Rumdrinker Gets Friendly Questions in Iraq

[Deja Q]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=357718

MOSUL, Iraq Dec 24, 2004 — The questions from the troops for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld were considerably more friendly on his Christmas Eve visit to Iraq than they were on his previous trip to the region a couple of weeks ago.

"How do we win the war in the media?" asked one soldier in Mosul. Another soldier in Tikrit wondered why there is not more coverage of reconstruction efforts going on in the country.

"I guess what's news has to be bad news to get on the press," Rumsfeld responded to the first question after supposing, with a big grin, "that does not sound like a question that was planted by the press."

"I think the American people get it," he responded to the second. "I agree with you, I wish it was possible that more of the good works you're doing here … were considered newsworthy and were reported in a way that people would understand the progress that is being made, and it is being made because of you," he told the woman in Tikrit.

But he said in Mosul that the full picture "gets through eventually" and that "people do understand the acts of kindness and that large parts of the country are peaceful."

"We are a great country and we can benefit from having a free press," said Rumsfeld. "From time to time people can be concerned about it, but look where we've come as a country because we do have a free press."
(note, the actual article has more to it than the above.)

Do you agree with this article and, more specifically, what RUmdrinker has said?

[gmoney]

1. Gee, think there will be RW outrage when it turns out...

that THESE questions were planted by the Defense Department.

[ROC]

2. Questions

Actually, these sound like some of the things I heard from service personnel when I was flying over Thanksgiving. There were a lot of military - regular, guard and reserve - headed home from Iraq for a couple of weeks over Thanksgiving.

[leftofthedial]

3. but we DON'T have a free press

as this "press photo op" makes clear.

gmoney is right

sounds like these questions were planted by the DOD

[tuvor]

4. What's not to agree with?

He was speaking broadly, and the question was really pretty open to anyone's interpretation. "How do we win the war in the media?" Just what the hell does that mean? Who's "we," explain what is meant by "war," and precisely which media is he asking about?

And it pisses me off that by pointing out that the question that embarrassed rummy a couple of weeks ago involved input from a reporter, it somehow invalidates the importance of the question.

Oh, well, you can't go to war with the government you wish you had. Even if they're the ones who started it.

[Sir Craig]

5. Agree?!? Isn't this what Jon Stewart was angered about?

1. "(T)hat does not sound like a question that was planted by the press."

What a total tit. Not only was the question posed by Spec. Wilson completely legit, Rumsfeld showed the public what an outrageous FU he is with his "what you see is what you get" answer.

And as noted before, the "How do we win the war in the media?" question does sound like a Rumsfeld plant.

2. "(L)arge parts of the country are peaceful."

Well, no shit -- large parts of the country are totally unpopulated. The major urban areas are hardly what anyone (except for Shrub and Rummy) would call "peaceful."

The news reporting here is total crap, and it is no wonder why Jon Stewart has fits.

on edit: minor typographical stuff

[egodust]

6. Re: "Rumdrinker Gets Friendly Questions in Iraq"

i used to enjoy dissecting and exposing the idiocy and horrors of the repubs. after 3 decades it's no longer a kick.

now i just see them as *ignorant* and unevolved, and in fact urchin and unfortunately retarded children we have to somehow babysit. the problem is they have the power because they have the money. thus our wierd and hopeless circumstance.

welp, it's ALL our karma, folks! The Human Condition. we liberals still have ourselves residual ignorance needing to be burned out, aside from the fact that we're part of the bigger picture, the Grand Plan or Destiny of Humanity.... and we'll have to (we are already!) bear the brunt of these redneck grunts.

anything's possible. but the likelihood that the USA and first world will collapse as we know it, is almost inescapable.

our only real recourse in such doomsday scenario is discovering the causal reality of who and what we existentially are. eclectic metaphysics holds the key. the message is: investigate for yourself.

[cliss]

9. Hi, egodust!

Welcome to the DU:smoke:

I agree with your post. When you take a close look at the people who are running this country, it just takes your breath away. Your mind starts to race, you think "these guys are laughing maniacally, as they're hovering their finger over the button". You start to sweat, thinking this can't end well.

When Bush first started the push to war early last year, I was surfing on a wave of anger. I knew something was dreadfully wrong with the leadership/country. As we invaded Iraq, I looked around and saw the flag being waved everywhere. My office included. I thought to myself, "am I the only one who thinks this is insane?"

My search led me to the DU, and it was very therapeutic to realize there are lots more people who feel the same way. So in that sense I still enjoy this therapeutic way of getting out my anger towards them. So I think this is a very useful place, for a lot of people.

We can be unloading our anger here, rather than taking it out on society!

Now as far as us not being the "sanctified" party, I agree with you. My search for answers didn't stop with the Democratic Underground! One of the best writers on this subject is Stan Goff. He explains that the Dems are, to a great extent, equally culpable for the decisions made.

Lastly, I can only agree with your statement that we are probably finished as an empire. We're going to go down. And in the cosmic sense, maybe that's not so bad? As they say, "Absolute power......

[egodust]

10. right with ya..

i read a bit of goff.. seems he's got it right.

message to the egoistic elitists:

"i wish i could write you a melody so plain
that could hold you dear lady
from going insane,
that could ease you and cool you
and cease the pain
of your useless and pointless knowledge!"
- i think bob dylan said that

"someday we'll all discover
how much me loved each other
all along....."
- i said that

peace in ONE,
frank

[Bucky]

13. last time I did that they kicked me off the bus

the message is: investigate for yourself

Yes, but the caveat is: be careful where you do it.

[egodust]

14. bucky, not sure what you meant by that...

the message is: investigate for yourself.

reply:
Yes, but the caveat is: be careful where you do it.

[MSgt213]

7. If you noticed a lot of officers were in the front rows. Not a lot of

troops. Also if you notice a lot of these men and women were very clean looking suggesting to me that a lot worked at hq instead of the field. Now I'm not saying this to slam them or their efforts. Nor am I suggesting they don't have a right to ask and frame their questions anyway they want to. But I would say you have to take their mindset with a grain of salt. Besides our military personnel are a very loyal bunch as a whole. They consider their leaders one of them even when those same leaders screw them over.

[Sir Craig]

11. I beg to differ...

"They consider their leaders one of them even when those same leaders screw them over."

That may be true of the Marines, or even the Army, but being an Air Force puke allows me insights that would disagree with your observations. I know that we (AF) would sooner bite our tongues off than play suck-up like this Freeping puke did, especially when we are aware of what our glorious leaders are doing to us.

However, I will agree that this was most likely a hand-picked, oath-swearing bunch from an office job somewhere. That or they were flown in specially to create this parody of a Q-and-A session.

(Sort of reminds me of those fake news reports the WH cooked up, touting the "wonderfulness" of the new Medicare Drug Plan.)

[Lugnut]

8. The mess isn't Rummy's fault.

It's the media's fault. Pardon me while I puke. :puke:

[Skittles]

12. LOL

maybe the soldiers had to sign loyalty oaths - again.