To justify u.s. role
Corporate media rewrite Egypt events
By
Caleb T. Maupin
Published May 9, 2011 8:46 PM
In the United States, big media, like all other powerful institutions in the
economy, are owned by and operated for the capitalists. Pentagon contractor
General Electric owns NBC and MSNBC. Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch
owns the FOX network. Robert Eiger now owns the ABC-Disney-Pixar media cartel,
taking over the role once held by racist, anti-communist Walt Disney.
Despite claims of “freedom” and “democracy,” U.S.
television networks and major newspapers are nothing more than Wall
Street’s and the Pentagon’s “Ministry of Information.”
Just a few months after the Egyptian Revolution deposed President Hosni
Mubarak, they are rewriting the entire history of this world-shaking event to
suit their previous narrative of world politics.
From the day he took office, Mubarak was a U.S. client ruler.
Mubarak’s regime rigged elections, securing him 29 years of unchallenged
rule. The CIA trained his secret police forces. Washington sent his government
billions of dollars each year, mostly to the military, second in amount only to
Israel.
The U.S. even looked to Mubarak’s secret police for its rendition
program, allowing these thugs to conduct torture for the U.S. when
technicalities of U.S. law tied its own hands.
Mubarak’s “National Democratic Party” had an official
international relationship with the British Labor Party. Mubarak received
praise and admiration from the U.S. for his role in repressing
“extremists” who favored democracy and less cooperation with Israel
and the United States.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made clear he did not believe Mubarak was a
dictator, despite obvious reality.
All the major networks and newspapers featured “policy analysts,”
including Fox’s soon-to-be-ex-analyst, the rabid Glenn Beck, who voiced
fears that the popular revolution was “dangerous” and would create
an opening for “Islamic radicals.”
When Mubarak refused to step down as millions took the streets, no cruise
missiles were fired at his home. No trade embargo was placed on the country.
There was no talk of a no-fly zone. Hillary Rodham Clinton reassured the world
that the U.S.-backed dictator’s army was “practicing
restraint.” (ABC News, Jan. 30) Clinton also made clear there was no
intention of cutting off billions of dollars of aid. There would just be more
discussion about reform while the brutal regime continued to be bankrolled by
the U.S.
Despite the efforts of Washington to change a few faces at the top without
changing the system, Wall Street’s hit man has been removed by a heroic,
popular uprising. Workers’ councils have formed in the factories.
Students and organized labor continue to resist as the military rules an
uneasy, unstable, post-Mubarak Egypt.
After leaving office, Mubarak was not hanged or given a sham trial like Saddam
Hussein. He is in no danger of having his relatives killed with NATO surgical
air strikes like Moammar Gadhafi.
The new narrative
But despite reality, a new narrative is being constructed about Egypt, even
though the same abuses of power continue in many countries throughout the
Middle East.
The U.S.-backed autocracy in Bahrain commits brutal crimes against humanity,
putting down a similar popular uprising. Though Washington funds Israel and
backs the Saudi and Bahraini monarchies, it is still continually called a
“defender of democracy” on every major TV channel.
Obama’s speech justifying bombing Libya repeatedly claimed the U.S. was
acting for “humanitarian” reasons and “human rights.”
Just naming a few of the brutal dictatorships the U.S. supports refutes this
lie. But naming these names has never been part of the national image the U.S.
media have created.
Even Jon Stewart, the sarcastic television commentator who often views the U.S.
government with cynicism, featured a guest who claimed that the U.S.
“inspired” the revolution by setting up English-speaking
universities throughout Egypt.
Despite the fact that U.S.-made bullets killed protesters, U.S.-trained secret
police tortured them, and the U.S. media denounced them as
“terrorists” and “radical Islamists,” the U.S.
supported the protesters all along? Give me a break.
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
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