Soviet-Empire.com U.S.S.R. and communism historical discussion.
13 May 2015, 09:38
On August 14th, 2013, pro-Morsi demonstrators gathered in Cairo to protest against the coup that occurred a month earlier by the military. The Egyptian military then went on to massacre anywhere from 600-800 protestors, and the massacre is known as the "Rabaa massacre."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_2013_Rabaa_massacre
This appallingly high death toll from a military crackdown against protestors was systematically whitewashed in the Western media. I did not even hear about this until just a few months ago, and it simply wasn't covered in the American press. Although the Western media is always happy to remind us of the Tienanmen square protests, Maidan, and other such "crackdowns," they hold a double standard when it comes to their allies committing political terror. Oh, and Obama is still arming the Egyptian government with over a billion dollars in military aid every year.
Although the violence was against the Muslim Brotherhood, and they are far from a respectable party, it is still important to know that the Western media is an arm of the Western bourgeoisie, and nothing more. Any case of the Western media "criticizing"/defamating another nation is a case of sensationalized propaganda with the intention of "othering" the West's "enemies." Yes, we as the Left can form constructive criticisms of non-Western countries, but we can do so from an objective/Marxist standpoint, which takes into consideration the material conditions under which policies are adopted, but all-the-while we must recognize that the reasons why non-Western countries are in their degraded states is because of the neo-liberal/neo-colonial policies that go towards enriching the West. Because of this, it is impossible to criticize the non-West without criticizing the West. The media is nothing more than propaganda depots, so we as Leftists must try as much as we can to avoid constructing our worldviews based on what we read or hear in the mainstream press.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_2013_Rabaa_massacre
This appallingly high death toll from a military crackdown against protestors was systematically whitewashed in the Western media. I did not even hear about this until just a few months ago, and it simply wasn't covered in the American press. Although the Western media is always happy to remind us of the Tienanmen square protests, Maidan, and other such "crackdowns," they hold a double standard when it comes to their allies committing political terror. Oh, and Obama is still arming the Egyptian government with over a billion dollars in military aid every year.
Although the violence was against the Muslim Brotherhood, and they are far from a respectable party, it is still important to know that the Western media is an arm of the Western bourgeoisie, and nothing more. Any case of the Western media "criticizing"/defamating another nation is a case of sensationalized propaganda with the intention of "othering" the West's "enemies." Yes, we as the Left can form constructive criticisms of non-Western countries, but we can do so from an objective/Marxist standpoint, which takes into consideration the material conditions under which policies are adopted, but all-the-while we must recognize that the reasons why non-Western countries are in their degraded states is because of the neo-liberal/neo-colonial policies that go towards enriching the West. Because of this, it is impossible to criticize the non-West without criticizing the West. The media is nothing more than propaganda depots, so we as Leftists must try as much as we can to avoid constructing our worldviews based on what we read or hear in the mainstream press.
18 May 2015, 21:19
Dunno about America but all of that was quite well covered in mainstream news in Europe.
18 May 2015, 23:31
No, we didn't even cover it. I remember those days, and our media was somewhat praising the ouster of the Islamists. Of course they didn't cover the massacre - Egypt is a country we give $1.5 billion a year to in military aid, so they get a free pass simply because people would otherwise start asking questions about our funding them.
By the way, there was an entire media blackout on Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Ukraine (except when some big event happens like the capture of Ramadi). We have a principle that policy moves more smoothly when the public is ignorant of events.
By the way, there was an entire media blackout on Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Ukraine (except when some big event happens like the capture of Ramadi). We have a principle that policy moves more smoothly when the public is ignorant of events.
12 Sep 2015, 00:40
Well, to a Brit the American media is a bit of a puzzle, with many weak local papers and TV news presented by glossy himbos and bimbos who seem not to much about much.
But there is the NY Times and this hardly seems to be a whitewash. Maybe you just need to upgrade.
Hundreds Die as Egyptian Forces Attack Islamist Protesters
Not sure I'd class Sisi's Egypt as "capitalist" either.
But there is the NY Times and this hardly seems to be a whitewash. Maybe you just need to upgrade.
Hundreds Die as Egyptian Forces Attack Islamist Protesters
Quote:The scale and brutality of the attack on supporters of the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, was the clearest sign yet that the old Egyptian police state was re-emerging in full force.
Not sure I'd class Sisi's Egypt as "capitalist" either.