General Sanchez
Former Iraq Commander Sanchez Accuses Press of Perpetrating The Corrosive Partisan Politics That Is Killing American Troops.
Classified Polnews
Warsaw, Poland 13 October, 2007 In a blistering and bitter attack against the conduct of the war in Iraq, retired American General Sanchez harshly denounced members of the press for their "UNSCRUPULOUS REPORTING THAT WAS SOLELY FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING .. AGENDA AND PRECONCIEVED NOTIONS".
(Author's Note: For your convenience, all capitalized words in this article are direct quotes of the General. You may read his complete speech and each quote in context at http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html General Sanchez's Speech
He told the press, "YOUR ETHICS HAS BEEN ENABLED BY YOUR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO ALIGN THEMSELVES WITH POLITICAL AGENDAS. WHAT IS CLEAR TO ME IS THAT YOU ARE PERPETUATING THE CORROSIVE PARTISAN POLITICS THAT IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY AND KILLING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS WHO ARE AT WAR"
The General's remarks that blast administration of the war have been widely published. But his denouncement of much of the press has been largely ignored. The media he chose to criticise as having political agendas have continued as they have in the past and published those parts of his speech that support their political agendas.
Though generally focused on media coverage of the war, the General accused the media of a more widespread bias and lack of integrity. (For a report on his attack on the war effort, see http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49460 Sanchez, former U.S. commander in Iraq, calls war 'a nightmare with no end in sight'
"MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE AND WE CAN FIND OTHER EXAMPLES SUCH AS THE TREATMENT OF SECRETARY BROWN DURING KATRINA. THIS IS THE WORST DISPLAY OF JOURNALISM IMAGINABLE BY THOSE OF US THAT ARE BOUND BY A STRICT VALUE SYSTEM OF SELFLESS SERVICE, HONOR AND INTEGRITY. ALMOST INVARIABLY, MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THE SENSATIONALISTIC VALUE OF THESE ASSESSMENTS IS WHAT PROVIDED THE EDGE THAT YOU SEEK FOR SELF AGRANDIZEMENT OR TO ADVANCE YOUR INdivIDUAL QUEST FOR GETTING ON THE FRONT PAGE WITH YOUR STORIES."
"YOUR MEASURE OF WORTH IS HOW MANY FRONT PAGE STORIES YOU HAVE WRITTEN AND UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF YOU WILL COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY AND DISPLAY QUESTIONABLE ETHICS AS YOU SEEK TO KEEP AMERICA INFORMED."
Speaking as if he were chewing out a group of new army recruits, he did not mince words. Using the "you" word, he went right at the people in front of him and made some harsh accusations about their ethics.
"FOR SOME, IT SEEMS THAT AS LONG AS YOU GET A FRONT PAGE STORY THERE IS LITTLE OR NO REGARD FOR THE "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" YOU WILL CAUSE. PERSONAL REPUTATIONS HAVE NO VALUE AND YOU REPORT WITH TOTAL IMPUNITY AND ARE RARELY HELD ACCOUNtable FOR UNETHICAL CONDUCT."
And then he portrayed them as being weaklings who do a "disservice to America".
"YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE MANIPULATED BY "HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS" WHO LEAK STORIES AND BY LAWYERS WHO USE HYPERBOLE TO STRENGHTEN THEIR ARGUMENTS. YOUR UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCURATELY AND PROMINENTLY CORRECT YOUR MISTAKES AND YOUR AGENDA DRIVEN BIASES CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT. ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES COMBINED CREATE A MEDIA ENVIRONMENT THAT DOES A TREMENDOUS DISSERVICE TO AMERICA."
But not only are they weaklings, they are arrogant weaklings.
"YOU ASSUME THAT YOU ARE CORRECT AND ON THE MORAL HIGH GROUND ON A STORY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT RESPOND TO QUESTIONS YOU PROVIDED IS THE ULTIMATE ARROGANCE AND DISTORTION OF ETHICS."
With the apparent assumption that birds of a feather flock together, he commented on with whom some of the journalists feed.
"ONE OF YOUR HIGHLY REPECTED FELLOW JOURNALISTS ONCE TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE SOME AMONGST YOU WHO "FEED FROM A PIG'S TROUGH." IF THAT IS WHO I AM DEALING WITH THEN I WILL NEVER RESPOND OTHERWISE WE WILL BOTH GET DIRTY AND THE PIG WILL LOVE IT. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR STORY IS ACCURATE."
His closing of this first part of his speech was with a question that has been asked many times over.
"I WILL LEAVE THIS SUBJECT WITH A QUESTION THAT WE MUST ASK OURSELVES--WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE ETHICAL STANDARDS OF THE PROFESSION IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT OUR DEMOCRACY DOES NOT CONTINUE TO BE THREATENED BY THIS DANGEROUS SHIFT AWAY FROM YOUR SACRED DUTY OF PUBLIC ENLIGHTENMENT?"
The answer to that question is probably that the internet based Back Stream Media of blogs and small news services will probably take the responsibility upon themselves to hold the Main Stream Media and their political backers in check.
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