUSLIMS OF YOUR COUNTRY AS WELL AS MOST OF EUROPE, IF YOU DO NOT WAKE UP TO THE GOALS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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veryneat
10:44 pm
Nov 22, 2012
It has happened already. There are many areas i the UK where non-Muslims fear to tread and look like backward, third world hell holes, which is what they are.
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hfiers
7:26 pm
Nov 22, 2012
Let’s look at the reality of the “human shield.” Yes, we knew that Hamas will hide behind its own people and fire rockets from areas of heavy civilian concentration. But with the continued increase of rockets into Israel, there comes a time when one must take defensive action to curtail or stop this nonsense. When Hamas hides behind its human shields, it sets up its true concerns: the elimination of Israel and the establishment of “Palestine” are more important than its people. Now let’s look at the Israeli side of reality. Israel takes into account that human life comes first. We all are saddened when innocent civilians are killed, whichever the side. In war or military conflicts, there will be casualties. Israel targeted 1000+ targets aimed specifically at Hamas and its weaponry. Considering this defensive action, the percentage of those innocents killed, it was relatively small for this scale operation. Where was the international community and news media to condemn Hamas for its actions to use “human shields forbidden under the laws of war?”
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hfiers
7:39 pm
Nov 22, 2012
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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emes
7:54 pm
Nov 22, 2012
It is hatred of Jews which overrides any rationale from those who condemn the only democracy in the Middle East – These people can only favour their own executioners because this is ordained according to the Koran. If this the method of choice for their own demise, do not expect the Jews to follow suit! – Better to hate Jews and Israel for being strong than to ridicule us for being weak!
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veryneat
10:53 pm
Nov 22, 2012
For many left wingers in Western countries, it is not hatred of Jews that leads to their moral inversion in supporting the aggressor rather than the victim. It is envy, the gasoline that feeds socialist doctrine. They can’t believe that the totally impoverished Jews from Eastern Europe and many Arabic countries were able to take a swampy, backward, non-productive area and turn it into one of the most prosperous and pleasant countries in the world in a very short space of time. All this while Europe seems to be in terminal decline. It is envy and resentment at Israel’s success that fuels these people.
Long live Israel and may its success continue. Who cares what these fools say or think?
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hfiers
7:56 pm
Nov 22, 2012
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Dan
10:51 pm
Nov 22, 2012
Those “innocent” civilians, who joyfully celebrate every terrorist act where Jews are murdered, are not any longer innocent. They are part of the terror establishment and should be treated just as the rest of terrorists. I would not shed a tear when they are killed.
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Abie Werth
3:34 am
Nov 23, 2012
The loss of their people is of no importance to the Muslims. They have millions more people than the Jews. They also have millions of acres more land than the Jews.They do however care about the loss of territory; land on which they have built a Mosque. This is unacceptable for them. It then is my oppinion that they can be stopped from their aggression by informing them that when they attack and lose; their land will be forfet; and this time it will not be returned. The Muslims who then will be under Democratic law will be given the option to stay or to leave. If they stay, they will be reeducated to understand what the differences are, and again given the oportunity to leave.
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Ike Semaya
4:36 am
Nov 23, 2012
Dear Issie, David Bebarfald, veryneat,hfiers,emes,dan,abie werth, Or anyone who reads this.
gooogle this. http://youtube.com/embed/HjFSi1AZTq8
you will see the Muslim world in action in NYC
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Ozzikoff
10:03 am
Nov 23, 2012
C’mon guys….its basic envy. The Jews built a Garden of Eden out of a wasteland. The Muslims are turning their shitheaps into a living hell and the size of their balls wont let them sit down and figure out what theyre doing wrong. They have zillions of dollars of oil money and millions of acres of land and still cant get it right. Israel has basically no natural resources apart from Jewish brains.
Lets sit down together and we’ll show you how its done!
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Dr.M.Otero
11:24 am
Dec 08, 2012
Of course, you know that that would be completely humiliating to learn from the Jews! Even leading Blackactivist, Ron Karenga back in 1967 proclaimed to a mass of supporters at UCLA:
“Just do what the Jews do. Copy the Jews.”
