Monday, July 18, 2005
Wiki Three
When my parents have finished putting together their lifestory, through the use of a Wiki, we can have it published by Life Lines Press.
A Comment
In response to this Post
The media has been distorting things for a long time, in fact I would argue that it is unavoidable. Usually a correction will come far too late to change the impact of the original piece.
One of the most famous attempts to "correct" a report was when the BBC accused the Government of "sexing up" the Iraq WMD document. After extensive and expensive investigation Lord Hutton concluded, as many of us did, that the report could be considered sexed up. However he went on to say, unlike many of us, that he would not use those words. [Chapter 12 467,1,viii]
Unfortunately I don't think there is a course of action that will make a difference. Any correction process will always be dominated those with power an influence, the very people who need it least. Leading to an equally unclear picture at the end. People read what they want to hear, we are rarely as open to debate as we like to think.
The media has been distorting things for a long time, in fact I would argue that it is unavoidable. Usually a correction will come far too late to change the impact of the original piece.
One of the most famous attempts to "correct" a report was when the BBC accused the Government of "sexing up" the Iraq WMD document. After extensive and expensive investigation Lord Hutton concluded, as many of us did, that the report could be considered sexed up. However he went on to say, unlike many of us, that he would not use those words. [Chapter 12 467,1,viii]
Unfortunately I don't think there is a course of action that will make a difference. Any correction process will always be dominated those with power an influence, the very people who need it least. Leading to an equally unclear picture at the end. People read what they want to hear, we are rarely as open to debate as we like to think.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Extreme Thoughts
An extremist is by definition at the edge of the Bell Curve. Nobody can be a terrorist without support. The supporters are more numerous but still towards the edge. The supporters have sympathisers. The sympathisers are more numerous than the supporters but further from the edge.
To stop the extremists we must remove their support, to do this we must stop the sympathisers. How do we do this?
In theory suicide bombers should soon disappear and leave us in peace, but something keeps causing new bombers to be made. What makes them?
It is common to find a connection between the terrorist acts is Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Is it strange that these undemocratic countries are staunch allies of the countries that are trying to bring democracy to the world?
I find it hard to listen to our government saying that the London bombers cannot blame others for their actions, and refusing to take responsibility for the death of an innocent man.
It is hard to here the IRA abandon arms after years of dialogue and attempts at mutual understanding, and then be told that these new terrorists are different and we cannot have a dialogue.
We must remember the bell curve, we must enter in to a dialogue. Starting in the middle and working outwards. Our leaders cannot pretend that ignoring Israeli WMD is acceptable, that the deaths of tens of thousands of people is just collateral damage.
What we in the west must understand is that the suffering we cause is greater that the suffering we experience.
To stop the extremists we must remove their support, to do this we must stop the sympathisers. How do we do this?
In theory suicide bombers should soon disappear and leave us in peace, but something keeps causing new bombers to be made. What makes them?
It is common to find a connection between the terrorist acts is Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Is it strange that these undemocratic countries are staunch allies of the countries that are trying to bring democracy to the world?
I find it hard to listen to our government saying that the London bombers cannot blame others for their actions, and refusing to take responsibility for the death of an innocent man.
It is hard to here the IRA abandon arms after years of dialogue and attempts at mutual understanding, and then be told that these new terrorists are different and we cannot have a dialogue.
We must remember the bell curve, we must enter in to a dialogue. Starting in the middle and working outwards. Our leaders cannot pretend that ignoring Israeli WMD is acceptable, that the deaths of tens of thousands of people is just collateral damage.
What we in the west must understand is that the suffering we cause is greater that the suffering we experience.
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