I have this to say. Prior to the cyclone incident, I knew of a famous, well-knowned, local academia turned entrepreneur. He went to Myanmar to start some businesses, spent years there. He said that Myanmar is the best kept secret – planning to retire his “paradise on earth”.
Contrary to what we read in the media, he vouched that Myanmar is a wealthy and resource-rich country. He said and I quote, “People are well fed, nobody starves”. I think, this is also one of the staying powers of the military regime. There nobody goes hungry.
I think people are confused by the terms Standard of Living and Cost of Living. The standard of Living is definitely lower there but not the necessary the cost of living.
Sorry, if anyone thinks that I am belittling the devastation. I am not. My heart cries out for their suffering. However, if we use logic thinking, cyclone is a potentially annual affair in that gulf region. Be it is Bangladesh or Myanmar or India.
Has there never, ever been one cyclone as big as the recent one Myanmar? Given its potentially annual occurrence? Would the military be that stupid to dig its own grave by mass murdering its people?
Is the devastation that gruesome as portrayed by the Western media? Bearing in mind, in the past, we have been seeing the Western media using high pressure tactics to prise the regime of Myanmar. Are we seeing another form of high pressure tactic by the Western media again? Can we trust the Western Media for truthful, unbiased reporting? Reports with no dangling of political agenda?
Originally posted by 00011000:I think people are confused by the terms Standard of Living and Cost of Living. The standard of Living is definitely lower there but not the necessary the cost of living.
You saying their standard of living is lower but the cost of living is not??
wow.. paying more for a lower standard of living ![]()
anyway, no media is unbiased.... after all, it's all reported by humans with their own set of beliefs and thoughts...
can you trust ANYTHING 100%? can WE trust YOU 100%? i don't believe what u say either..
There is no such thing as trust something 100%.
Mencius had a saying, "尽信书,ä¸�å¦‚æ— ä¹¦". If you believe something 100%, might as well you don't believe anything.
The Western media may not be perfect. It certain is not.
But the west has mature democracy and human rights and freedom of speech such that information is highly available to all. You get 2 sides of the coin. Then you decide.
In some despo regions, not the pore of course (u no belif me?), news is fully totally controlled by a despo. He feeds his cronies by sucking blood from his peasants. These cronies fear the despo. But they do not fear money. They have greed bigger than the fear. Thus, the willing to do whatever that makes the despo happy like murder on his behalf. Silent insurging opposing views. Silenting those who protest.
These scuumbags cronies are not human.
A very famous news in the west is called FOXi news. It is very gentleman as in it is too obvious what it is all about. This is what I mean by being gentlemanly. At least they don't lie that they are lying. Get wtf I mean?
But the western world has formidable and capable opposing views and forces and intellectuals. they offer the other side of the coin to the people.
Having the left ball and the right ball, its up to themselves to judge and balance their balls.
In the despo region, they only hear 1 voice that of his mouthpiece's.
Thus, their balls are never balanced.
Ouch! that must really hurt!
Thus, democracy is important. Right or Wrong, the people have to rely on their brains and IQ and EQ to decide who they will vote for. No one can make up their minds but the people themselves, anyways.
Originally posted by balance_else_complacent:The Western media may not be perfect. It certain is not.
But the west has mature democracy and human rights and freedom of speech such that information is highly available to all. You get 2 sides of the coin. Then you decide.
In some despo regions, not the pore of course (u no belif me?), news is fully totally controlled by a despo. He feeds his cronies by sucking blood from his peasants. These cronies fear the despo. But they do not fear money. They have greed bigger than the fear. Thus, the willing to do whatever that makes the despo happy like murder on his behalf. Silent insurging opposing views. Silenting those who protest.
These scuumbags cronies are not human.
A very famous news in the west is called FOXi news. It is very gentleman as in it is too obvious what it is all about. This is what I mean by being gentlemanly. At least they don't lie that they are lying. Get wtf I mean?
But the western world has formidable and capable opposing views and forces and intellectuals. they offer the other side of the coin to the people.
Having the left ball and the right ball, its up to themselves to judge and balance their balls.
In the despo region, they only hear 1 voice that of his mouthpiece's.
Thus, their balls are never balanced.
Ouch! that must really hurt!
Thus, democracy is important. Right or Wrong, the people have to rely on their brains and IQ and EQ to decide who they will vote for. No one can make up their minds but the people themselves, anyways.
Oh....no....nono...not at all....
Western media will bring 2 opposite viewpoints, if they want to, and if they can afford it.
For instance, something like domestic elections, sure, TV stations can bring Hillary supporter and Obama supporter together for an interview, and then the interviewer will ask both of them, sometimes let them argue for abit.
Sure, in that case, yes, 2 sides.
But there are countless instances where they dont provide 2 sides.
Do u notice any 2 sides in the Western media coverage on Iran?
Do u notice any 2 sides in the coverage on Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or anything that has to do with Israel ?
There is a lot of myth about how media works in a democracy, supposedly the media function better in a democracy, and always provides 2 sides to every argument.
Didnt recently a small cover was blown, when American DoD seeded the news media with their agents who posed as independent experts, to promote their propaganda?
Actually providing 2 sides on certain issues is not difficult to do. I watch CNA, they also sometimes bring 2 opposite experts. They provide 2 sides on certain arguments, yes. But when it comes to Singapore issues, dont expect to see 2 sides. They will promote Singapore side. I dont take CNA as objective either.
