I agree with these points but to give the press a little credit (!),
they did raise some of thse issues, albeit highly cursorily, on
Channel 4 News the other night. But, surely you'd think that the
clear comparisons with Serbia/Kosovo would be an ideal 'angle' for
the news media more generally? Or maybe not.... Plus ca change!
k
> Looking across to Chechnya, again these processes seem to be evident.
> But I wonder if there isn't more to this particular situation. Compare
> the news coverage of Kosovo and Chechnya: both are to some extent
> semi-autonomous regions with a desire for independence, both had their
> freedom-fighters or "terrorists", Chechnya is now experiencing an
> onslaught at least as great as that inflicted on the Kosovans by
> Serbia. The talk of refugees leaving the province is of total
> annihilation and devestation, of indiscriminate bombing of civilians by
> the Russian army. Sounds a little bit like ethnic cleansing to me.
>
> But where is the condemnation in the media that we experienced over
> Bosnia, Kosovo and to a lesser extent East Timor? Is this just spatial
> parochialism again, or is it more to do with the fact that it is Russia
> committing these atrocities rather than Serbia? What are the ethical
> implications of such a position, where Russia is allowed to get away
> with these type of activities when we ('the west') are prepared to
> bully a smaller nation into submission? Whilst it is perhaps
> understandable that governments might want to avoid a direct stand-off
> with Russia, what justification do the press have? What does this all
> mean for the 'new world order' if such a thing actually exists? Doesn't
> this all show 'the west' to be hypocrites, only interested in
> exercising power when it is in our own interests to do so (effectively
> bullying) than when it is morally correct to do so?
>
> Personally I see much more in the situation in Russia to be worried
> about than in Serbia. If Russia is descending into this kind of violent
> totalitarianism (and bearing in mind not only the size of the military
> power base, but also the degree to which many aspects of Russian
> society are experiencing mafia-style corruption), what of the future?
> If we are prepared to let Chechnya go, who will be next? Is this the
> start of a slippery path back into an 'old world order'?
>
> Sorry to introduce such an air of pre-millenial gloom, or perhaps it is
> justified realism in the light of the media's 'rose-tinted' view of the
> world.
>
> Tony.
>
> --------------------------------------------
> Tony Jarvis [log in to unmask]
> School of Earth Sciences and Geography
> Keele University, Keele, Staffs, ST5 5BG.
> Tel: 01782 583095 Fax: 01782 715261
> --------------------------------------------
>
>
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