| Topic: |
Science > Abortion |
| User: |
"osprey" |
| Date: |
12 Mar 2005 10:16:45 AM |
| Object: |
Iwo Jima, if covered by media today |
Iwo Jima, if covered by media today
By Zell Miller
Published October 12, 2004
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What if today's reporters had covered the Marines landing on Iwo Jima,
a small island in the far away Pacific Ocean, in the same way they're
covering the war in Iraq? Here's how it might have looked:
DAY 1
With the aid of satellite technology, Cutie Cudley interviews Marine
Pfc. John Doe, who earlier came ashore with 30,000 other Marines.
Cutie: "John, we have been told by the administration that this island
has great strategic importance because if you're successful, it could
become a fueling stop for our bombers on the way to Japan. But, as you
know, we can't be sure this is the truth. What do you think?"
Pfc. Doe: "Well, I've been pinned down by enemy fire almost ever since
I got here and have had a couple of buddies killed right beside me. I'm
a Marine and I go where they send me. One thing's for sure, they are
putting up a fight not to give up this island."
Cutie: "Our military analysts tell us that the Japanese are holed up in
caves and miles of connecting tunnels they've built over the years. How
will you ever get them out?"
Pfc. Doe: "With flame throwers, ma'am."
Cutie (incredulously): "Flame throwers? You'll burn them alive?"
Pfc. Doe: "Yes ma'am, we'll fry their asses. Excuse me, I shouldn't
have said that on TV."
Cutie (audible gasp): "How horrible!"
Pfc. Doe (obviously wanting to move on): "We're at war ma'am."
(A Marine sergeant watching nearby yells, "Ask her what does she want
us to do -- sing to them, 'Come out, come out, wherever you are. Pretty
please.' "
Cutie: "Pfc. Doe, what's that mountain in the background? Is that the
one they say is impregnable?"
Pfc. Doe: "I don't know what that word means, ma'am, but that's Mt.
Suribachi, and we're going to put a flag right up on top of it just as
soon as we can. I gotta go."
Cutie to camera: "No one has yet really confirmed why this particular
battle in this particular place is even being waged. Already, on the
first day, at least 500 Marines have been killed and a thousand
wounded. For this? (Camera pans to a map with a speck of an island in
the Pacific. Then a close up of nothing but black volcanic ash). For
this? For this?" (Cutie's sweet voice becomes more strident as it fades
out.)
DAY 2
At 7 a.m., Cutie's morning show opens with a shot of hundreds of dead
bodies bobbing in the water's edge. Others are piled on top of each
other on shore. After a few seconds, one can see Marines digging graves
to bury the dead.
Cutie: "There is no way the Marines could have expected this. Someone
got it all wrong. No one predicted this. This has been a horrible 24
hours for our country. This is a slaughterhouse. After all this
fighting, Marines control only about a mile and a half of beach and the
casualties are now over 3,500 and rising rapidly. We'd like to know
what you think. Call the number on the bottom of the screen. Give us
your opinions on these three questions:
1. Were the Marines properly trained?
2. Is this nothing of an island worth all these lives?
3. Has the president once again misled the American people?
"After the break, we'll ask our own Democratic and Republican analysts,
both shouting at the same time, of course, what they have to yell about
all this. It should make for a very shrill, provocative morning.
"But before we leave this horrible -- some will say needless -- scene,
let us give you one more look at this Godforsaken place where these
young Americans are dying. Volcanic ash, cold, wet miserable Marines
just thankful to be alive. And still no flag that we had been promised
on that mountain. Things have gone from bad to worse in this obviously
misguided military operation. One thing is certain, there should be and
there will be a high-partisan -- make that bi-partisan -- congressional
inquiry into this."
DAY 3
Cutie: "Marines continue to be locked in a life-or-death struggle over
this worthless piece of real estate in the middle of the Pacific. The
word 'quagmire' is being used in the U.S. Senate, a body very familiar
with quagmires. Senator Blowhard has called it 'a colossal military
blunder.' And Senator Bombast maintains it was a fraudulent scheme
hatched while the president was on his sixth vacation at the Little
White House in Georgia.
