Sewers of Babel : braineel

I would like to express my dissappointment with CNN's coverage of the recent speeches made by the leaders of Iran and Venezuela. I am an absolute media whore, I am watching or have watched every major series put out by major media outlets for the last couple of years and watching CNN is a kind of perverse pleasure I have allowed myself for some time. My friends Kerinth included have expressed some alarm at the amount of time I give to CNN despite its looping repetition.

Tonight I was more dissappointed than I have ever been at CNN and specifically their coverage of today's speeches. while Bolton is calling Hugo Chavez's comments "comic book," and Condoleeza Rice concurs, what anyone on the floor of the U.N.(or listening to CNN's broadcast)can hear, Chavez's comments about the President of the United States elicited laughter from the general assembly. The fact that Chavez clearly struck a chord with the assembly by refering to Bush as the devil is evident in the fact that laughter errupted from the crowd, and that they knew of whom he was speaking before he said so points to a realistic and growing concern of Americans, that President Bush has undermined the U.N. and more certainly, the role of the U.S. in the U.N.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his speech was largely concilliatory and avoided major points of contention yes when Anderson Cooper (son of Gloria Vanderbuilt) Interviewed him he focused on the fact that Ahmadinejad has stated that he diputes the veracity of the holocaust as a means of undermining him. Ahmadinejad made the rational argument that regarless of the holocaust the displacement of five million Palestinians was and is unjust. Cooper switched gears and moved to the next question. Wolf Blitzer too was dismissive of Ahmadinejad and Chavez, and followed the republican party line closely.

By way of comparison, Bill Clinton's views on Chavez's speech made more sense, he took a more moderate position and expressed his reservations about Chavez's speech in terms of regret that Chavez was not more cautious seeing Chavez's comments as unfortunate rather than comical. Clinton was not dismissive regardless.

If we were all to honestly weigh Bush's calling Iran and North Korea among others an, "Axis of Evil" or calling the conflict in the world now a "Crusade," (yes he apologized, but as we see with the current issue with the Pope, apologies are often not enough and no simple statement replaces a dialogue) how bad is it really that Bush should be called the devil in a relatively lighthearted fashion? Yes Chavez followed his jokes with some expected critique of the U.S. but then, was it irrational for him to do so?

To Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper, I ask that you not be so overwhelmed by the magnitude of a day's guests that you lose focus, as I see it there are few media outlets even striving for objectivity today and seeing both of you mimic the dismissive response of Rice and Bolton saddens me. Some of what these human beings are saying is worth listening to. There is nothing wrong with Ahmadinejad calling for a debate with Bush, it is a conversation that might truly benifit the Middleeast and U.S. interests there. Isn't it possible the leaders here might like to see some engagement in person (and not perpetually through secondary agents) with the U.S. President?

North Korea and Iran pursuing nuclear programs, regarless of their statements {Seoul as a sea of flames, or Israel wiped of the map) concerning their neighbors in thier respective regions, are not irrational positions for their countries. Isn't it the case that nations seeking nuclear programs are really just seeking a seat at the adult's table in world affairs?

Generally I have been and will remain a fan of CNN and both Blitzer and Cooper, but this was not in my opinion your best night gentlemen.

I want it known I am a patriot and if that was not so I would not care enough to raise my voice at all.