New video evidence below shows Maummar Gadhafi was alive after being seized in the operation that led to his capture. What I find rather disconcerting is the treatment of this video by the media, which covered the “joy” and “celebration” of the event while ignoring the shocking abuse of a wounded man and then the parading and stripping of this corpse. We were appalled when militants paraded the bodies of Americans in Somalia and Iraq. Yet, when it is someone we hate, it barely draws mention while newspapers taunt the dead man as being pulled “from a stinking drain.”
Following the killing, President Obama took to the air to herald the victory and a “future . . . of dignity.”
We long denounced Gadhafi on this blog. However, the treatment of Gadhafi below should shock the conscience. Only this morning did I see a brief story on CNN interviewing a man on how he felt about the way Gadhafi died. The thrust however was not about the abuse but the lost opportunity of a trial.
Instead of addressing the abuse of a wounded man and later a corpse, CNN and other outlets simply warned about graphic images and focused on Libyans firing weapons (including heavy machine guns) into the air (a moronic form of celebration that led to the wounding of various civilians).
We previously discussed the discomfort of watching Americans dancing and celebrating the shooting of Bin Laden. The media again did not dare to question the propriety of such displays despite the condemnation of the same displays in other countries after the 9-11 attacks.
Because human rights groups have called for an investigation and raised the question of whether he was shot in the head after capture, CNN and other news outlets are raising the question this morning. CNN’s anchor notes this morning that “some people” may find the parading of the body again this morning (including being struck by shoes as a sign of contempt) “might not be respectful.”
This video should shock the conscience and the story should be not the celebration but the crime depicted in this video.
Here is my warning: the video below is graphic and shows the abuse of a wounded man and corpse as a form of celebration. Human beings will find this video disgusting.
The west will never allow Africa to unite, when shall we rise up and say to the western that enough is enough.
They did it to Dr Kwame Nkrumah
They did to Joseph Hills
They did it to Lucky Dube
Distruct Robert Mugabe
And now it is Gadhafi
when will the western powers stop looting our Mothers land for their selfish luxury. The Evil that men do leave after them and every thing that has a begining will come to an end.
Shame on Obama and his likes, for he have betrayed his Blood and God will judge him soon
But Africa will one day be the world’s power house. Amen
I can understand the outrage that the people of Africa must feel after the hundreds of years of exploitation and degradation they have experienced at the hands of the western nations and from many of the Leaders who seized power when the colonizers left. Much of the homegrown violence has also been encouraged and funded by western governments and corporations, be it for the purpose of political destabilization or the diamonds they so crave.
You won’t find me making excuses for Obama or any other politician with a hand in such events.
I would say that one of the main goals of the OWS protests is to clean out the corrupt influence of capitalist corporations on the policies adopted by the government. By itself, that should go a long way toward reducing the interference in the affairs of other nations. (Assuming OWS is successful and I do). Especially any involvement that is geared toward profit with no moral restraint.
I don’t know your personal history but it sounds to me like this an issue that is close to your heart. I would ask you as I would ask every other person to remember that not all people are out to exploit the poor and helpless. The OWS and other Occupy_____ movements around the world are the people standing up and saying, “Enough is enough”! We don’t want to be the western powers that exploit other people. We don’t want to be responsible for wars and starvation. These Movements are the people of the world saying that the time has come to put a stop to immoral or if you wish, just plain wrong actions that profit a few and cause the suffering of the many. They feel that they have a right to expect better from the government. They have become suspicious of the government propaganda that paints a picture of us as the benevolent protectors of freedom and have found it to be a huge pack of lies. They have stopped believing that so many people around the world hate us out of jealousy or just for no reason at all. So perhaps now is the time for these changes to happen. Perhaps we will succeed in cleaning our own house. If you are truly passionate about these things perhaps the best thing you could do to help bring these positive changes about is to get down to you local Occupy_____ protest and help to force the established powers to realize we are here to stay and we will accept no less than complete capitulation with the demands of the movement.
