New York Times reporter Rod Nordland (5/29/11) gave readers a lighter look at the war in Libya from rebel-controlled Benghazi. Some versions of the story were actually headlined, “In Benghazi, Warmth for West Doesn’t Come from Burning Flags”–which pretty well captures the tone of the piece.
Nordland observes:
Americans and, for that matter, all Westerners are treated hereabouts with a warmth and gratitude rarely seen in any Muslim country–even those with 100,000 American troops–in probably half a century or more.
I’m not sure there’s a reliable survey of Muslim hospitality, but the idea that even Iraqis or Afghans aren’t fond of Americans despite our massive military presence in their countries–well, that’s pretty close to Bill O’Reilly territory.
He also writes:
The pizza, too, is respectable, especially at Pisa Pizza in Benghazi, where the pies are about a yard in diameter. Proof that Italian colonialism accomplished something after all.
Funny! You know what else the Italian occupation accomplished? Concentration camps, death and disease. But it’s harder to milk those things for laughs.
Imperialists say the darnedest things.
Does someone actually give a rats ass as to whether or not Libyans like us? Of course the rebels like us. Obama has pissed all over the UN mandate and broken American laws in order to slaughter innocent women and children who aren’t rebels and try to kill Gaddafi. Meanwhile the OTHER 85% of the country that isn’t engaging in an American financed civil war in their country hates us. What a shocker. FAIR, is this the best you can do???
Remember when the Taliban was in control of most of Afghanistan? The anti Taliban forces were fond of us too. How’d that turn out?
Here’s a news story for you. How about America quit engaging in wars all over the world to push it’s agenda and a new world order. Save all that money to fund our country and when a majority of people in a country want a change in leadership, they fight for it??
The continued war on civilization is both unproductive and costly- my gosh, Arming rebels is hardly enlightened.
Makes me want to burn US flags AND the NYT, and give Rod Norland a damn good scorching while I’m at it.
Everybody should know about the historic depravity of Italian-U.K. colonial genocide in Libya.
The pizza may be “respectable” in contra-controlled Benghazi, but the the NYT journalism surely isn’t.
Makes me want to Ban any product coming from China so we stop financing with worlds largest terror network.
Everybody should know about the historic depravity of Chinese persecution
The sweet and sour may be “respectable” in Chinese restaurants, but the the human abuses surely aren’t.
So supporting a popular Libyan revolution that represents the vanguard of the Arab Spring is the equivalent of supporting “concentration camps, death and disease”? FAIR’s position on the Libyan resistance gets more incoherent and deplorable on daily basis.
No, joking about the fascist occupation of Libya is the equivalent of joking about concentration camps, etc.
There is no “lighter look at war”. Norland is a prime example of “the ugly American”, egocentric and indifferent to the suffering of others. He is making a mockery of the tragedy these people are going through, and he shouldn’t even be there.
It’s all fun and games until some lighthearted American reporter out jogging gets shot. Gotta watch out for all that “residual loyalty.” Must be all those “row after row of new apartment buildings, with units that were in effect given away by the government to families in exchange for only token mortgage payments.”
All bravado and propaganda dropped in the last three paragraphs.
Selling love from Arabs to Americans is a little like selling love from them to the Israelis.Im not buying it.I mean i hope there is some positive feelings toward us from that neck of the woods but I am not sold.