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Go Home Anti-american Bias At Al-jazeera? You Don't Say

THE PLANK APRIL 2, 2008

Anti-american Bias At Al-jazeera? You Don't Say

BY JAMES KIRCHICK

Last week, former Nightline correspondent Dave Marrash quit his anchoring job at Al-Jazeera due to anti-American sentiment at the network. But it wasn't the station's Arab overseers who were the main culprits. Rather, "Marash said he felt that attitude more from British administrators than Arabs at the Qatar-based network."

Then there's this interesting tidbit: "Marash, who's being replaced by former CNN International host Shihab Rattansi, said he was the last American-accented anchor at the network, which broadcasts from Washington, London, Kuala Lumpur and Doha, Qatar. He said there are more Canadians than Americans working at the Washington office."

Unsurprisingly, the only cable system to pick up Al-Jazeera in the United States is in Burlington, Vermont.

--James Kirchick

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31 comments

Uh, broken link (I blame "quitquit") and at least spell his name right - one 'r'!!

Here's the link until it's fixed:

news.yahoo.com/.../tv_exiting_american

- bcbaird

April 2, 2008 at 10:24am

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Burlington, Vermont, that hub of Anti-American sentiment.  I would be surprised at all if the next Mohammad Atta - probably an East Coast Radical Trustafarian - came from the wilds of Vermont.  They did elect that radical socialist revolutionary terrorist activit Bernie Sanders ... I mean, look at him: he even LOOKS like he would or should belong on Al-Jazeera as a commentator.  And good for the rest of the US for not bothering to hear what the rest of the world is listening to and watching, how opinions are being shaped in the Arab world etc.  

And while we're at it, I think all cable companies should drop the BBC, the CBC, Deuschewelle, TV5 and all the rest of anti-American networks.  Let no contrary views come near us, we who are pure as the driven snow ...

Jamie - you are becoming a sick joke of a parody of a surreal version of Marty ....

- icarusr

April 2, 2008 at 10:31am

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"Unsurprisingly, the only cable system to pick up Al-Jazeera in the United States is in Burlington, Vermont."

Why is that unsurprising? Why would anyone expect Burlington, Vermont to be the only place that carries al-Jazeera rather than, say, Berkeley, California, or Madison, Wisconsin, or San Francisco, or Portland, Oregon? Seriously, that's a stupid thing to say, even by the low standards of right-wing commentariat sweeping jabs at "unpatriotic" liberals.

- rhubarbs

April 2, 2008 at 10:31am

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Right, icarus, God forbid innocent American civilians might be channel surfing and accidentally stumble upon that horror of horrors, anti-American sentiment.  The people must be protected from facts at all times.

- ratnerstar

April 2, 2008 at 10:39am

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I remember as a kid, running with all my street rat homies, we had a guy in the area who was always salting snails. Sick little bastard. Being stupid kids, I do recall that the first time we all say him do this, we of course, watched it and found it funny. But then, after that, no one, not even some of the losers who I grew up with, had much time or interest in indulging this guy's sick predilection. I seem to recall that after awhile, whenever I saw the creep, I would kick him over, liberate the captive snails, and throw his dastardly salt shaker down the street.

Kirchick reminds me a lot of this guy...

- thejauntyboulevardier

April 2, 2008 at 10:47am

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I'm a Vermonter, Kerchick. I'd like to know what you mean by your last sentence.

- cleavet

April 2, 2008 at 10:59am

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When did Vermont fall apart?  I'm pretty sure Ben, Jerry, and their ilk had a lot to do with it.

- selish70

April 2, 2008 at 10:59am

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icarus - you do realize that Vermont is the only state GWB has not visited.  Therefore they must be a terrorist training camp/Anit-American stronghold.

- anonevent

April 2, 2008 at 11:05am

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Classic, Jamie.  Brilliant stuff.  You are the Andy Kaufmann of TNR- I am convinced of it.  No one could honestly write "Unsurprisingly..." without engaging in some sort of meta-parody.  Really great work.

- boneill

April 2, 2008 at 11:24am

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Quick fry of the Brits with a pinch of salt, then add the Canadians and a bit of olive oil. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes and finally add the east coast Liberals. Pour into your pastry and bake for 25 minutes on gas mark 6.

