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Heaven On Earth
MSM Coverage of OCL II: Vassileva interviews Tzipi Livni and Dianna Buttu
Here’s a second interview in which Ratsila Vassileva of CNN interviews first Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister, and then Diana Buttu, an “independent analyst” from Ramalla. The difference in interview style is almost as striking as the difference in quality of remarks from the two interviewees.
After her exchange with Livni, she turned to “independent analyst,” Diana Buttu. Note the language she uses and the complete lack of challenge to this hackneyed politicized rhetoric.
I plan to use this series of exchanges in an essay on the differing nature of “honor-shame” moderation and “integrity-guilt” moderation.
You should see this “independant analyst” in this interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt1GnEbB8hc
Unlike the ‘international community’ cant from the BBC interview with Netanyahu in the previous post, what I see here in media terms is a failed ‘two sides of the story’ attempt at faux balance. I think it backfired because Buttu was too extreme. It looked to me like the interviewer was not prepared for Buttu’s over the top rhetoric. The interviewer even had to bail her up on the apparent claim that the rockets Hamas has been firing were not real. The pretense of journalistic balance goes haywire because Livini performs in the carefully parsed way of democratic government officials while the ‘independent’ consultant makes extreme accusations of massacre, war crime and twice directly accuses Livini of lying. When I see one side in a conflict make highly questionable accusations – like if she is to be believed Israel evidently left Gaza so it could invade Gaza – I immediately consider the possibility that the accusations may be unconscious confession. If you listen to Buttu I think what you get is a fair summary of what Hamas, not Israel, is up to. A psychological term for this behavior is ‘shadow projection’ – that is, unconscious projection of one’s own denied dark impulses on the other. Violating international law, lying, and being determined to attack no matter what are a better description of both Hamas and Buttu’s behavior than Israel’s. I expect your essay will shed light on the mechanisms moderators employ to falsely create a ludicrous impression of balance between barbarians and fumbling modern democratic leaders. Not withstanding anything I have said above I think even this botched attempt at faux balance is sufficient to take in those in the West who will make any excuse for the barbarism of Hamas and their ilk.
Media matters aside, I also notice that Livini is projecting her western rationalism on Hamas – she talks as if Hamas was teachable (Your LCE). I think the purpose of the rockets are to provoke Israel into a response that cannot work because the problem is in Tehran, not Gaza. In that sense it is a rerun of 2006 when Israel was provoked into attacking Lebanon rather than Syria. I fear Israel is swatting mosquitoes rather than draining the swamp – which may or may not beyond Israel’s capability.
I didn’t think there was much of a difference in the interview style. That is a problem. CNN should be able to tell a difference between a foreign minister of an allied, democratic nation, and an obscure and extremist defender of a terrorist organization. At least, one would hope CNN could tell the difference.
RL,
Could you please expand a bit on ““honor-shame” moderation and “integrity-guilt” moderation”? I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Are these two media styles? What cues refer to one or the other?
even this botched attempt at faux balance is sufficient to take in those in the West who will make any excuse for the barbarism of Hamas and their ilk
there is NOTHING that hamas or israel can do to change how the media and the west treat the conflict.
I fear Israel is swatting mosquitoes rather than draining the swamp – which may or may not beyond Israel’s capability.
physically, it can. it isn’t allowed to.
Lorenz Gude,
Regarding that Buttu performance, I think you’re confusing rhetorical technique with psychological processes. Seeing her perform again on Fox (link above by Dimitry Papkov), I get the impression she’s acting. Whether she actually believes the lines she’s talking (it might just as well be so much rehearsed that it’s become a sort of automatic process i.e. going on without deliberate thinking) is a different question. I’ve seen other such actors, going through the same kind of routine.
At least, one would hope CNN could tell the difference.
but just interviewing celebrities and propagandists in what is supposed to be news programs is evidence that they cannot tell the difference
Telling the truth is not really a major value in non-western societies. Lying and exaggerating and self-contradiction are preferred. Look at the frequency of claims from the same people that the Holocaust did not happen and that in addition Hitler should have finished the job. Alternatively 911 was an inside job but it was also payback for western imperialism.
Unfortunately the great progressive schools of western thought have decided that “authenticity” (which is basically a synonym for blind prejudice) is more important that truth and they have quite successfully infiltrated this view into our educational systems.
Without genuine critical thought (unfortunately most things described as “critical” in a university syllabus are uncritical repetition of usually anti-western slogans) the west has lost its resistance to this type of thinking.
The reason why the US is not as “advanced” in this regard as Europe is because of the strong Judeo-Christian heritage, which is probably the reason why western thought managed to break out of this type of thinking originally.
david,
Telling the truth is not really a major value in non-western societies. Lying and exaggerating and self-contradiction are preferred.
that’s what used to be one distinction of civilization from primitive societies. Used to be, because as I’ve been saying for years education in the west has collapsed, resulting in disregard for knowledge and ability to reason.
it is this which makes the west yield to islam, with the support of those taken over.
The reason why the US is not as “advanced” in this regard as Europe is because of the strong Judeo-Christian heritage, which is probably the reason why western thought managed to break out of this type of thinking originally.
the US is only behind, but has the same fate. it’s already clear.
Apropos the US, not yet pogroms, but just you wait.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32361_Jihad_in_Anaheim
Is this why we rebuilt japan for?
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/32359_JihadTV_Makes_Deal_with_Sony
the other good explanation, in addition to anti-semitism and fear of jihad, of the intense hatred of israel and its actions (we covered this i various threads on this site):
Lozowick concludes that the IDF is the most moral army in the world: “This drives some people bonkers, and they often go ballistic. Alas for them, and fortunately for many Palestinians, it happens to be the simple truth.”
Read the whole piece, a must read about what israel does to avoid civilian casualties.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/01/022466.php
wasted effort.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/gaza_hamas.html
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3649878,00.html
the reality:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2009/01/poll_laborkadim.html
barbarians entered the gates:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2009/01/you_stay_classy.html
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2009/01/religion_of_pea_35.html
how civilzed societies regress to barbarism:
http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2009/01/gaza-on-boylston-massive-pro-hamas-rally/index.shtml
[...] remark is nothing short of breathtaking. Mashharawi’s about as “independent” as Diana Buttu. The idea that a cameraman working in Gaza is not a militant for the Palestinian cause (perhaps not [...]
Thanks for the response EG. I respect your impression that the consultant is acting. That makes the whole thing more grotesque because it may mean that the psychological process I am seeing is more institutionalized than I realized. It fits the whole Pallywood pattern then – faux consultants mouthing faux accusations based on shadow projection. I think the two kinds of acting – staging physical events like al durrah and staging intellectual events like the consultant does are ‘dramatically’ alike underneath. I would say it is all news custom manufactured for the PCP1/PCP2 dominated MSM. Take away the market for it and this play acting would stop very quickly. I mean – what if they gave a faux atrocity and nobody bit?