But Wolf Blitzer is a dolt.
Just got a chance to watch the entire Wolf Blitzer interview with Ricardo Alarcon the “president” of the Cuban “national assembly,” and what shocked me was how ill-prepared Blitzer was in his responses to Alarcon. First of all Tricky Ricky completely dodges the question about what was ailing fidel castro, and Blitzer lets him slide on it.
Later Alarcon uses as “proof” of the allegation that President Bush is trying to kill castro, the fact that Luis Posada Carriles was arrested in Panama in 2000 for attempting to kill castro there. Alarcon says that it was with Bush in the White House. Blitzer failed to correct Alarcon about this blatant lie. George Bush was elected in November of 2000 and didn’t take the oath of office until January of 2001. So even if Posada Carriles was working on behalf of the US government at the the time (an accusation for which there is absolutely NO EVIDENCE), it would have been the Clinton administration trying to kill castro not Bush.
Then Alarcon goes on to say that Bush pardoned Posada Carriles, another blatant lie. The Panamanian president, Mireya Moscosa pardoned Posada in her final hours as president of Panama. In the US Posada Carriles is free, not because of the Bush administration (which was responsible for him being detained for 2 years) but because a judge dismissed the immigration fraud charges against him. Again Blitzer gives Alarcon the free pass.
When confronted with Cuba’s atrocious human rights record, Alarcon goes back to the basic playbook of blaming everyone else. “We have human rights abuses, you have human rights abuses,” and of course these NGOs are all part of an elaborate “campaign” against Cuba.
At the end Alarcon cites an FIU poll saying that the majority of Cuban-Americans want to end the embargo, and want a rapprochement with the Cuban government which is again a lie. In fact, 57.5% of the repondents to that poll would like to see the embargo continued and 51.1% of the Cubans polled support a direct military action on the part of the US to overthrow the castro regime.
These so-called journalists (and Blitzer is not new to this game) are such lightweights and push-overs that it’s nauseating. I could only imagine if we had CNN during the Third Reich.
I’m sad to report that we can only expect more of the same on Tuesday when Matt Lauer does the Today show from Cuba.
6 thoughts on “Tricky Ricky, not so tricky after all…”
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Excellent analysis Henry. Did you forward your comments to CNN?
As I sit in front of my PC after chasing my kids off for seeing inapproriate sites for thier age I read this Blitzer/”Alar(mari)con” posting. I must admit that the freedom of the press is a double bladed sword that cuts both ways. In one way we get the truth out using our freedom, but in other ways certain people filter the news to reflect an outcome that best resembles their reality, which is not the truth. We should just invade, then free Cuba and let Fidel el demonio hang from the Jose Marti Monument by his toes.!
Agreed! Let’ just the hell INVADE NOW! ASAP! I’m up to my eyeballs in DISGUST, FRUSTRATION, and DESPAIR over seeing my relatives and friends subjugated to such slavery and depravity for so long. I don’t give a DAMN ‘who’ INVADES, just so long as this mafia-regime is overthrown.
DITTO that conchita!
Omar, I just did. Here’s what I sent:
Just got a chance to watch the entire Wolf Blitzer interview with Ricardo Alarcon, the “president” of the Cuban “national assembly,” and what shocked me was how ill-prepared Blitzer was in his responses to Alarcon. First of all Alarcon completely dodged the question about what was ailing fidel castro, and Blitzer let him slide on it.
Later Alarcon uses as “proof” of the allegation that President Bush is trying to kill castro, the fact that Luis Posada Carriles was arrested in Panama in 2000 for attempting to kill castro there. Alarcon says that it was with Bush in the White House. Blitzer failed to correct Alarcon about this blatant lie. George Bush was elected in November of 2000 and didn’t take the oath of office until January of 2001. So even if Posada Carriles was working on behalf of the US government at the the time (an accusation for which there is absolutely NO EVIDENCE), it would have been the Clinton administration trying to kill castro not Bush.
Then Alarcon goes on to say that Bush pardoned Posada Carriles, another blatant lie. The Panamanian president, Mireya Moscosa pardoned Posada in her final hours as president of Panama. In the US Posada Carriles is free, not because of the Bush administration (which was responsible for him being detained for 2 years) but because a judge dismissed the immigration fraud charges against him. Again Blitzer gives Alarcon the free pass.
When confronted with Cuba’s atrocious human rights record, Alarcon goes back to the basic playbook of blaming everyone else. “We have human rights abuses, you have human rights abuses,” and of course these NGOs are all part of an elaborate “campaign” against Cuba.
At the end Alarcon cites an FIU poll saying that the majority of Cuban-Americans want to end the embargo, and want a rapprochement with the Cuban government which is again a lie. In fact, 57.5% of the repondents to that poll would like to see the embargo continued and 51.1% of the Cubans polled support a direct military action on the part of the US to overthrow the castro regime (both numbers are higher among the registered voters in the poll)
I could only imagine if we had CNN during the Third Reich. Would any of your talking heads have the guts to challenge the outright lies of that government?
The web address to send Blitzer feedback is:
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?65
Lightweight indeed. Blitzer’s primary objectives are bound to be promoting his career on the one hand, and getting the best possible ratings for CNN on the other. As long as those two things are covered, the actual quality of his reporting or coverage is beside the point. Of course, the same applies to other media people as well. This is not about real quality or true public service, this is, first and foremost, business, as well as furthering a certain political vision or agenda (which is never acknowledged but couldn’t be more obvious).
In many ways, it’s also a variant of the entertainment business. Hence the ludicrous and (at least to me) laughable media “star system.” Unfortunately, enough people go along with it for the “stars” to laugh all the way to the bank. As far as I’m concerned, these “stars” are nothing and mean nothing, but the fact is they DO get taken WAY too seriously by far too many people. This society is very superficial and unbelievably susceptible to celebrity status, regardless of actual merit, which is seldom enough (if any) to justify any celebrity at all.