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Reuters: Who Felled the Berlin Wall? How ‘Bout Bruce Springsteen! (No, They’re SERIOUS)

July 20, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In one of the most ridiculous examples of unbridled hyperbole, Reuters has decided that singer Bruce Springsteen is the one responsible for bringing down the Berlin Wall and ending the Cold War. Yes, that’s Bruce “Scorn in the USA” Springsteen, one of the most anti-American rockers on the scene. I know what you’re thinking, “But what about Ronald Reagan?” Forget it, man, it’s Bruce all the way as far as Reuters is concerned. Maybe it was his gravely warbling that Joshua-like brought those walls tumblin’ down, maybe his caterwauling is what turned the trick, but, quite despite any common sense and in a childishly, foolish and overly simplistic review of history, Reuters is sure that Bruce is the hero of Berlin. It is a great example of reductio ad absurdo if there ever was one, not that Reuters is aware of it.

This Reuters piece is so filled with nonsense, so blind to all the complicated political and social influences that really ended the Cold War, that it is hard to know where to start reviewing it. I can but shake my head at its simple minded analysis.

Seriously. Reuters really means it. Oh, don’t confuse them with all that economic and political history gobbledegook. It was one concert that ended a generation of communist oppression not the might of the US and its president determined to destroy the “evil empire.” It was “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run” sung in that less then melodic Springsteen style that brought the end to the Cold War.

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Reuters: Accuses US of Being Against the Rule of Law

July 6, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It looks like Reuters is trying to say that the United States stands against the rule of law with their latest piece on a recent ruling from the so-called World Court — the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ wants the U.S. to vacate the death penalty sentences of several Mexican nationals that sit on death row in prisons in several states and Reuters is shaking its finger at the nasty Americans that deny the jurisdiction of the self-styled World Court.

Mexico has been agitating with the World Court to force the United States to vacate (or at least revisit) the convictions of 51 Mexican nationals now on death row because they claim that these murderers were not alerted to their right to seek consular assistance before they went into the American court systems.

Naturally, the ICJ happily complied with Mexico’s request and demanded that the U.S. comply with the World Court decision. Bush made an unfortunate decision in 2005 to ask the various states to comply with the ICJ, but the issue has since been settled by the Supreme Court of the United States. Fortunately, just this month the SCOTUS said that our courts are not bound by the ICJ rulings.

Of course, Reuters seems to imagine that the U.S. now stands against the rule of law because we have told the ICJ to take a hike. The Reuters report is filled with the stern scolding of a U.S. that “violated” international law and how the U.S. is “in breach of its international obligations.”

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Family - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Nonsense ‘Survey’ Says Americans ‘Struggling in Life’

May 13, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

But this is just another so-called survey that is reported backwards. It turns out that, even by their unscientific criteria, 49 percent of the Americans they surveyed said that they were “thriving, with few health or money worries.” So, why is this reported as if the preponderance of our fellow citizens is claiming to be “struggling”?

Here is how Reuters begins their report:

Many Americans are struggling through life but only 4 percent are truly miserable, with no hope for the future, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Nearly half — 49 percent — describe themselves as thriving, with few health or money worries, according to the researchers at the global polling organization Gallup and health consulting firm Healthways.

Then the report goes on to say that 47 percent claim they are “struggling” and that 4 percent are without hope.

So, why did the survey get reported that Americans are “struggling” when most said they were doing just fine? Why, because it makes for a better beat-up-America story, that’s why.

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Reuters: CAIR Says They ‘Feel Left Out’ of 2008 Election

February 7, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Proving once again in good European form that they think nothing American is democratic, good or fair, Reuters gives us a pity party for CAIR who is whining that they “feel left out” of the 2008 presidential elections. With the headline blaring “Some non-Christians feel left out of election,” Reuters gives us a tale of woe guaranteed to make Europeans shake their heads knowingly that we Americans are really just Christian nuts out to oppress all minorities. One does wonder, however, how CAIR would like it if Muslims did become a focus of the 2008 elections? In light of current events it is doubtful if such a focus would be favorable to them, so, were I them, I’d be happy no one is paying attention to them!

In a U.S. election campaign where presidential candidates from both major parties have talked openly about their Christian faith, some non-Christians feel shut out or turned off.

Listen, this is a majority Christian nation and anyone wanting to get elected is naturally going to talk as closely as possible to that majority. This country is still over 75% Christian, so it is a logical presumption that citizens whose religion represents only a few percentage points would not be a focus of a politician’s efforts!

But not being a focus does not equate to oppression or their rights being squelched, it must be pointed out.

And here we go with the tsk tsking:

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Poll: Only 19% of Americans Implicitly Trust Media

January 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve seen it reflected in nearly every poll over the last 10 years or so and here is another one that confirms the downward spiral in trust of the media. In a press release for a Sacred Heart University poll, those respondents who said they believe all or most of what the media has to tell them fell 8% since 2003. In 2003 27.4% of the poll’s respondents said that they trusted all or most of what the MSM reports. In 2007 that number plummeted to just 19.6%. 23.9% said they believe little or nothing that comes out of the MSM with 55.3% saying they believe some of what the media churns out.

Ouch.

Things are are increasingly looking bad for the MSM.

“The fact that an astonishing percentage of Americans see biases and partisanship in their mainstream news sources suggests an active and critical consumer of information in the U.S.,” stated James Castonguay, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of SHU’s Department of Media Studies & Digital Culture. “The availability of alternative viewpoints and news sources through the Internet no doubt contributes to the increased skepticism about the objectivity of profit-driven news outlets owned by large conglomerates,” he continued.

Americans are increasingly assuming that the “news” isn’t being “reported” but that what they are being fed is meant to influence public opinion as opposed to serving to inform it. In 2003 this poll showed that 79.3% felt the MSM was attempting to promulgate a particular point of view and in the 2007 poll that climbed to 87.6%. The poll also shows that “86.0% agreed (strongly or somewhat) that the news media attempts to influence public policies — up from 76.7% in 2003.”

The MSM faired poorly in many areas.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Religion - Warner Todd Huston

‘Simon Rosenthal Center’? um, Did You Mean ‘Wiesenthal’?

January 5, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just a short note to show how unschooled the editors and writers at Reuters are. In a piece on an ad taken out by “a Jewish human rights group,” published by Reuters on the evening of January 3rd, the wire service called the Simon Wiesenthal Center the Simon ROSENTHAL Center! Nice going, Reuters!

I suggest you go check it quick because they will be sure to catch the mistake soon…

Jewish group asks U.N. for suicide bombings session

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A week after Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack, a Jewish human rights group has taken out a full page ad in the New York Times on Friday demanding that the United Nations formally address suicide bombings.

The ad by the Los Angeles based Simon Rosenthal Center features a picture of Bhutto beneath the words “SUICIDE TERROR: What more will it take for the world to act?” and calls on the United Nations for a special session devoted to the issue.

Geeze what a gaffe.

**UPDATE**

Now THIS is even funnier…

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