“Vice President Cheney was apparently aghast, not at the program, but at the press. He “asked how the press could have gotten such an impression” that the US had pledged not to use “stress and duress” techniques. Bellinger blamed the press office, and “explained that the [White House] press officer had ‘gone off script’ and had mistakenly gone back to ‘old’ talking points.” No one blamed the CIA for using cruel and inhumane tactics. The problem lay elsewhere.”
Readers might wish to look at the Jon Stewart videos posted today to see how the right wing press corps, notably Fox News’ stable of idiot-reporters like Bill O’Reilly express their outrage… that the subject of police violence aimed AT young Black males is being discussed. They prefer to focus on Black-on-Black crime… never mentioning the employment problems faced by this community and why some of its members thereby feel forced to turn to black market economics or gangs.
Similarly, when Snowden exposed the length and breadth of the Surveillance State, media talking heads took direct aim at HIM.
When Chelsea Manning exposed the murderous actions of rabid soldiers, she became the target of blame, shame and vitriol.
THAT is how a fully bought-and-paid for press frames its stories. They NEVER target the lawless perpetrators. Instead, they look for ways to shoot holes in the messengers who dare to expose malfeasance, murder, and mayhem… generated from high places.
In recent cases where young Black men were openly shot down, to protect power–the police (part of the Mars rules culture sworn to war, violence, and constant muscular shows of armed prowess), it’s the character of the kids shot down that gets the official press’s interest and castigation. Not the cops.
Authoritarian States with controlled presses and media are notorious for following these protocols.
We are living in one now.
Truth is irrelevant. THEY create THEIR own reality as Rumsfeld, or one of his compatriots once confided to the media.