Human Rights

War vs. Democracy: Untold Stories from the Lynch / Tillman Hearing

by Diane Farsetta — May 11, 2007 - 10:50am
  • Topics: Journalism, Democracy, Human Rights, International, Propaganda, U.S. Government, War / Peace

    • What does it mean to be a nation at war? Is it possible to exercise democratic control over a wartime government that dismisses honest criticism as unpatriotic? What should citizens do when members of their military not only commit crimes -- as happens during every war -- but also rely on propaganda to hide mistakes and to embellish or even create victories, as happened in the cases of Army Ranger Pat Tillman and Private Jessica Lynch?


    Jessica Lynch testifies

    Those are big questions, but a few things are clear. One is that the secrecy, deception and constraints sought by wartime administrations are anathema to the transparency, accountability and freedom necessary to democracy. As James Madison warned, "Of all the enemies of public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other."

    Another truism is that citizens retain the right to receive information and provide guidance to their government during wartime. The last is that, while security concerns may legitimately restrict what information can be shared when, maintaining civilian oversight of war operations helps ensure that human rights standards are upheld.

    Perhaps the most important effort to provide oversight of ongoing U.S. wars was the April 24 Congressional hearing on battlefield misinformation.

    Lipstick on a Dictator

    by Sheldon Rampton — May 10, 2007 - 9:50pm

    Teodoro Obiang and Condoleezza Rice

    "On an unusually warm morning in Washington, D.C., last spring," writes Joshua Kurlantzick, "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stood before a pack of reporters for a briefing, one of Africa's most notorious dictators at her side." Th

    Main Source: 
    Mother Jones, May 7, 2007

    Sorry About That

    by Sheldon Rampton — May 9, 2007 - 10:32am

    In March, U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan opened fire indiscriminately on civilian bystanders following a militant ambush in Jalalabad. Soldiers then destroyed photos and video taken at the scene by freelance journalists. Destroying the evidence was necessary, a military official claimed at the time, to protect "investigative integrity" and prevent "public conclusions" from being "falsely made." Yesterday, however, the U.S.

    Main Source: 
    New York Times, May 8, 2007

    Afghanistan's "Must Ban TV" and Other Press Concerns

    by Diane Farsetta — May 7, 2007 - 11:07am

    "Intimidation and harassment of the Afghan news media have come from a variety of sources," reports Pamela Constable, "including government prosecutors, police, regional militias, parliament, Islamic clerical councils and U.S.-led military forces." The Afghan parliament is considering banning "news coverage that disturbs the public or has an 'un-Islamic' theme." The measure, which is expected

    Main Source: 
    Washington Post, May 7, 2007

    Glover Park Meets Bogota

    by Diane Farsetta — May 3, 2007 - 3:21pm

    To defend Colombia's "scandal-tainted government before a skeptical [U.S.] Congress," and to "revive an important trade deal and maintain a strong military aid package," the administration of President Alvaro Uribe has hired a Democratic Party-associated U.S. lobbying firm, for $40,000 a month.

    Main Source: 
    Associated Press, May 2, 2007

    Wal-Mart: Union Busting with a Smile

    by Diane Farsetta — May 1, 2007 - 4:40pm

    "Back when I was in a union, I was just a number," laughs a man in a Wal-Mart Stores training video. "If a union got in here," he adds, "every benefit we got could go on the negotiating table. ...

    Main Source: 
    Human Rights Watch, May 1, 2007

    AP Photographer Marks One Year in U.S. Prison Camp

    by Diane Farsetta — April 12, 2007 - 4:49pm

    For one year, Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein has been "held at a prison camp in Iraq by U.S. military officials who have neither formally charged him with a crime nor made public any evidence of wrongdoing," AP reports.

    Main Source: 
    Associated Press, April 11, 2007

    Guantanamo Prisoner and His Parents Gagged

    by Bob Burton — April 4, 2007 - 6:04am

    In a plea bargain, the first Guantanamo Bay prisoner convicted on terrorism charges by the U.S. government's military commission, David Hicks, agreed to a 12 month ban on speaking to the media. After five years at Guantanamo Bay, Hicks will serve a further nine months in a prison in his home state of South Australia. The gag condition -- which would be illegal for a U.S.

    Main Source: 
    Sydney Morning Herald, April 4, 2007
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