Enjoy your Jamie, anti-pro pie with a nice Shiraz.

When's the cookbook out Jamie?

- The Ignorant Populist

April 2, 2008 at 11:47am

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Everyone knows Burlington, Vermont is a hotbed of anti-American sentiment.  Don't you remember Ben & Jerry's post-9/11 ice cream flavors: "Anti-American Senti-Mint" and "Infidels Must Die-t Chocolate Fudge"?

Also, didn't the mayor recently declare: "The waters of Lake Champlain will run red with blood when the glorious warriors of Allah rise against the Great Satan"?  Could have swore I read that someplace...

- bcbaird

April 2, 2008 at 11:55am

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Have you ever watched Arab media Cleavet? I'll remind you that you're under oath son.  

- The Ignorant Populist

April 2, 2008 at 12:01pm

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BC - "Anti-American Senti-Mint"

:)

- The Ignorant Populist

April 2, 2008 at 12:13pm

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Vermont is basically New Hampshire, but bordering New York.  Unsurprisingly, it makes a difference.

Born and bred, cleavet?  Not many of you left...

- selish70

April 2, 2008 at 12:25pm

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As a Canadian, I think Vermont should separate from the US and join the rest of us Communist-Pinko-Anti-American-Canuckers.  They can even bring Al-Jazeera-on-cable without fear of snide commentary.  Now that the Canadian dollar is at par and the Canadian economy is doing better than the US economy (thirteen years - unbroken - of budget surpluses; take that America), there is no more excuse.  If not all of Vermont, then at least Burlington.  We'll also take Bernie Sanders for good measure.

James, a question, as a matter purely of intellectual curiosity.  Do you mean to parody yourself, or do you really believe the tripe you write?

- icarusr

April 2, 2008 at 12:29pm

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The danger of this anti-Americanism stuff lurks in a lot of places.  For example, Charlie Rose had a couple of Iraqi journalists on two weeks ago and one of them said that the U.S. should leave Iraq because we were f***ing up the place no matter what we did.

Can you imagine!

But Charlie didn't listen to him really, so that was ok.

- ironyroad

April 2, 2008 at 12:59pm

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Icarus, we'll meet you halfway - you take the people, we'll keep the land.  Oh, what the hell - let's throw in Brattleboro just to get this done.

- selish70

April 2, 2008 at 1:40pm

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I wish my cable network carried Al-Jazeera, especially if this alleged anti-American sentiment is indeed so prevalent. I'd like to know what they're saying and how they're saying it.

I guess that doesn't make sense to Jamie and other members of the Ignorance Is Strength Brigade.

- WoodyBombay

April 2, 2008 at 2:01pm

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Leave us the cows. You can have right of first refusal on the spring maple sap run.

- teplukhin2you

April 2, 2008 at 2:47pm

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It's not surprising anymore:

The main anti-Americans are leftie Americans.  Not the Arabs.  Or the Europeans.  Left-wing socialists are a self-hating lot that thinks that everyone but Americans are just and fair.  Toss out all the anglospherical influences of the last 300 years.  Embrace the multi-cultural garbage from barbaric races and their practices.

- jwl2672

April 2, 2008 at 2:56pm

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Isn't Al-Jazeera broadcast mainly via satellite?

In any case, Burlington Vermont is NOT the only cable system in the US to pick up Al-Jazeera:

english.aljazeera.net/.../ACF18F3D-8CC0-4C40-902A-54D152837F57.htm

The BuckeyeCableSystem has it available on channel 226,

Fire the fact-checker.

- bcbaird

April 2, 2008 at 3:00pm

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ratnerstar:

God forbid innocent American civilians might be channel surfing and accidentally stumble upon that horror of horrors, anti-American sentiment.  The people must be protected from facts at all times.

These aren't facts.  These are opinions.  You want hard cold facts, any respectable newspaper will do.  Al Jazeera is a pure propaganda mill masquerading as a "news" outlet.  By all means, let Americans see this garbage and judge for themselves.  Expose their insane opinions that the light of day will kill it.  Except that weak-minded lefties actually watch this program and are susceptible to its idiocy.

