Comments on: Bloggers Now Weapons in Information War

By: julia

julia — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 01:29:21 +0000

I think our information techniques are pretty flaky. Karen Hughes is a catostrophe. The Egyptian station we run out of Washington is evidently controlled by their secret police. Most of the things we put out are clumsy. And I'm with General Pace that there are problems with placing unattributed stories in the Iraqi press.

I think our system over the long term speaks for itself so I'm saddened we don't give Saddam a trial for all his crimes with full rights to cross examine witnesses, he's still guilty. I think defence of torture is a flub and so on.

But Roggio while biased is relatively competent, I have no reason to doubt his integrity, and he is being slimed.

It just shows our left is as incompetent as our right and in the battle for the hearts and minds of the world we're going to have to rely on Bart Simpsom.

By: ColfromColorado

ColfromColorado — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 15:50:14 +0000

The Lying Liberals can just keep on telling lies. But boy, no independent reporter like Bill Roggio better show up! Why, he is nothing but biased reporting!! :-)
The Battle for the Mind of America is going on right before our eyes. And we are a part of it. And each of us by ourselves is next to nothing. But when you put all of us together, the Lying Liberal MSM better watch out. They are becoming the OM. And they will continue to lose their influence.
And it is a Battle for the Mind of America. The only agenda the Lying Liberals have is to tell more lies. Besides Hillary's Communist Manifesto 'Common Good', they stand for nothing. Of course, communism has proven itself such a total failure, what else could a good Lying Liberal want? Of course, they are the elites, they will rule the rest of us, tell us what time to get up in the morning, where to go to put our eight hours in, and what we can have for dinner that night.
So as long as they are the elites, everything is ok. And the truth never supports those people. The truth supports President Bush and Conservatism. And the blogs are what are setting us free. Along with Rush & Hannity. 'The People' can communicate with each other. ugh...gasp!! They really need to learn their place. :-)
Besides that, it is a Battle we must win if America is to go on anything like we remember it. So we will keep fighting the Lying Liberals and keep fighting them and keep fighting them.
May the best man win.

By: sam basso

sam basso — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 12:35:01 +0000

Like many people, I learned I could no longer just read or watch the MSM to get a realistic picture of the news. The more I read things from the blog world, the more I understood the Leftist propaganda being pumped out every day by our enemies and their "oh me, oh my" sympathizers.

I have become a blogger to counter the misinformation in my realm, which is the world of dogs. Even in that world, so much is spewed out by the eco-communists and animal rights wackos, that it is going to take a long while to get things in balance again. As a dog trainer and pro-dog activist, I can't count on the MSM to do a fair, realistic, and educated story on any real dog story... so, I found I had to start speaking out. Thus, http://www.poochmaster.blogspot.com was formed. I had even tried, like a lot of other people, doing public access TV, with the same aims... to counter the lies and distortions of the MSM. But the audience wasn't big enough, the production time was too great , and you weren't allowed to advertise and make money to support your show. Thus, the blog world is the latest way that people like myself have gone out to influence public opinion.

So, too, people have decided to start fighting back regarding the war in Iraq. With the two major newspapers, the NY Slimes and the WaCompost, purposely publishing lies, distortions and our battle secrets to our nation and the world, the blog world has come to be the standard bearer of freedom of the press, free speech, and patriotism. A day can't go by without reading a new distortion from the MSM, which needs to be taken apart, fact checked, and put through the washing machine of public opinion.

I look forward to the day when the NY Times is so marginalized, that they go out of business. In fact, I'm hoping that they are forced into bankruptcy, and charged with a felony, for publishing top secret information. They are endangering lives, our lives.

Long live the Blog World!

By: Small Town Veteran

Small Town Veteran — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 05:48:08 +0000

al-WaPo slimes two good men

... I'm not going to try to add anything to the story except to state unequivocally that I'd trust Bill Roggio and Michael Yon over anyone working for any of the major media outlets any time, any where, and anyone who questions the integrity of eithe...

By: David H.

David H. — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 02:13:25 +0000

Jeebus, why don't you read Roggio's response to the Washington Post article. Finer has proven himself to be a biased hack of a writer who would rather report what he believes than the truth. This shouldn't surprise anyone because whether you choose realize it or not bloggers are waging a war against MSM. If bloggers win the influence of the MSM will be diminished dramatically and hacks like Finer will find their earning power significantly diminished. When you attack someone's paycheck you better be prepared for a "real" fight.

By: Quiet Obsever

Quiet Obsever — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 02:01:57 +0000

MSM is an oxymoron!
Bloggers and other non-establishment commentators are far more mainstream and attuned to the real feelings and values of our country!
How about LME = Liberal Media Establishment ... or another acronym which more accurately describes the ignorant fools who posture as "journalists!"

