Alright..let's go, even though on one hand you say we shouldn't trust the mainstream media, yet now you want to point to their authority. A little hypocritical, but let's do it anyway.
It's a bit more complicated than that Matt but I understand why you'd want to give the impression that's what I've been saying.
What I've been saying is we shouldn't just trust the corporate media without attempting to verify what they are telling us without asking questions, looking at other sources of information, listening to different commentators, analysts, looking at the the documents, policy papers, etc.
What I've been saying is the corporate media is not there to inform us it's there to conform us. I'm not saying the corporate media shouldn't be used as a source of information. What I've been saying is view it with skepticism. Check their facts. Check their sources, etc.
For instance, Fox News when reporting on Syria has a "go to" source called the "Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". Sounds impressive doesn't it? Sounds like a large organisation dedicated to protecting human rights in Syria with a host of credible contacts in that country.
The reality is the "Syrian Observatory For Human Rights" is a one man operation in the employ of the EU and "one other EU country". He lives in a an apartment in Coventry England, is an anti Assad Sunni activist and no one really knows who his sources inside Syria are. One could guess based on this guy's status as a Sunni anti Assad activist they are biased to say the least.
Another example, again Fox News. During the Iraq war under George W. Bush Fox News had a bunch of "go to" military analysts that were regularly relied on to inform us of how the military operation was going. They all had solid military credentials and people based their beliefs about the Iraq war on what these military analysts were telling them, like "the surge is working".
The reality is these guys were either directly employed by the Pentagon to inject the Pentagon's talking points into the public discourse or had ties to military contractors who stood to gain from keeping the war going as long as possible. The Pentagon even had an "official designation" for them. They were known as "Message Force Multipliers". Google this stuff Matt don't take my word for it. Not that you would anyway.
CNN? How about the time not long ago two of their talking heads had a satellite interview from the same parking lot? They were only a few apart and could have just pushed their desks together for the interview but they wanted us to think they were on different continents or something.
I think the corporate media is a legitimate source of information. I just don't think they are the only source of information and I sure don't think their only agenda is push the "liberal agenda". And judging by the numbers people are losing faith in the corporate media to tell them the truth. So. evidently I'm not the only one that thinks that.
The problem is there are some people here that would have us believe the corporate media is the only legitimate source of information. So I have to cater to that crowd with "mainstream" news articles.
You can call that being hypocritical if you want but I think that's dishonest on your part. You can imply that you know what I think better than I do but I think that's dishonest on your part. You can make accusations without providing any proof in one breath then getting upset when I make accusations without providing any proof. You can disagree but I think that's hypocritical on your part.
Now about these mainstream articles I posted to support the statement ITL would have everyone believe came from my mouth when in fact it was the title of article someone else wrote. Which is pretty dishonest IMHO but a tactic ITL seems to favor in order to make himself appear credible.
These few articles are a drop in the bucket as the saying goes that supports the contention that governments carry out terrorist attacks to frighten populations into giving up their liberties and to increase the government's power over those populations. I'd have to sit here and write a book to show every piece of evidence that proves this to be true. It's been true all throughout history.
NATO carried out terrorist attacks in Europe. Google "Operation Gladio". The Joint Chiefs of Staff wanted to carry out terrorist attacks and kill American citizens to start a war with Cuba. Google "Operation Northwoods". The CIA carried out a false terrorist campaign to overthrow the Iranian government in 1953. Google "Operation TP Alax". I could go on and on and on and on.
But would you believe it? Would you believe the declassified documents? No. You probably wouldn't.
Why? I have no idea. The evidence is manifest but if you ignore it like ITL does and say it doesn't exist and attack anyone that points it out as having no credibility to protect some dearly held paradigm that our government is somehow immune to man's wickedness because they wave the flag and claim everything they do is for freedom or to protect us or spread democracy and there is no conspiracy for world government even though they openly admit it now gives him the perfect excuse to not do anything to defend his country and it's people besides putting down liberals and voting every so often.
I think the real reason ITL and Carpro and you and a few others ignore the moutain of evidence that supports my opinion is you're all afraid people will ridicule and attack you guys like you do me.
I remember having a nice long discussion with another poster abut Syria. He was telling me we had to intervene because Assad was an evil dictator that killed his own people just like Saddam. Never mind the constitution doesn't give the authority to government to overthrow other governments and replace them. I said have a look at this corporate sponsored think tank's policy paper that lays out the plan to overthrow Assad to wage war on Iran. It's called "Which Path To Persia?".
His response was predictable. He said it was a "liberal publication" and he didn't have time to read it. I kept trying to get him to read it but he kept giving me one excuse after another and trying to paint me as being "un-patriotic" and a danger to America's national security.
Which is typical of how you guys engage in debates here. That's why I call it the baptistborg. You all have the same mind set, the same excuses to avoid evidence that contradicts the mainstream narratives, and you all have a tendency to make fun of and attack people that don't conform to what you all think.
I don't make it a habit to go to threads, you or Carpro or ITL start just to make smug remarks, or to attack you personally, to make fun of you or act like you have to conform to a certain opinion or way of thinking or you don't belong here.
I haven't appointed myself a thought cop that has the right to dictate what people can or cannot say or think here.I don't expect you to stop. I don't think you know how to act any other way.
Is this a long winded post? Yep it sure is. It seems you guys have to have someone treat you like children and go to great lengths to explain even the simplest concepts. It's just ridiculous.I could say the sky blue and water is wet and then have to explain in precise detail what I meant when I said the sky is blue and water is wet and even then you'd tell me I meant something other than what I said.