HIPAA Blog

[ Wednesday, March 19, 2003 ]

 

More OT:

Interesting e-mail from Houston banking lawyer Andy Flint:

"What amazes me is the tremendous role spin plays these days.
Saw The Today Show this morning, Matt Lauer (sunglasses) was sitting in a
director's chair with some Lt. Col.
(also in director's chair) outside the Qatar command center, talking
strategy. Then they cut to some reporter
in the field (Kuwait) with solidiers in foxholes, then to Peter Arnett in
Baghdad.
Reminded me of Super Bowl pregame.

I fear the war will be covered like a sporting event:
Former Brigadier General Joe Shmoe will do play-by-play, with some talking
head doing commentary.
Then the crawl will encourage you to get on the internet and vote on
whether the U.S. brass were right to move the first division
northward to Podunk city, or whether a feinting ploy to the east was the
right call.
Then the obligatory halftime show of U.S. solider giving Iraqi kids Hershey
bars,
followed by that country guy singing "God Bless the USA", replays of the
key moves in the first halg,
then back for the second half, with exciting 4th quarter action direct from
Baghdad featuring capture/execution of Saddam,
then the post-game.

The fact real people are fighting and dying will be totally lost.
With current technology, war has become so antiseptic.
How differently would we fight this war if CNN et al did not exist??
"

I'm sure the soldiers are just glad to be there, and they're willing to give 110%. Those boys have a lot of heart, and they don't know the meaning of the word "quit." They'll stick to their game plan and dance with wut brung 'em. And on this day, the better team will win.


UPDATE: Andy called me last night, about 3 hours after this post, to report an example of "sports/war reporting" on the very first night of the war. The diversion of bombers from their initial routes to attack Iraqi central command was "calling an audible."

Jeff [6:11 PM]

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