Government Censorship
By Tom Barrett (08/10/04)
Some readers love to chastise me about perceived discrepancies in my viewpoints. For instance, I have been attacked because I believe capital punishment of those guilty of heinous crimes is both Biblical and necessary as a deterrent. But I also see the murder of innocent babies for the convenience of their parents both distinctly un-Biblical and thoroughly abhorrent. I see no contradiction between those positions. In this column I am going to give you a free opportunity to criticize me, because I am going to take both sides of an issue in a manner that would make John Flip-Flop Kerry proud.
Today I would like to praise the government of one nation for censoring not just one TV program, but an entire TV Network. And I am going to criticize another nation for doing exactly the same thing. The difference is that the first government has outlawing a TV Network for inciting violence, and therefore for the protection of its people. The other government has outlawed a Network because it dares to offer reporting of both sides of important issues, instead of following the government's knee-jerk liberal bias in its reporting.
The new government of Iraq has just announced that they have banned Al Jezeera from broadcasting in their nation. Normally, I would be against any form of censorship, but Iraq is definitely using good common sense to defend their nation in this case. Al Jezeera is doing much worse than yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater, which everyone recognizes as "speech" that does not fall under "free speech" protections.
Al Jezeera actively incites violence and encourages and supports terrorism. For years they have served as Osama bin Laden's personal Network for disseminating his audio and video diatribes. Immediately following 9-11 Al Jazeera was full of coverage of Osama's verbal attacks on America. Recently they have been at the scene of terrorist acts BEFORE they occurred, a clear indication of cooperation between the Network and al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. And now they are being sued for collaboration in a kidnapping which almost resulted in a beheading (see link below).
The "Jihad Network" (see link below) has also violated the Geneva Convention by showing footage of American prisoners of war being interrogated in Iraq, as well as of American soldiers killed by Iraqis. The have aired, over and over again, the most vicious anti-American lies imaginable, including calling America "a terrorist regime that has killed innocent people since 1945 to this very moment," and praising Osama bin Laden, the murderer of thousands of Americans, "a legitimate jihad fighter."
In its statement about Iraq's action against Al Jazeera, Iraq's Interior Ministry stated in part (for the whole story, see link below) that the network has chosen to be "the mouthpiece of terrorist and criminal groups thus contributing to attempts to impair security and achieve aims of terrorism in spreading terror…In so doing, it has contributed to hindering the Iraq reconstruction process by justifying kidnappings and killing of foreigners working here."
Another nation, Canada, has also banned a TV Network from their country: Fox News. Not because Fox incites violence. Not because it has been responsible for many deaths, as Al Jazeera has. No, Fox has been black-listed by Canada because it provides BOTH sides of the story. In a Socialist nation like Canada, anything but the Leftist party line is strictly forbidden on the public airwaves. (See this week's Canada Report at www.ConservativeTruth.org for a powerful article on this subject authored by Canadian Kathy Shaidle.)
Canada proudly broadcasts CNN (known to many as the Communist News Network for its ultra-Left biased coverage). Its own networks proudly present a wide spectrum of coverage ranging from mildly socialist to vicious extreme Left-wing propaganda. But nowhere is there a nation-wide Conservative voice.
Presumably this is the reason they have denied Fox News permission to broadcast there. They believe Fox to be Conservative, and therefore Fox is not welcome. In fact, Fox is anything but Conservative. I watch their coverage of a wide range of events, and have always found their coverage to be exactly as advertised: "Fair and Balanced." And it drives me crazy!!
Fox goes to great lengths to provide both sides of every story. Take Hannity and Colmes, for example. Sean Hannity is an intelligent, articulate defender of the Constitution and of Conservative values. Alan Colmes is a whiney knee-jerk liberal whose unenviable job is to defend the indefensible. On every show they have "spokesmen" for both sides of every issue. If there's a Republican, there has to be a Democrat. If a Pro-Life person is on, they must be balanced with a Pro-Death person.
I want to scream (and sometimes do) "WHY do you have to present both sides? ALL the other networks present NOTHING but the Liberal Party Line! Why can't we have just ONE network that simply presents the truth?" Well, either they haven't heard my anguished cries, or they have decided not to act upon my advice. And it's probably just as well. Because their policy of giving both sides a fair chance to have their say has made them the MOST WATCHED cable news network in the United States.
So what is Canada afraid of? Their policy of censorship is so much like that of the former Soviet Union's that it is scary. Are they so afraid of IDEAS that they have to exercise mind-control over their people? No, I am not over-stating the case. When you control the information people are allowed to see, you are exercising mind control.
They don't want Canadians to see anything that is positive about the United States. CNN and the rest of the liberal news media have an official policy of Blame America First. So does the current Liberal government of Canada. (Millions of Canadians do not feel this way, but unfortunately they were outvoted in the recent elections.) As a result of this constant stream of anti-American, anti-Democracy drivel, 40% of Canadian teens believe America is "Evil." (See link below.) Worse, that figure sky-rocketed to 64% when French-Canadian teens were surveyed.
American teens certainly don't feel that way about Canada, even though the Canadian government seizes every opportunity to trash the U.S. Why the difference? Because we still have a (relatively) free media here. And because Canada has chosen to censor the ONLY Network that provides balanced coverage.
Here's the punchline. While refusing to allow the moderate Fox News on their airwaves, Canada is about to begin broadcasting the vicious pro-terrorist, anti-Jewish, anti-American slime produced by Al Jazeera. No, I am NOT kidding.
Iraq, an Arab nation with an Islamic government has recognized the danger Al Jazeera poses to their fragile democracy and banned the most hateful, deceitful TV Network in the world from broadcasting in their country. Canada, in an orgy of "multi-culturalism" has decided to allow The Jihad Network permission to broadcast. I have no doubt that if the current government had been in power during World War II, there would have been a "Nazi Network" on their airwaves.
INTERNET RESEARCH:
Canada Gets Al Jazeera But No Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126500,00.html
Jihad TV Comes to Canada
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=14302
Al Jezeera Network Sued for Collaborating with Kidnappers
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126217,00.html
Iraq Shuts Down Al-Jazeera
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/07/iraq.al.jazeera/
40% of all Canadian Teens (and 64% of French-Canadians Teens) Believe U.S. is EVIL
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,128151,00.html
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