Lies, All Lies...unless of course they're mine

Bob Schieffer, must have gotten his feelings hurt when Gen Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff slammed the press last weekend on Meet the Press. Schieffer closed out his episode on Face the Nation with a ranting against the top Military Officials saying that they needed to stop trying to sugar coat what is really happening in Iraq. According to Gen Pace last week on Meet the Press, the media will take certain footage of "bad" things happening in Iraq and play and replay those scenes over and over again leading the public to believe that this is happening all over Iraq. Pace also remarked that the media is not trying to provide the "good" things going on in Iraq.

As most of us on the blogging side of the aisle know there are many sites on the web that are promoting the good things that are going on. Many fellow bloggers make it a point on their sites to promote nothing but the good in Iraq and what the military are doing. Also noting that most MSM groups really have it in for the bloggers and how they are able to "scoup" stories or debunk some of the main stream media stories. I would venture to say that the MSM barely takes the time to read blogs on Milblogging.com. If they did they would be getting some of their information from those that out there on the "frontlines", and not from a reporter sitting in the safety of their hotel room in Baghdad or some other safe place not in the line of fire. If it were not for those brave individuals on the front lines doing what they are doing I would probably go along with the MSM's one sided stories.

Since I started blogging, now about two and one half months, I have come to understand why the MSM is so afraid of the Bloggers. They (we) have a clearer insite into what is going on and are looking at it from a more investigative side of news not a political agenda. As most know, the MSM's ideaology is to serve one purpose and one purpose only, the destruction of the American Mind. In otherwords, they don't want you to think for yourselves. They want to provide you with your knowledge of the happenings in the world.

For every "bad" thing that the MSM runs, I can go online and find ten times more good things that are happening. The MSM can pat themselves on the back for the Dubai Ports Deal debacle, for they only reported on a hourly basis that it was an ARAB country taking OVER the ports. Not that Dubai was only going to be a small part of operations in the ports. By the time that they decided to give a little equal time to what was really taking place it was too late. The decision had been made on Capital Hill. For if they (MSM) had done their job in a unbiased manner, they would have also run on a daily basis that Bill Clinton was advising Dubai on getting this deal and had made hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. When it did come out, only a few of the papers in this country ran the story. It was mainly carried out by the bloggers.

But getting back to Bob Schiefer, when was the last time that he made a trip to Iraq? When was the last time that he went on patrols with the military or Iraqi Police? When was the last time he sat down and talked to the military forces there on the ground? If someone could answer those questions in a positive manner for Mr. Schiefer, I would consider listening to what he has to say. What we are hearing is from the commanders on the ground, the same commanders that the MSM was roping in at the beginning of this conflict when some of them were supposedly saying that we needed more troops on the ground and that we weren't going to make a difference in Iraq. Now they turn around and try to belittle them because they have a different attitude that does not measure up to the story that they want to get out. Bob Schiefer, and other major media anchors have one goal in mind, make Iraq like Vietnam and don't let the American people make up their own minds. If it doesn't have a slam against Bush, don't run it; this is their policy.

I am thankful to the bloggers out there. They have helped me to open my minds eye to other means of information gathering and letting me make up my own mind. True we still have our back and forth discussions on matters, but we let each other make our own minds up with the information that both sides have placed out there to be read. I am not the smartest cookie in the jar, and don't know everything about everything, but I have an open mind and I am willing to listen to both sides of a story before making up my own mind. This is where bloggers, not MSM have helped me out. Even those bloggers that are pro-republicans or pro-democrat differ with their parties from time to time and have a place to say it. Mr. Schiefer, are you afraid of gathering information, real information on the story or are you just going to take some reporters word for it. This is what "Baghdad" Dan Rather did and look where he ended up.

As for the Generals painting a different picture of what is happening on the ground, I will take their word for it as long as I can find the information to back them up. True there are troubles on the ground in Iraq. But they are not the Iraqi's for the better part doing it. They are terrorists and infiltrators coming in from Syria, Iran and a few other countries who are completely against a country, any country, becoming a democracy. Yes, there are some Iraqi's involved, but most are foreigners, but you don't hear that very much. Civil War, Civil War, Civil War is the cry you hear from the MSM, and not much else.

I want to thank Griz at God Bless America, Lone Pony, Crazy Polictico's Rantings, Instpundit, NeoCon Express, Blackfive, Michael Yon Magazine, News Views and Opinions and the Bos'un Locker for helping me along the way since I have started Blogging. There are many others out there as well, but these have helped me understand what blogging is all about. It isn't simply slamming, or bashing like it is on Forums or Chat Rooms. It is intellect at its best, the real American minds and hearts, presenting facts not personal attacks.