By: marine dad

marine dad — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 21:22:01 +0000

One of the biggest differences between Bill Roggio's work and that of the MSM is the experience Bill brings to the task of describing this war.

the folks that do most of the reporting in Iraq appear to this observer to be little more than green zone lounge lizards. Show up after the smoke clears and say empty words to the camera.

The standard for "journalists" is Ernie Pyle and I am certain that he is rolling in his grave at the way reporters have simply ignored their "duty" to get the facts right and be where the action is.

Bill has a tremendous opportunity now and I am certain that we will learn more from a half a dozen of his posts than we will from all the empty words spewing forth from the MSM's lackies.

By: p2

p2 — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 21:17:17 +0000

think of how much money we save for use by the welfare state by just PAYING the bastards into thinking right for once.
the premise is that we're hostage to leftist opinion. who says?

By: Beltway Blogroll

Beltway Blogroll — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 20:10:52 +0000

Military Bloggers And Information Warfare

Late last week, a Washington Monthly article about blogs caused a stir among bloggers. Now a Washington Post article on military bloggers has the blogosphere buzzing again. The article focuses on two bloggers who were embedded with U.S. troops in...

By: Murdoc Online

Murdoc Online — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 18:12:37 +0000

A few links for a slow Tuesday

Murdoc's still trying to dig out, so here are a few tidbits to keep you going:Hummer Limos Enter War GamesTSUNAMI ANNIVERSARY: THE MISSINGBloggers Now Weapons...

By: Hank

Hank — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 17:06:45 +0000

So, the Pentagon bought a blogger. Big Deal.

What's the difference between that and placing articles in the media or buying off columnists?

That blogger is on the same payroll with the others that dispense pro-Bush propaganda.

By: hripka

hripka — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 16:04:38 +0000

I think both sides are beginning to understand that this struggle will be waged in both the kinetic and informational realms, but that the latter is the decisive area of operations," wrote Daniel Kuehl 'Even in war moral power is to physical as three parts out of four.' by Napoleon I (1769 to 1821) In other words 'Morale is to material as is the ratio of three to one.' Funny how generation has to figure this one out.

By: Ron Wright

Ron Wright — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 07:42:41 +0000

Kilo Echo 4 I totally agree you might me interested in my comment on this issue over at Atlas Shrugs: The rise in anti-Americanism as a new form of virulent anti-Semitism. Let's make it clear I'm not Jewish nor am I under the influence of anyone who is. With that said I wrote this essay back in July 2004, re the sentencing words of Judge Young in the Shoebomber Case. [...] See my excerpted comments re the state of the MSM. If you tire easily of boring diatribe, then forget my rant and go directly to this new piece by citizen journalist Michael Yon: Montage Or Mirage Link Our media may no longer be a relevant provider of information. A new communication medium is now emerging. People are interconnecting via The Net, blog sites, and email just as this letter. News of events, ideas, and thoughts are freely flowing, unimpaired by political boundaries, or constraints and biases of the editorial and corporate boardrooms. This new collective medium has little overhead and has less need to generate a profit. It attracts audiences on value of the content. There is an inherent self-righting ability that limits extremes of thought and flawed group think. [...] The news media has abdicated its role and journalistic responsibility given it by the 1st Amendment. The news media as we know it may no longer be relevant as the provider of our news. Our cherished 1st Amendment right should not be twisted to justify the interests of media conglomerates. This is a right given by a free people to the press as a fundamental check on the abuse of power by those who WE CHOOSE to govern. With a strong and unbiased free press we will not suffer the tyranny of fanatics who rule by fear, torture, genocide, deceit, and perversion of culture and religion to remain in power, like the people of Iraq we have just liberated. Once the "truth" is told, the power of the "great lie" to control evaporates. There no longer can be without the worldâs knowledge, âThe Final Solution.â [...] Read More Here

By: Steve Schippert

Steve Schippert — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 05:55:50 +0000

...and for the record, not only did the Marines not hire Bill (nor pay a red cent in expenses, real or in-kind), they exercised absolutely zero editorial review and/or control...which is more than can be said for the established media's contributors.

To that extent, it should also be noted here that surely not all journalists in Iraq are necessarily bad guys or doomsayers. But, for those who are not (whoever they are), they surely don't stand a chance once their work is in the hands of their editors. For that reason, we may never know who sees things differently but either has been shot down or simply given in to the will of their editors.

By: Silicon Valley Jim

Silicon Valley Jim — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 02:55:23 +0000

Roggio's arrival in Iraq comes amid what military commanders and analysts say is an increasingly aggressive battle for control over information about the conflict. "Control over information"? I don't see a battle for control over information here. I see the US military offering somebody who appears to want the United States to win this war the opportunity to report on the scene. Neither the military nor any other agency of the federal government is seeking to control information. The reporters from Reuters, the AP, MSNBC, the New York Times, etc., are quite free to continue telling us what a disaster this is. That's just the most glaring (to me) example of the slant of the WaPo article.