Thanks Mr. Proser, I appreciate the opportunity to comment on this as it relates to Africa. There has been too much suffering for way too long. (Wasn’t one day way too long?) And while the level of violence and suffering in Africa is certainly a worst case scenario, there has been suffering all over the world; even in the west. The problem is that these powerful corporations and their puppet governments have been setting the White people against the Black and the Black against the Koreans. The Christians against Moslems, Moslems against Jews. Catholics against Protestants and Protestants against Catholics. They have been inciting hatred and violence between races, nations, and religions in order to draw attention away from the fact that the corporations have been raping us all along. And through the use of lies and half truths they have confused us so thoroughly that we have been blaming the other rape victims for the crime. Well the time has come for all peoples to find and stop the real rapists and learn to trust and help each other out of concern for the people and for mutual benefit. Freedom is a HUGE idea and we think the time is right for all of us less than very wealthy people to explore the full meaning and beauty of that idea
Well two distinct things happened, as far as I can tell. ONE is that a mob abused and murdered a man who, millions of people believe, richly deserved being abused and murdered. THAT says something about Libyan society.
But that’s separate and distinct from the other thing that happened:
American media displayed an appalling, horrifying, disgusting, revolting, and terrifying video that really got a lot of people’s adrenalin pumping. Each and every media source that publicied this made a choice to do so. THAT says something about American society.
By parading their vanquished enemies before the world’s media, the US and its Nato lackies seem hell bent on recreating the Roman Empire in modern dress.
My questions are:
Did they buy the US generic democracy plan?
If not, what are they getting?
If they do opt for the US version, do they also get the Electoral College?
Does any other government, claiming to be a democracy have Electors or are they all direct vote democracies?
These details of the governments set up by the US or supported by the US are vague at best. Or I’m not reading enough.
Jo, no killing done by assassination, by a mob, can ever be considered ‘secret’.
the pink part…well, I was being silly, you misspelled the word assassin and it was like a fuzzy toy to my cat….sorry 🙂
I could see a mob that had been brutalized by him for 40 years killing him in a murderous rage but killing him in gleefull nonchalance I find disconcerting to say the least
Woosty’s, There have always been secret assassinations. Yes .Right now and as far back in history as there were powers to organize them. But when a leader starts assassinating without the secrecy there is no limit to what that leader may do.
Sorry I didn’t understand the pink reference.
Why isn’t the media itself covering the story of this dictator’s abuse? Because they are tripping over themselves showing a bloody corpse and gloating about it. I hereby denounce the American media as gruesome, disgusting, and without any conscience at all. I never ever want to see a dead leader, loved or hated, as a bloody corpse. The day he was killed, virtually the first thing I saw on TV was this corpse and it was the most nauseating thing I’ve ever seen on TV besides the braindead anchors on MSNBC gloating and smiling about it. It was horrific.
This needs to be said over and over again to the media.
Seriously, are we losing our humanity? The media most definitely is.
original version
PE1, October 22, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Here is some rage.
We humans kill to solve problems.
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sweety tht sounds more like fear…..
Here is some rage.
We humans kill to solve problems.
Swarthmore mom1, October 22, 2011 at 12:43 pm
The Iraqis are essentially throwing the troops out by refusing to give them immunity.
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I can’t think of a more powerful statement that what we were doing there had more to do with aggression and thievery than in ‘assistance’…
lottakatz1, October 22, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Wootsy, you are many things on this blawg – seldom if ever clueless. I always read your postings. I read that one place and can’t now find it, I’d like to know if it’s correct but my innate cynicism tells me yes, who else would guard the new embassy with Iraq wanting all uniformed personnel out of their country.
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that’s a lovely compliment! thank you, but aside from the famous ‘full monty’ of Hollywood fame I don’t even know what a monte is….I only know that what I see out there lately isn’t nearly as pleasant.
“a short-con” – kinda like a bad dwarf? 😉
Dredd,
Concurrence of opinion is not the same thing as subservience of opinion. Nothing in what the Professor said indicates a subservience of opinion, only that Gadhafi has long been an object of criticism here. You are making a false equivalence.
I wonder if he felt any humility before he died…
reap what you sow…
SWM???? sorry, “SM.”
SWM, did you see Mahar this week? The panel had a lot to say about that. It was interesting and should be up on his website in a few days.
Wootsy, you are many things on this blawg – seldom if ever clueless. I always read your postings. I read that one place and can’t now find it, I’d like to know if it’s correct but my innate cynicism tells me yes, who else would guard the new embassy with Iraq wanting all uniformed personnel out of their country.
The Iraqis are essentially throwing the troops out by refusing to give them immunity.
It’s a 3-card monte trick, a short-con, all misdirection. Anybody else read that?~lottakatz
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well that would explain the lack of positive response…and (unfortunately) my cluelessness…