How many eons will it take anti-Semites and Moslems to “wise up”? They unwittingly accept most of the Jewish medical and scientific discoveries. Why not age old Jewish concepts of reason and justice and at the very least, The Golden Rule which more properly stated is” Do not do unto others what you would not have done to you”?
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Gaza War, Jewish Propaganda and I : : ?????? ????????
2:31 pm
Nov 23, 2012
[...] Niceties of Hamas Executions Life of Luxury in “World’s Largest Concentration Camp” More Media Fails: Hall of Shame Welcomes Five New Members Ha’aretz Creates Non-Existent Apartheid [...]
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Of Gaza War, Israeli Warmongering, WaPo and I | My Sister Eileen
4:35 pm
Nov 23, 2012
[...] Niceties of Hamas Executions Life of Luxury in “World’s Largest Concentration Camp” More Media Fails: Hall of Shame Welcomes Five New Members Ha’aretz Creates Non-Existent Apartheid [...]
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Dr.M.Otero
11:40 am
Dec 08, 2012
The camps that the British in 1947 ran on Cyprus to prevent Jewish concentration camp survivors from immigrating to Palestine were NOT concentration camps where you plan to kill the incarcerated, but detention camps where you detain people.
The same distinction should be made for the American WWII detention camps for Japanese Americans living in US coastal areas. Generally, Japanese Americans living in the mid-West were not detained at all.
The German concentration camps suggest the awful difference. The distinction between the two is too often blurred.
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Dr.M.Otero
11:49 am
Dec 08, 2012
…..and may I add, Gaza is NO concentration camp OR detention camp but a containiment effort by Egypt and Israel to thrwart violence in either country. Some day, when the Gazans get rid of Hamas, it may rival the very best beach resorts on the Mediterranean. It could do so now, if it so willed. Canny, wealthy Arab investors have already put up luxury hotels and elegant shopping mall. But don’t make your reservations yet!
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Reality Check | American-Rattlesnake
2:38 am
Nov 24, 2012
[...] most disconcertingly, the inhumanity and barbarity of Islamic law was papered over by the persistently hostile mass media which reported on the Gaza [...]
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Lou
8:46 pm
Nov 25, 2012
There is a major distinction between Israel, which is a peace loving liberal democracy, which simply wants to defend its citizens, and Hamas, which is a jihadist terrorist outfit hiding behind civilians and only interested in throwing the Jews out of their homeland and the destruction of Israel.
The liberal leftist media understands the distinction, but of course has other considerations and agenda on their plate.
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Jose martinez
6:26 pm
Nov 27, 2012
Muslims do not “lack” moral precepts, they are following the teachings in their “Holy” book. For Muslims if civilians die in their bombings it is because Allah willed it. The Children who died in Pakistan from Small pox earlier died not because they could not get Medications but because their Imans said no we will kill you if you come here, when asked why they would not let the U.N bring in the Medication their response was if the children die it is because Allah wills it.
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Andrew
11:51 am
Nov 28, 2012
I am saddened to read where moslem population has overrun the native population there is now mass poverty and ‘ghetto’ like existence, danger to any non moslem in these places and the authorities for some reason have no power to stop this. I watched and listened to reports as moslems here in Australia rioted in the streets with few arrests, believe me, had that been Aussie citizens rioting there would have been mass arrests and beatings. We now live in a double standard world where moslems can ‘do no wrong’ while the rest of us face arrest and jail if we speak aloud what we know to be true. I know the day is coming when citizens will say ‘enough is enough’, will the gov’t turn on us?
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Top 10 Media Fails: The Media War Hall of Shame | A Lot Of Coffee and Sleepless Nights
4:44 pm
Nov 28, 2012
[...] More Media Fails: Hall of Shame Welcomes Five New Members [...]
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Weseeyou
7:46 am
Dec 27, 2012
As the years go by and mainstream media ignores the danger signs of volatility of the Islamic Quran’s influence and inhumanity to mankind against truly innocent people including their own, there will come a time when the overpowering, increasingly populating Islamic people will turn on the very reporters who “shield” them now. As much as the media used to be the eyes and ears of the world and of which had moral fiber, it has become blind and deaf to the truth and the world’s destruction of which are becoming more apparent every day, and, to this world’s detriment.
Courage to tell the truth has become a scarce commodity and our standards have declined. This article sadly proves the depravity.
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