"I've never experienced political pressure like this,not even in Russia.."

[buzzsaw_23]

More Dissent, More Censorship 

By Dahr Jamail


“It became clear, after your election in ’04 when Bush stayed in office, that his administration became much more aggressive,” he explained. “The US embassy began asking for our program to be discontinued. They were telling this not just to our program spokesperson, but directly to our government! Their protest took a much more official character, and they did not even attempt to conceal this.” 

Being a journalist for 25 years and having covered the war in Yugoslavia as well as having worked in Moscow during Perestroika, he said this type of overt political pressure to be a first for him. 

“I’ve never experienced political pressure like this, not even in Russia when I was being critical of Gorbachev, nor in Yugoslavia when I was being extremely critical of Milosevic,” he added. 

More recently and a bit closer to home here in the US, Doug Ireland writes: 
“The internationally renowned correspondent for The Independent - the great British journalist Robert Fisk - has been banned from entering the United States. Fisk has been covering war zones for decades, but is above all known for his incisive reporting from the Middle East for more than 20 years. His critical coverage of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, and the continuing occupation that has followed it, has repeatedly exposed US and British government disinformation campaigns. He also has exposed how the bulk of the press reports from Iraq have been “hotel journalism” - a phrase Fisk coined.” 

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10404.h...

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Unreal, isn't it?

[AuntiBush]

29. Daily Loss of Words...

It's pass "disgusting," "despicable," "un-fricked-believable." Worse then worse & criminally criminal.

Loss of words. Making them up as I go, DAILY!

[meegbear]

2. They banned Fisk?

Fucking sad commentary on our "freedoms".

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. They banned Fisk?

That's outrageous.

Bush is drunk with power and is out of control. Too bad Congress refuses to execute their oversight powers. BushCo has null and voided the Constitution.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. US Bars Robert Fisk from Entering Country

Thursday 22 September 2005



The internationally renowned correspodent for The Independent - the great British journalist Robert Fisk - has been banned from entering the United States. Fisk has been covering war zones for decades, but is above all known for his incisive reporting from the Middle East for more than 20 years. His critical coverage of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, and the continuing occupation that has followed it, has repeatedly exposed U.S. and British government disinformation campaigns. He also has exposed how the bulk of the press reports from Iraq have been "hotel journalism" - a phrase Fisk coined.

The daily New Mexican reports that "U.S. immigration officials refused Tuesday to allow Robert Fisk, longtime Middle East correspondent for the London newspaper, The Independent, to board a plane from Toronto to Denver. Fisk was on his way to Santa Fe for a sold-out appearance in the Lannan Foundation 's readings-and-conversations series Wednesday night. According to Christie Mazuera Davis, a Lannan program officer, Fisk was told that his papers were not in order. Davis made last-minute arrangements Wednesday for Amy Goodman, host of Pacifica Radio's daily news show, Democracy Now!, to interview Fisk via satellite from a television station in Toronto..." A recording of this satellite interview will soon be available on the Lannan Foundation's website. If Fisk has been barred from entry, it's very hard not to believe it has something to do with dispaches of his like this one from September 15.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/092505G.shtml

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. "Fisk was told that his papers were not in order"

Chilling.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. I just called my Senator's office

and told them off about this incident.

Too bad Bill Nelson doesn't ever seem to give a shit.

[Pacifist Patriot]

13. You too?

I'm having a hard time supporting him in 2006, but the alternatives look even worse. Bah!

[neweurope]

11. Chilling, yes, especially as we know they must have been in order.

That man is professionally travelling all around the world. You bet his papers are in order.

But let me tell you something: When they bar people like Fisk that's cause to rejoice! Because evidently that's the only way for the rest of the world to be informed on what's going on in the US. You know Fisk will not be silent.

-------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[whatever4]

24. yup, "papers please" chilling nm

[psychopomp]

28. He was kept out on a technicality... NOT "banned"

While that alone is disturbing, to say he was "banned" is hyperbolic.

[Shakespeare]

19. We've officially become stalinist Russia. Nice. n/t

[0rganism]

21. Your papers not beeink een order, Meester Feesk

You be comink zis vay vith us now, yes? Please to leave cellular telephone undt wallet in tray, you are movink zis vay please.

[leveymg]

7. They'll admit Mohamed Atta without a visa, but Rob't Fisk is barred.

That's it. We're officially a Third World dictatorship.

Time for the revolution.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

16. Past due for a revolution.

http://karlandkinggeorge.com/Like_Rays_of_Hope.html

[whatever4]

25. yeahbut

yeah, but, what worries me is, the revolution is JUST what they're waiting for.

