The glass is now half full in Iraq
I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is a definite difference in the news about Iraq nowadays. News doesn't really reflect reality, it just projects a certain reality. It usually projects what people what to see.
So what is interesting is how reporting about Iraq is experiencing a turnaround of sorts. Perhaps people are just getting anesthetized to the violence in Iraq, and they don't react much to pictures of car bombs and the destruction of IEDs. And so perhaps the news is now trying a different tact.
However, quite possibly, people really want to perceive the situation as better in Iraq. In the last few days I have seen a lot of positive things on TV. ZDF, a German public television channel, has been making a lot of interesting reports on the Iraqi economy, on universities, and basically daily life. And there wasn't one burning car to be seen in any of their footage. Don't get me wrong, they weren't denying that Iraq was in a major crisis, it was just that everyone they interviewed belonged to the group of people who believed that now was a time to roll up their sleeves, and work for a better future.
I won’t go so far as to say there is a genuine improvement of the situation in Iraq, but that the way people see the situation has changed. And the tipping point was the elections. So no matter how “useless” or “undemocratic” or whatever criticism one can make about the January Iraqi elections, they definitely served a great purpose in changing people’s perceptions.
So what is interesting is how reporting about Iraq is experiencing a turnaround of sorts. Perhaps people are just getting anesthetized to the violence in Iraq, and they don't react much to pictures of car bombs and the destruction of IEDs. And so perhaps the news is now trying a different tact.
However, quite possibly, people really want to perceive the situation as better in Iraq. In the last few days I have seen a lot of positive things on TV. ZDF, a German public television channel, has been making a lot of interesting reports on the Iraqi economy, on universities, and basically daily life. And there wasn't one burning car to be seen in any of their footage. Don't get me wrong, they weren't denying that Iraq was in a major crisis, it was just that everyone they interviewed belonged to the group of people who believed that now was a time to roll up their sleeves, and work for a better future.
I won’t go so far as to say there is a genuine improvement of the situation in Iraq, but that the way people see the situation has changed. And the tipping point was the elections. So no matter how “useless” or “undemocratic” or whatever criticism one can make about the January Iraqi elections, they definitely served a great purpose in changing people’s perceptions.
posted by CaliValleyGirl at 12:54 AM
2 Comments:
well, that is so cool. i'm such a huge fan of your writing. i mean, you're quite the writer. it's like you're there, but you're not. we appreciate "all" your support and i can't thank you enough for your half full perspective. now, what did i do with my bag of cheetos. me hungy.
Now I don't think you are referring to me again here, are ya?
I still think the elections were rushed, and useless.
62 people were blown up by suicide bombs this week in Iraq. Along with 2 American soldiers.
Maybe Iraq is being viewed differently in Europe, and it should. Europe is a major reason why Iraq is in the shape it's in. Perceptions have changed maybe, but it's nothing to do with elections. I think it's more to do with Europe finally awakening.
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