When joining Al-Jazeera becomes a treasonable act!

4 Oct 2005

Does joining Al-jazeera new English network channel disqualify one from being a true patriot, verging on treason? I was quite surprised by the reaction I read today on OAL news section on the story of Josh Rushing joining Al-jazeera.

Josh Rushing, the former captain in the US Marine Corps announced that he is joining the new English Channel sponsored by Al-jazeera, that Arabic channel that made headlines and is giving the American media a run for its money.

More surprising are the statements made by those who see themselves as guardian of American loyalty, value and patriotism. I guess these days when every incompetent and corrupt pundit is running for cover and hiding under the shroud of patriotism, I am not so surprised by the attack on Capt. Rushing. These days, any one and every one who does not hold allegiance to the like of Tom Delay or Rush Limbo or that guy on Fox, Bill O’Reilly is labeled as traitor and unpatriotic, as if draft dodgers, and those who had “other important things to do” are defining what is patriotism for all of us Americans.

Cliff Kincaid the appointed and anointed cardinal on patriotism who runs “Accuracy in the Media” criticizes Capt. Rushing joining Al-jazeera and who labeled Al-jazeera as the station that “incites Arabs and Muslims to hate America”. Not only we now have a watch dog to watch over the media and judge their contents, we also have that other wild dog, Campus Watch, that other organization run and operated by neocons with strong ties to Israel that has a chilling effects on the class room, video taping professors and judging them on how they view Israel. Of course if they view Israel favorably, they are accurate and patriots, and if they citizen Israel then they are labeled as intellectual cheats.

For so long, we in American have only one choice to accept and see what some editors or some owners or some lobbyist or some agent of a foreign government making a decision for us on what to see. The media today, especially these days, when news, with few exceptions, is nothing more than a show, a loud mouth show, as we see on Fox and other channels. With the exception of PBS, there are no serious news media and no serious news organizations. No one can match PBS “ Front Line” and being a regular viewer of Al-jazeera, all I can say it match and surpass any news organization here in the US. Of course it does not represent the US administration and it is not beholding to neocons who get this country in trouble and split and chicken out and leave the administration.

Al-jazeera has some great shows, and of course they also have not so great shows, and some even greater documentaries, that NO American media will dare to air, and of course not all of these programs are original Arabic. Many are produced by US documentary produces, but do to the atmosphere of fear that we all feel; no news organizations will dare to air. As for journalist, Al-jazeera has some great journalist that can compete and win with any persons, man or woman on US television. They are not personalities, they are true journalist. The US created “AlHorra” Arabic TV to reach Arab and Muslim audience, so what is wrong with Al-jazeera having an English channel? Capt. Rushing, as a former veteran, I am looking forward to seeing on Al-jazeera English channel.