Yes, But what does it mean?

Red_State_Blue

---

Reflections on a House Divided

Yes, But what does it mean?

Times

(click to see photo full-size) Joao Silva for The New YorkTimes "A sniper loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr fires towards U.S. positions in the cemetery in Najaf, Iraq. Michele McNally: "Right there with the Mahdi army. Incredible courage." "

Yes, But what does it mean?

It means that - in spite of the bad moves and disappointments of the last few years - that there are still distinctions within  the American  political landscape that are clear, real and vital. To wit - there are those who feel on a gut level that the picture in question represents all that is amoral, disloyal, selfish, thoughtless, and plainly vile about the culture of contemporary Journalism, as well as those who teach and support it. And then, there are those who think that - its just a good picture with an articulate and sensitive caption - which together express the state of carefully nuanced clarity, cultural relativism, internationalism, and neutral-point-of-view which they believe to epitomize the highest standards of Western Humanistic Culture.

And, most of those who hold the former view are, and largely vote for, Republicans. And,most who hold the latter are, and largely vote for, Democrats.

And that distinction can't help but make a significant difference in how the country deals with its most basic issues.

Please remember that when you think of who you're going to vote for in November - or whether or not you'll just stay home.

(C) David Aronin 2006

Trakbacks of the day:

Woman Honor Thyself
The Blue State Conservatives
Blue Star Chronicles
Don Surber

Comments

[mauve 1]

I wasn'tnable to immediately locate the image you discussed within the NYT. I've now found it, nestled well within a long column McNally wrote answering readers' questions about how the NYT photographers work, whether they work on contract, what legal restrictions they have at certain sites, advice for aspiring
photographers, and sundry other "ask the photo editor" Qs and As. Seeing it, completely clear to me that her comment, "Right there with the Mahdi army. Incredible courage," referred to photographer Joao Silva's proximity to
the sniper. The picture was presented with a number of others in answer to a reader's question about selecting pictures that to her were "most memorable." She was writing about how she selects photographs that are powerful in both concept and form. That image certainly isn't one most willl soon forget. Just what is it you think it says about the culture of contemporary journalism??

[mauve1]

DBA: (emphasis by mauve 1) .."the PICTURE in question represents all that is amoral, disloyal, selfish, thoughtless, and plainly vile about the culture of contemporary Journalism."

I don't think the PICTURE represents that at all. What the PICTURE shows (if we assume that news organization presentations of "news images" are digitally unaltered unless otherwise labeled), is a man training a weapon on something outside.

The picture derives its meaning from the context we find it in and any additional information provided with it, if we assume that's credible, as well as our own knowledge of and perspective on world events.

Are you saying, by implication, that this picture should never have been taken at all? Or if taken, never printed? If so, why?

Are you saying the caption should have been more like "An amoral, disloyal, selfish, thoughtless, and plainly vile sniper loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr fires towards U.S. positions in the cemetery in Najaf, Iraq" ?.

Or, "Despite the actions of amoral, disloyal, selfish, thoughtless, and plainly vile snipers loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr, forces of the U.S. and Iraqui governments are winning the battle to eradicate the insurgents and bring democracy to Iraq?

Are you saying that in a time of war, all photo captions of the actions of war should clearly allude to the President's objectives in fighting this war?

Or, are you saying Michele McNally's: "Right there with the Mahdi army. Incredible courage" automatically assumes she is much more sympathetic to the snipers' cause than our own government's? Why is that? A deluded
and gravely mistaken man could act courageously in a dangerous situation.
"Courage" could be shown by anyone knowlingly risking their life, whether fighting a war, or going over Niagara in a barrel, or spinning a gun barrel while it's pointed at their head and taking a chance on pulling the trigger. You don't necessarily have to be smart, right, or sane to be "courageous."

And, do you think that because McNally said that, whatever she did mean by it, innocents will be swayed? Might not those who interpreted her comments as support for the country's enemy have their resolve galvanized to the extreme in the opposite direction? She may have shot herself in both feet.

[Angel]

Nice read!..I got the tb and u are on the site now..thanks! :)