Gen. David Petraeus on Iraq

[CKFresh]

Well, one more expert on this situation has decided to be honest about the mistake that is the Iraq war. This week Gen. David Petraeus said, "any student of history recognizes there is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency in Iraq."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

If there is no solution, which nearly all the experts agree on, then why don't we get out and let them figure it out for themselves. The Iraqis want us us, the US public wants the troops home, the congress wants the war to end, but Georgie is too stubborn, and people continue to die.

[CKFresh]

IntheNet, DETMURDS...

Anything to say about yet ANOTHER military general saying that we can not win in Iraq?

[IntheNet]

Gen. David Petraeus said, "any student of history recognizes there is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq, to the insurgency in Iraq."

I agree with the General, as do most military tacticians. The solution in Iraq, and Afghanistan, will in fact involve both military and political solutions, along with massive amounts of humanitarian aid. If you continue to read Petraeus' statements, he says that himself.

Speaking of heroism, did you read this (http://www.fumento.com/military/killions.html)? Why does the liberal media avoid success stories such as this?

[CKFresh]

Speaking of heroism, did you read this? Why does the liberal media avoid success stories such as this?

I hear heroic stories nearly everyday on the news. I know you like Fox News, where Anna Nicole Smith is the #1 story, but if you ever venture over to the real news sources, you will find they actually talk about current events, accurately too! They have plenty of stories about fallen soldiers who served proudly, veterans returning home, and they do highlight the limited success in Iraq.

I know Fox News is entertaining (I watch it all the time), but you really should at least attempt to get some real information from the other stations. I watch 'em all, you should too.

[IntheNet]

I know Fox News is entertaining (I watch it all the time), but you really should at least attempt to get some real information from the other stations...

FoxNews gives me all the news I nead and the Lord dispenses; they are fair and balanced, they give equal treatment to both sides of every story, they feature excellent news reporters and handmaidens of the Lord, and they respect the brave leaders of this fine nation under God. I have three televisions (one in the barn) and all are set to Fox... What more could I ask? By the way, Fox News Reporters Have More Fun (http://www.gogomag.com/talkingheads/foxnews_f.htm) !

[CKFresh]

they are fair and balanced

And that statement would make you dellusional. I don't sit here and claim that MSNBC is balanced, or The Daily Show is balanced, but I guess I am much mroe objective and reasonable than you.

http://www.outfoxed.org/

This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."

"Media Tenor just put out a new study analyzing the positive and negative comments about John Kerry's service from 8/16-8/19 on the different evening news shows. The results may surprise you, unless you've already seen Outfoxed.

Nearly 3 times as many negative comments about Kerry's military service on Brit Hume's show than the evening news on ABC, NBC and CBS combined. Plus, over 60% of the negative statements came from journalists on Brit Hume's show, while less than 30% came from journalists on the other networks."

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1187

Fifty-seven percent of Special Report ’s one-on-one guests during the period studied were ideological conservatives, 12 percent were centrists and 11 percent were progressives.


Conservatives often defend Fox ’s rightward slant by claiming that it simply counterbalances a predominantly left-leaning media. But previous FAIR studies have found that, across the supposedly “liberal” media, Republican sources dominate—and Fox simply skews even farther to the right.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/kfiles/b91585.html

HANNITY: "You're not listening, Susan. You've got to learn something. He had weapons of mass destruction. He promised to disclose them. And he didn't do it. You would have let him go free; we decided to hold him accountable." (4/13/04)

FACT: Hannity's assertion comes more than six months after Bush Administration weapons inspector David Kay testified his inspection team had "not uncovered evidence that Iraq undertook significant post-1998 steps to actually build nuclear weapons or produce fissile material" and had not discovered any chemical or biological weapons. (Bush Administration Weapons Inspector David Kay, 10/2/03)

HANNITY: "The Hispanic community got to know him in Texas. They went almost overwhelming for him. He more than quadrupled the Hispanic vote that he got in that state." (9/16/03)

FACT: Exit polls varied in 1998 governors race, but under best scenario he increased his Hispanic vote from 24 to 49 percent – a doubling not a quadrupling. He lost Texas Hispanics to Gore in 2000, 54-43 percent. (Source: NCLR, NHCSL)

http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/outlets/foxnewschannel

Fox's featured programs (Fox & Friends, The O'Reilly Factor, and Hannity & Colmes) often advance misinformation that furthers the conservative position on an entire slate of issues. Besides the network's self-identified conservatives, Fox's "straight news" anchors and reporters continually amplify misinformation that favors the conservative viewpoint and on occasion have even admitted their own conservative perspective.

[CKFresh]

Fair and Balanced? get real

[IntheNet]

Fair and Balanced? get real

"As Fox News Channel prepares for its 10th anniversary in October, the onetime upstart is now the clear market leader, with ratings that are double Cable News Network’s. May 2006 marked the 53rd straight month that Fox has topped CNN in the ratings."
News Networks’ Top Story: Facing the Future (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6342689.html)
News Multichannel

[CKFresh]

"As Fox News Channel prepares for its 10th anniversary in October, the onetime upstart is now the clear market leader, with ratings that are double Cable News Network’s. May 2006 marked the 53rd straight month that Fox has topped CNN in the ratings."

Ratings = fair and balanced?

No.

Ratings = entertainment. People like conflict, and drama. People like to watch comedy, and news about Anna Nicole Smith. Therefore, Fox News provides the most entertaining news, not the most balanced.

It is similar to text books and novels. Text books (CNN) provide the most information but are quite boring. Novels (Fox News) are not realistic or accurate necessarily, but they are the most entertaining, therefore they sell more.

Ratings does not mean something is balanced or accurate, simply entertaining. Fox News is number one for two reasons:

1. People like me watch Fox News because we enjoy a good laugh.
2. The Liberal viewer watches a multitude of stations and gets their news from multiple sources, therefore CNN or MSNBC doesn't get a core audience. Liberals are much more objective and willing to learn from multiple sources. Wheres conservatives are pigeon holed into one news source that they watch all the time.

[Montrovant]

Fox has a conservative slant, obviously.

You opened this thread with what seemed a misrepresentation, CK. I read about the general and his comments, and he was saying that the solution in Iraq will not be an ENTIRELY military one. That in ADDITION to the military force political and diplomatic means are needed. He did not, that I remember, say that military force was useless.

[RavenPoe]

The solution is simple; there is no solution. Civil war in Iraq is eminent. But we can make things even worse by allowing continuing decisions to be made by the idiots who got us into this mess.