From: ataylor@nmsu.edu (Nosy)
Subject: Re: Somalia
Organization: NMSU Computer Science
	<1992Dec14.173639.9655@seachg.uucp>
	<1992Dec15.040048.9079@cbnews.cb.att.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 00:52:08 GMT

<In article <1992Dec15.040048.9079@cbnews.cb.att.com> jmk@cbnews.cb.att.com (joseph.m.knapp) writes:
<chrisb@seachg.UUCP (Chris Blask) writes:
<>I'm as cynical as anyone about the military and political motives of any
<>modern government, but I can't believe that those troops fired on a busload
<>of civilians because they were bored or because of some UN conspiracy.  We
<>all seem to forget that the people standing in boots in Somalia right now
<>are just grunts, unlike the priviledged few (like us) all educated and cozy
<>behind our desks.

<   The media people there are grunts in a way, too. CNN's Christian Amanpour
<   has a great job, eh? "You did such a good job in Bosnia, we're sending you
<   to Mogadishu... don't forget to get your shots."

	Yeah, right. 

	Tell me, could CNN have him *shot* for refusing to obey
	orders?

	In other words, do CNN's talking heads have to live up
	to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)?

	I think not; therefore, the media drones are just another
	form of tourist, rather than "grunts in a way".

<>I agree with the pro-military folks who are pissed about the lights, as
<>well.  There are locals with weapons (lots), they are shooting them, and
<>bullets will mess you up.

<I agree... there is something absolutely ridiculous and surreal about someone
<with camouflage paint on their face hitting the beach in he full glare of
<TV lights. But is this really a big issue? Somebody might get killed?
 
	Yeah, I think that's a big issue. 
	Is that a problem? 

<OK, but somebody did get killed due to a breakdown of the vaunted military's
<actions... where is the indignation? 

	Who, where and when? Is this a reference to the deaths of
	people that *fired* on a military aircraft? I don't see
	any "breakdown", there; or are US troops to allow themselves
	to be killed without retaliation?

<There is a frightening tendency of
<people to line up behind the military, right or wrong. 
	
	Why is it frightening to support the people placed in
	harms way?

<The press (who have
<a job to do as well) are bashed, 

	Is it the press's job to blind the drivers of armored
	personnel carriers?

	Hey, if somebody shined kleig lights into your eyes
	while you were trying to drive your car in the dark,
	I bet you'd do some "press bashing" of your own, pal.

<and infinite tolerance is shown towards
<   the men-at-arms. I vividly remember when I first heard about the shooting
<   down of the Iranian airliner. The true blue patriots who told me shrugged
<   off this incident as tough luck for the passengers... the plane was diving
<   in an attack pattern after all. Military disinformation like this is par
<   for the course. Usually only much later (if ever) do the true circumstances
<   come out in the press.

	And what did you hear when KAL-007 was shot down? The
	press printed every vague rumor around; the CIA did it,
	the Air Force did it..anything that made the US look
	guilty and the Soviet Air Force look innocent.

	If the press does such a good job, let THEM guard embassies.
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