When WWI began, the word hadn't spread until a week later. With WWII, people found out the next day. With this new war, the "producers" (United States) made sure there was a countdown to the "A" day, as the Bush administration calls it.

Ever since Sept 11 (or even before) it's become pretty clear how the media play an essential part on making public affairs really public. From my perspective, it's pretty unhealthy but, objectively, nobody will turn off their TV's as a protest.

The following idea came to me as I watched the numbers of the countdown on the television screen last night while watching the "news".I thought it was very depressing that they had the whole world on such expectation of the beginning of such cruel action. Today when I saw the first images of the attacks to Bagdad , I was wondering what CNN's ratings were on that exact moment and thought: If they're already broadcasting the war as if it was some sort of reality show, shouldn't we (the audience) have the right to decide what we want to see, just like on other shows of the kind? Isn't "democracy" what Bush wanted?

The global population should get to vote to let the "producers" know what they want to see on screen, WHEN they want the soldiers to be evicted from the "set" (Irak), even rank Bush and Hussein's popularity and, why not, decide at the end who gets away with it. This wouldn't only make the whole thing more "fair", it would also help repair part of the damage: by calling to vote, each person will have to pay US$ 0.50, and the incomes will go straight to a fund so the UN can help people in the attacked areas.

If it's not as popular as Big Brother, I am sure it will surpass SURVIVOR by far.

If you watched your TV today to hear about the war, then you can't say you're not hooked to BIG BOMBER.
-- Pericles, Mar 22 2003

(?) CNN benefits from 24 hour live coverage http://www.thebluebrick.net/cnn.html
This war is all businness & Reality TV. Take special notice of the last paragraph of the article. [Pericles, Oct 05 2004]

It can be a good way to help the global community opinion be heard.

Can people also vote to evict Bush from presidency? That'd be fat!
-- cancan, Mar 22 2003


You're right [pluto], people wouldn't vote for this stupid war, but everyone has enough interest to at least vote against since pretty much everyone's hooked to the 24 hour coverage. Still, they would vote and pay money to do so, helping innocent people who have been harmed and making the opinion of the majority of the people be heard.

And believe me, so far I'm witness to the fact that mexicans, australians and spanish do watch this kind of crappy shows. More than they should probably!
-- Pericles, Mar 22 2003


BTW, the right word is "bellicose"?
-- Pericles, Mar 22 2003


Belicles
-- thumbwax, Mar 22 2003


jutta: I think Rods idea is not so detailed, and even though it's pretty similar, they don't contain the same information. Is it going to be deleted anyways?
-- Pericles, Mar 22 2003


I'd ask [pluto] what planet she's from, but that would be too obvious.
Strange to be agreeing with the chatroom babble (not you, Pericles), but I fully agree.
I think the Bush administration knows full well how seductive battle plans and war news can be. They have allowed the media unprecedented access to the military operations. Unfortunately most of the media gulp it up, unaware of how self-serving it all is. I won't rant anymore politics, but Pericles has nailed it on the head.
We all would be better served if those who benefit from this propaganda spread their gains to the victims of their war.
-- roby, Mar 22 2003


I am a news junky.I even have news radio on when I'm asleep but this war is driving me insane.Has nothing else happened in the world this week?.Even local news has linked all of its stories to the war in one way or another.
-- sufc, Mar 23 2003


True, CNN makes us think that nothing else in this world has happened. That is where the sarcasm of Big Bomber lies: a reality show where we get 24 hour coverage of bullshit. Not that watching innocent civilians die LIVE means "entertainment" to me, but the international new networks are making us see it that way. They should at least somehow make up for the damage they do.
-- Pericles, Mar 23 2003


[plutonium]: We Australians DO know everything.

We just don't always tell it.
-- Freelancer, Mar 24 2003



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