"The recently organized Senate Squeakers Group may ask for the
president to resign. They maintain that politics should not stop at the
waters edge in times of war, calling that tradition an old-fashioned
idea that has no place in the new century of dysfunctional government.
Over forty special interest groups concurred and all issued identical
news releases."
"We now turn to our politicalanalyst,James Crankville."
(James):"Cutie,the overnight poll numbers have hit this president right
between the eyes. Nationwide, an overwhelming 98 percent said that if
possible, they would like to see this country fight a war without a
single American casualty. That is nearly the same percentage we saw
three days ago when the American public said they would be in favor of
going to war if we could win without firing a shot. So, you can see
there is a trend developing here that spells trouble for this
administration."
"That this president is going ahead with this war is just unbelievable.
The witty New York Times columnist, Myscream Loud, wrote in her
inimitable fashion that 'The president's policy is as crippled as his
legs.' (giggle) Last week she said he had reached the point where no
one will 'Fala' him. F-A-L-A, his dog, get it (more giggles)? Has that
woman got a way with words! Go girl."
DAY 4
Cutie (holds up front page of the New York Times): "This morning, the
New York Times had this photo on the front page. As you can see, the
Marines have finally raised a flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. The
fighting is still going on but it looks like this battle is over. We
tried to find Pfc. Doe, the young Marine I interviewed that terrible
first day, but he was unavailable. Here is Corporal Smith though. (With
girlish enthusiasm). "Well, we see that flag flying. It's pretty much
over isn't it?"
Cpl. Smith: "Oh, no ma'am, it's not over by any means. We've got weeks
of fighting and dying to go yet. This place is a long ways from being
secured. But we did get that flag up there and it sure makes us all
proud."
Cutie: "I can't tell much from the photo. Their faces are not even
visible, making it impossible for us to descend upon any of their
families. Corporal Smith, do you know any of the flag raisers? And do
you know who ordered it put up there? Did the order come directly from
the president for political reasons?"
Cpl. Smith: "All I know is that I heard some colonel put the word out
that he wanted 'a flag put up there where every ***** on this
island could see it.' Excuse me, ma'am."
Cutie: "We know you've been in the heat of battle so,..."
Cpl. Smith: "Still am, ma'am."
Cutie: "Yes, of course, but it's all over. (Nervous giggle). Except
here on Capitol Hill, of course. Corporal Smith, I wonder if you know
the gender, race and ethnicity of the group that put the flag up. In
other words, did that group 'look like America?' "
Corporal Smith: "Look like America? They are Americans, ma'am. United
States Marines."
Cutie: "Any females?"
Cpl. Smith: "No, ma'am."
Cutie: "Any African Americans?"
Cpl. Smith: "I don't know, ma'am. But there is an Indian in Easy
Company."
Cutie: "You mean Native American?"
Cpl. Smith: "Whatever, ma'am, I've got to cut out. My outfit is moving
on and we've got a lot to do."
Cutie: "And we've got a lot to do here too. Spring training has started
and the sun is shining brightly in Florida. But first this word from
our sponsors."
Historical note: In one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, when
it was said "uncommon courage was a common virtue," 6,000 Marines were
killed and 18,000 wounded. Some 21,000 Japanese were killed. The island
itself is still barren and only a handful of people live on it. But
after it was secured by the Marines, B-29s made over 2,200 emergency
landings on it, saving the lives of more than 24,000 crewmen. AP
photographer Joe Rosenthal won a Pulitzer Prize for the flag-raising
photo. Of the six men in the photo, three were buried in that black
volcanic ash, one came out on a stretcher. Only two walked off the
island.
Zell Miller is a Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia.
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| User: "David W. Barnes" |
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| Title: Re: Iwo Jima, if covered by media today |
12 Mar 2005 10:27:19 AM |
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In article <1110644205.720167.107590@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,
osprey <noneedtoknow@mail.com> wrote:
Zell Miller is a Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia.
And a crazy Right Wing racist and, naturally, Bush supporter. No
wonder Osprey loves him so much and quotes his hate-filled articles.
Here is his picture. You make the call:
http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/04/09/ana04017.html
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