From: Jef Allbright (jef@jefallbright.net)
Date: Tue Nov 26 2002 - 08:59:14 MST
Having lived and travel in Japan and Asia for a few years, I found it very
interesting to read the international newspapers and see a completely
different set of biases on American news events. Traveling from country to
country, each newspaper was visibly biased in its own way, and it was almost
shocking to be able to compare and see from that perspective how the
American news sources deliver their product in a way that looks very much
like propaganda to an outsider.
This comes accross especially strongly when you see what the US mainstream
papers do *not* print because it would be contrary to, or question,
"American values" and diminish the enjoyable entertainment value of the
paper to their US audience. Every day I would read serious, well-reasoned
criticism of US policies in the overseas papers while in the US papers even
what passes for criticism comes accross as the "party line" when viewed from
outside.
The other comparison that can be made is the strong sense that many other
countries clearly consider themselves part of an international community,
whereas US reporting gives the impression that American events are central
and international events are peripheral. Every country will naturally
emphasize local issues, but America is big enough, strong enough, and
involved enough in world issues that the disparity is glaring.
I'm happy to be an American, and proud of my country's strengths, but
international awareness is one area in general where we do need improvement.
- Jef
Greg Burch wrote:
> [written before the first cup of coffee . . .]
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-extropians@extropy.org
>> [mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.org] On Behalf Of Amara Graps
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 12:37 AM
>> To: extropians@extropy.org
>> Subject: RE: botched diplomacy
>>
>> Also, I ask to put to bed the expat thing, here. I'm not sure
>> if I should be insulted or not. I would hope that a person
>> can criticize a government, especially if she/he has some
>> decades experience living under that government, wherever
>> he/she is located, and not have to manufacture other reasons
>> why he/she thinks such things.
>
> Can't find a personal email address for you, otherwise I'd write an
> explanation of what I meant offlist (maybe with that cup of coffee,
> I'd be able to find the address ...) Anyway, I know you've got lots
> of close ties to the States. My point was not that you were cut off
> from information about events in the US, by any means, but that your
> perception of the information you were getting might be affected --
> one way or another -- by the fact that you've been observing events
> from abroad.
>
> Sometimes, the most acute observers of domestic events are expariates.
> But some things are hard to understand without "ground truth," as they
> call it. My observations were about two things I know as ground
> truth, the justice system and the fact that the TIPS thing never
> seemed to have happened or to have had any real impact outside the
> media.
>
> It's hard sometimes to tell whether a keeled-over canary is a
> harbinger of our own illness -- or just a sick canary ... That was
> my only point.
>
> [In hindsight, adding the comment about the European press probably
> made you think I was saying your view was limited to what you saw
> through it ... Bad editing on my part]
>
> (Maybe I shouldn't write when I don't have time to make myself more
> clear ...)
>
> Greg Burch
> Vice-President, Extropy Institute
> http://www,gregburch.net
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