Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to If you want to play that game...

It's not so much what I think isn't true...

...it's more that the things that are reported are only the things they want to report. As with many other news organizations. And you have already impeached the BBC and other news organizations because you don't like their viewpoint.

HonestReporting.com have listed 3 times when a person employed by the UN confessed during interrogation to having used UN facitilies for terrorist activities, and the conviction of 3 more UN employees of terrorist acts. Their reporting is parlayed into an indictment of the entire UN presence. You don't think there's an agenda at work in doing that?

Because, gee, if the UN as a whole is just a front for terrorists, UN personnel can be blown up at will.

I noticed their form letter which they want their readers to send to the editors of an assortment of newspapers. (Not an especially effective technique, as the editorial boards are not elected officials, but that's OK.) They base this on the report that Peter Hansen of the UNRWA says that, yes, he is sure there are members of Hamas on the UN payroll, because they don't vet people's politics before giving them jobs. HonestReporting.com has turned this into the UN presence being "infested" (their word) with members of Hamas. Do we know how many Hamas members are employed by the UN or what their jobs are? No. For all anyone knows, they are all janitors and drivers. HonestReporting.com have listed 6 cases, going back to 2002 for three of them. About 16 employees were investigated in 2003 for "various security related matters". This is an infestation? There are investigations in this country into police corruption every year, yet we don't refer to police departments as being infested with criminals based on a half dozen cases over 4 years, unless there are only about 4 dozen people on the police force.

Do I think that the UN should require stricter oversight of their local employees? Yes. But this doesn't look at all to me like anything more than a news organization spinning events to justify anti-UN activities by those whose position they support.

People who immigrate to nations as adults have strong reasons for going there. They have abandoned the place where they grew up. That everyone listed on the entire masthead of your source has emigrated to Israel indicates that a particular, strongly held viewpoint is not only predominant, but policy. They have a right to their viewpoint, but I have a responsibility to take a good look at context when examining their stories.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (17 posts)