As one listens to how the US/Korea FTA agreement is both praised and vilified in the Korean press, one should keep in perspective the role of editorial judgment in shaping what headlines come out and what we think we know. One good example of this in America is in the recent Washington Post article “Saudi King Fins Fault with Arab Leadership“, which is news because it shows a rarely reflective Arab leadership, pointing the finger of blame at Arab nations for allowing discord to ruin the Middle East.
The editor at CNN, however does not seem to understand this, rather he sees King Abdullah’s comments as being directed against America: “Saudis on U.S. in Iraq: ‘Illegitimate Foreign Occupation’.
This is a good example of misdirection though a lack of misunderstanding on the editor’s part.
(Much thanks and a deep bow to Curzon at “ComingAnarchy.com” for this example, as well.)
4 Comments
I understand what you’re getting at but the articles you cited aren’t mutually exclusive–the Saudis are trying to shore up their dominance in the Middle East with a call to Arab countries to unite (under their Sunni/Wahibist leadership of course) by slamming the U.S. and regional leaders at the same time. The “rarely reflective Arab leadership” is still not reflecting on the root causes of instability in the ME, e.g. wealth and education disparities, religious sect conflict, oppression of women by Islamic nutbars, etc.
The FTA has its own merits/demerits aside from being used by the usual sususpects to attack the U.S., and the resl issues are economic, not ideological, so it’ll have real effects that the spin-meisters won’t be able to direct as they do with USFK or the norks.
Another example is all the news outlets reported Scooter Libby’s verdict something like “Scooter Libby Guilty on 4 Out of 5 Charges.”
Fox News ran a graphic that said, “Scooter Libby Not Guilty on One Charge.”
Wait, there’s one absolutely ideological issue I forgot, the inclusion of Kaesong in the FTA, which the Roh gov’t is already calling a done deal:
http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....40011.html
OnefreeKorea said it best: “When you consider the idea that products from Japan, a staunch and loyal ally, don’t get the same preferential treatment that North Korea’s just might, it’s rather stunning.”
http://freekorea.us/2007/04/03.....-congress/
I hope Congress shoots down the FTA if it includes Kaesong.
“I hope Congress shoots down the FTA if it includes Kaesong.”
I agree. Though I’m very much for an FTA, this is where I would draw the line.