Additionally, market forces usually will kill such a worthless program due to lack of viewers.  Unfortunately, the Saudis have deep pockets to sustain this garbage.

- jwl2672

April 2, 2008 at 3:01pm

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Woodybombay:

I think it's pretty arrogant of you to think that you are not susceptible to propaganda of any kind.  I guarantee that if you read and hear enough anti-American propaganda it'll gradually grow upon you.  Why do you think these arabs in the Middle East  (who've never once even met an American or been here or read a non-biased article about the country.)  hate us? Their leaders drill it into their heads.

As much as I love my country, I'm sure that if I was force-fed this crap I'd begin to have doubts about America as the beacon of light in the world.

Stay away...that's how Scientology and islam prospers.

- jwl2672

April 2, 2008 at 3:09pm

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I thought that the Saudis weren't keen on Al-jazeera and that the deep pockets were to be found in the vicinity of our ally, the Emirates.

- ironyroad

April 2, 2008 at 3:12pm

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"Al Jazeera is a pure propaganda mill masquerading as a "news" outlet.  By all means, let Americans see this garbage and judge for themselves.  Expose their insane opinions that the light of day will kill it.  Except that weak-minded lefties actually watch this program and are susceptible to its idiocy."

jwl2672 makes a good point -- Al-Jazeera certainly doesn't sound any worse than Fox News Channel.

- WoodyBombay

April 2, 2008 at 3:15pm

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Al-Jazz doesn't have The Simpsons.

- teplukhin2you

April 2, 2008 at 3:53pm

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jwl, as usual, is wrong on the facts.  Al-Jazeera is run by Qatar.  Interestingly, they have been getting cozier with the Sauds, in large part (it is speculated) because of the general gulfie fear of Iran.  Close the ranks and all that.

And, jwl, the world's beiggest anti-Americans are *not* American lefties, as comforting a thought as that may be (we can take on some granola-eaters, right boys?).  It's the people who are willing to blow themselves up or fly planes into buildings.  Fuck's sake, mate- all of you right-wing types who talk a big game on security use the horrors of int'l terrorism to do little but settle domestic scores and as a political bludgening tool.  No wonder we're losing two wars.  

- boneill

April 2, 2008 at 5:36pm

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"Toss out all the anglospherical influences of the last 300 years.  Embrace the multi-cultural garbage from barbaric races and their practices."

I don't really know what "anglosphrecial" means, but if you are referring to the slave trade, colonization, interference in continental European affairs, signing ill-advised peace treaties, gunboat diplomacy, etc., then I suspect it would not be such a bad idea after all.

Oh, and about all those "barbaric races" ... colour me stupid, but I thought _practices_ were barbaric, but that no "races" were inherently civilised or barbaric or whatever.  Which "races" are you talking about, by the way.  Are you referring to the Arabs (who are Semites, like their cousins the Jews, and they are both Caucasian); or the Persians (Aryan and therefore Caucasian); or the Germans and the concentration camps perhaps (Caucasian); or the Russians in Chechnya and the Gulags (Caucasian); or perhaps the Balkans (Caucasian); how about the Indians, are they barbaric? (The ruling castes are also Aryan and Caucasian ...)  Who are these "barbaric" races who have had their barbaric influences on the pure Anglospherics?

Man, with views such as yours who needs Al-Jazeera to whip up anti-Americanism?  You have in two sentences insulted 90% of the world population (the non-"Anglospheric" part), and yet expect to be loved?

- icarusr

April 2, 2008 at 6:49pm

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I was susceptible to propaganda once, back when The Clash called themselves "the only band that matters." Fell for that hook, line and sinker. But that was a long time ago.

- WoodyBombay

April 2, 2008 at 8:07pm

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jwl is a beacon of light, icarusr.  A beacon of goddam light.  

Woody- well done.

- boneill

April 2, 2008 at 11:14pm

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But there *was* something there:  London Calling, Rock the Casbah, If I Stay or If I Go.  There were parties back in the 80s . . . but it's too painful to remember.

- ironyroad

April 3, 2008 at 1:09am

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