Once the people rise up, in whatever form they revolt, all the media will be the violence, violence in the streets, just like it was in New Orleans...and bring in the troops.

Then, when we the people are viable targets, we'll be lucky if we can even discuss the issue here. Or anywhere. They have more toys to play with, hurt and kill with, and too much fun to spy with, to possibly not use them. At the drop of a hat. It's what they do. These are violent, bloodthirsty people, and we all know it. We know they'll kill Americans now, don't we? Oh hell yes.

It's what I fear, that the revolution is just the war the want. Was what they wanted all along. Control. That many of these anti-American acts of our admin are not only beneficial to them financially, but geared toward creating unrest, so they can quell the unrest. And thus, quell us all. Just my two cents. But certainly no nuttier than what we DO know they've done.

[elehhhhna]

8. GLASNOST, NOW!

[goodhue]

9. kick

[enough]

10. and another kick

[Ishoutandscream2]

12. Wow, just wow!

The Bush administration never fails to surprise and shock. The powers they are displaying are chilling.

[goodhue]

14. Looks like this still needs one more recommendation

Anyone?

[highplainsdem]

15. Done.

[Straight Shooter]

17. This is the "freedom" our troops are dying for? Suppression of the press?

What noble cause?

[progressoid]

18. "not even in Russia....nor in Yugoslavia "

That's the most depressing thing I've read in days.

[highplainsdem]

20. Link to a column on "hotel journalism" & the toll on Iraqi journalists

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1578213,00....

Heartbreaking read. The piece was written by Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad after he learned of the murder of a journalist friend, Fakher Haidar al-Tamimi.

'How can you establish a free media in such fear and anarchy?'

Monday September 26, 2005
The Guardian

-snip-

As reporting from Iraq is becoming almost impossible, new ground rules have been set for most of the foreign media. Apart from a handful of journalists, everyone goes out in armed convoys, if they go out at all. If you are six feet tall, fair-haired and stupid enough to come to Baghdad, then you might as well stick to the hotel swimming pool or your agency fortress, and the occasional trip embedded with the US Army. Instead you can count on your Iraqi employees to go out and get you the story.

A mixture of guilt, responsibility and ambition keeps driving Iraqi journalists to push the limits a bit further every time. The intoxication you get from reporting the truths after so many decades of lies is indescribable. You feel you can tell the world what is really happening, but you also feel that you are safe because of the way you look, because of your scruffy beard or your moustache. But far from being immune, the Iraqis are the ones getting killed.

Iraqi journalists, like local journalists all over the world, don't have the luxury of leaving the country every few weeks at the end of their stint. The few who do get to leave the country end up like refugees, drinking heavily in London pubs before being dragged back into the inferno.

The idea of independent Iraqi journalism is being killed only two years after it was born, a little of it dying with each of these brave 37 people. Iraqi journalists are being killed by the Americans, the insurgents, the militias and the police. They are often intimidated and threatened by anyone who doesn't like their coverage. There are no ground rules for them; they won't be allowed the luxuries of the fast car and the bodyguard, and they often have houses and families in the local area. They can be located easily, which is why they are often in the firing line.

-snip-

[Peace Patriot]

22. This utterly blows me away, that they would ban Robert Fisk. But what a

left-handed compliment to him! The truth will out! And kudos to Amy Goodman for the fast work, with the telecast.

Just keep in mind that, as long as the warmongers have Diebold and ES&S, they can do whatever they want--the slaughter of tens of thousands of people in unjust, illegal war; torture; breaking any and all laws with impunity; massive theft; abandoning the poor in New Orleans and leaving them to rot and die; banning journalists--and can manufacture a public endorsement of all this, as they did in 2004. THAT is what is chilling! --not just the outrageous crimes, but our complete lack of recourse. All, including Democrats, are now beholden to the election theft companies, and not to the people. The Democrats also can just shut us out, as most of them obviously have. They make their power deals in secret, and it has nothing to do with us or our votes.

The other day, after talking to a quite intelligent person about Diebold and ES&S tabulating our votes with SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, and how and where they used it to fiddle the 2004 election, she said, and I quote, "But surely the Democrats wouldn't let that happen."

Ah,me!

[whatever4]

23. I read that a few minutes ago, almost posted the same quote nm

[goodhue]

26. kick

[tom_paine]

27. Imperial Amerika is a grotesque shadow of Old Free America

How I miss freedom, even though in our personal lives, we can still live in denial if we wish.

I can't. I KNOW the difference between the Free World and Totalitarianism.

And I KNOW that transitions from freedom to toalitarianism generally start at the top, then "trickle down".