Ivan Zassoursky on Mon, 12 Apr 1999 01:35:51 +0400


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Syndicate: The blind serenity + responsibility question + link to www.exile.ru - American exiles in Russia on NATO


It is about the Balkans again, I'm afraid. If I am abusing this network too
much, please flame me and I will never do it again. The reason I keep
writing is my deep frustration about the serenity of the Western mainstream
media.

I have been doing a critical research of Russian media for a couple of
years. It is controlled, abused and manipulated - but let me tell you quite
sincerely that rarely have I experienced such a feeling of deep and complete
disgust about the media coverage here as I have in the last two weeks.

I could never believe that the agenda for media could be set so strongly by
the national governments and international military organization, as it is
today. I would never believe that the British newspapers, especially the
'intellectual snobs' from The Guardian could be so blinded at once by the TV
spectacle and so deprived of any long-term political analysis.

I would never suspect that every mainstream TV channel and newspaper could
be manipulated so easily into following the logic of war: letting the bombs
fall, than 'exploring' the atrocities issue to the exclusive benefit of NATO
and corporate politicians, renegades of the left.

In fact, the only article worth reading I found in the EXILE newspaper - a
Moscow-based English-language alternative newspaper run by a bunch of young
Americans. You can read it at www.exile.ru
Please do. It is not written by Serbs or Russians, and it is a best thing
about war I came across so far.

These guys are a bunch of creative individuals, building image on American
trash culture and new popular idols, by the way, created by the Rolling
Stone and Playboy (American editions). See there a review of mainstream
Western media war coverage as well (I could not attach these articles, since
they are a bit long). They are one of the brightest ongoing cultural events
here by the way.

If you have read this far it's maybe worth to continue, since you're right
in the middle of this message.
In response to Michael Benson's criticism some further critical remarks.

The subject of collective responsibility, especially if we are talking about
nations or nationalities can be brought up only to discredit whoever you're
talking about. Collective responsibility is nonexistent. Responsibility is a
quality of individual.

It is even more ridiculous if we're speaking about military people, because
the main idea behind any military system is to make people responsible in
one way, and absolutely irresponsible in every other. They are trained to
kill people - so what do you expect from them?

There is no wrong and no right in the Balkan ethnic conflicts. Or, to put it
in another way, conflicts are wrong, solutions are right. NATO operation
cannot be considered a solution, because no matter what they say we know the
simple fact that the exodus started AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT.

Politicains are supposed to be individuals and to keep their sence of
responsibility even after the appointment. I'm glad Solana's career is
finished in Spain. But what about others? Will they ever regret what they've
done? Well, they will not show it anyway, would they? From Russian
experiense I can tell you that nobody ever did about war in Chechnya.

I.



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