I think we need to keep that in mind.
Meat Pao.
About that Myanmar....I did at some time occasionally find it abit odd.....why is the Western media cranking up their engine and put so much spotlight on Myanmar.....They seem so interested lately about Myanmar...since afew years ago.....
Then I remember something similar......Ukraine....
If
u guys remember afew years ago....Ukraine...Western media put alot of
stories and make alof ot theme on Ukraine.....mainly about 'democracy'
, 'freedom' , and such stuff.
Then they were having an elections, and Western media tilt very heavily on 1 of the contestant, and heaping all sorts of 'democracy' , 'reform' , 'freedom' tags on him. Rallies and demonstrations from that side was heavily featured and promoted on CNN.
That guy won the elections, and what does he do now? He wants to join NATO. Russia is unhappy and protesting. Then it all makes sense to me.
If we look, same thing with other Eastern European countries near Russia. 'Colour Revolution' took place which installed pro-western governments, eager to join NATO and put missile defence. 'Colour Revolutions' simply means putting those countries out from Russian orbit, and into Western orbit.
So all those talk
about 'freedom' and 'democracy' is just slogans and jargons, Western
countries use it to further their own interest, and encircle and
contain Russia.
They dont stop when cold-war is over. They work very hard to move forward their own geopolitical interests.
So come back to Myanmar.....why is the Western media so interested in it? Just from a little instinct or gut feeling, we can tell something is amiss. Why are white people so interested in a poor South East Asian country. Do they really care so much about the people there?
Answer is : geopolitics.
They just want to make Myanmar fall into their orbit, so they can encircle China more.
They even didnt hide their intentions very much, when they start to term the monk demonstrations as 'Saffron Revolution' , attempting a similar storyline with Eastern Europe.
So to come back the original question by the thread poster, yes I dont think Western media can be trusted. They have ulterior motive.
Meat Pao.
Western media is the propaganda machine of western power. No different from communist countries which include China. They practise double standard of human rigth so don't expect they report more on how US solider charged with killing the Iraqi civilians and then acquited by the court. Read the news that Sharon Stone said Sichuan earthquake was karma for chinese because they treated Tibetans badly. The report further said she is helping the relief effort of eathquake. You see, Western media reported fairly about her. But don't expect them to report how those innocence chinese killed by the Tibetan rioters.
Western media is the propaganda machine of western power.
To a great extent, that is true. There are subtle ways for western regimes to influence and manipulate mainstream media to suit their agenda.
Manufacturing Consent
only trust urself
yes, trust no one as the saying goes.
The west of course has biased news as well.
The big difference is that the west ALSO allows for PLURALITY of views.
Thus, you can have ANY forms of views.
Thereby, the young, not-so-smart and innocent and naives need not just receive 1 set of custom-tailored-made news that is biased.
Of course the pore news is like no other. Good good stedi brombastico wan lah.
u no belif me? ask ms hooooong lor.
The big difference is that the west ALSO allows for PLURALITY of views.
That is true.
But the side that does not agree with government policies usually will have weaker propaganda power and so cannot get into the mainstream.
The side that agrees with and promotes government policies will have stronger propaganda power and thus greater influence over people.
For example below sites does not agree with USA policy and thus propaganda power is weak:
http://www.antiwar.com/index2345.html
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php
Never 100% trust any media.
Every media has its own hidden agenda.
Mayanmar is rich,Myanmarese not.
Western Media is much much better than the local media
some media filter news, some media release only part of the news and some media add 'spices' to news...
In world politics, there are no PLURALITY of views only propaganda tool to serve own national interest.
Originally posted by chinese helicopter:In world politics, there are no PLURALITY of views only propaganda tool to serve own national interest.
You are right that USA at least allows PLURALITY of views as in they dont cum and detain people for criticising bush for invading iraq. They at least allow this freedom of self expression.
When all views are allowed, and their own propaganda exist, their people are free to decide for themselves given this plurality of views they can choose to accept or believe.
In despo regions , of course is not pore ;) (how can u not belif me?) , the news that enters the people's minds are all dictated to support one person's opinions. Usually, they have only 1 channel of news. easier to control their peasants.
A despo is a despo is a despo , no matter how they are packaged or disguised.
No one really likes or truely respects a despo, even his cronies who appear to respect them and obey them like kuay kia's do it out of the GREED for money and self preservation. Their GREED overcums their Fear of him. their GREED makes them become mercenaries. These crones will do anything when they karang karboh. They will sacrifice anyone in order to preserve themselves. In good times, they smile at their despo. In bad times, make a guess.
any community that is YOUNG will have people who behave immaturely, tan dah pao tian, bully around, thinking he is gawd. Thinking that control by brute force will work forever, and absolute power will not absolutely corrupt themselves and can stand the test of time. These kinds of despos are really immature and unwise even foolish king who wears an invisible t-shirt. without the power, lets see where they end up.
History shall determine how much his grave gets spitted at. arrhhgghh....puuiii!
U cant trust anything 100%.
There is no PLURALITY of views in the US. There is only one view to serve their national interest. Example: American people was told Saddam Hussin had weapons of mass destruction by all their media ( propaganda?) but where is the the truth.
Freedom of expression? Who dare to shout : I love
There is no PLURALITY of views in the US. There is only one view to serve their national interest. Example: American people was told Saddam Hussin had weapons of mass destruction by all their media ( propaganda?) but where is the the truth.
Freedom of expression? Who dare to shout : I love