Former Indonesian President Suharto Laid To Rest...
...and as Media Bloodhound outlines, the US media completely ignores the US role in his murderous reign:
Consider the Associated Press 1,441-word article on Suharto's burial, the main story on the subject currently running on the websites of The New York Times, Washington Post, MSNBC and CNN, in which one sentence - just 31 words, 30 paragraphs into the report - is allocated to this relationship:
During the Cold War, Suharto was considered a reliable friend of Washington, which did not oppose his violent occupation of Papua in 1969 and the bloody 1974 invasion of East Timor.
ABC News' website is currently running a 736-word Reuters dispatch on the burial, in which no mention exists whatsoever of U.S. complicity in Suharto's bloody rule.
Spoon-fed such revisionist history, in which our government's murderous alliances are ignored or glossed over with clipped and blunted allusions, it's no wonder so many otherwise well-meaning American citizens are unaware of past and present implications of U.S. foreign policy.
brutal dictator...too bad he was tried and execute decades ago...
oh yeah and american presidents/admins were complicit in his crimes...including clinton.
Burn baby burn, Santa get your torments ready :)
Noam Chomsky does a very good job chronicling the US complicity in deaths of millions, for arm sales. Corporate America owns this one, like so many others.
Down the memory hole he goes.
Reuters - owned by the Rothchilds - wants to control the world - not a conspiracy theory.
Everyone should read Rogue State.
What?! The U.S. supports murderous dictators? I can't allow this thought into my head. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie. Brittany Spears coochie...................................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm gettin' my mind right, I'm shakin' that bush, boss.
Tim @ 6:
I'd like to see the source of your statement. AFAIK, it's The Thomson Corporation that owns Reuters.
Suharto.. what a fine example of US foreign policy in its pursuit and promotion of democracy and freedom around the world
the AP is much older than this old tree, but even I can recall the dictator and the abuse. This was one of the world's coldest fish. Mass Murder was his stock. War Crimes and Crimes against humanity, his trade.
Imagine speaking well of someone so vile? Not in my country. Who owns the AP?
Suharto was probably directly or indirectly responsible for about 1 000 000 dead over his 30-year rule.
Bush has matched that in seven.
When you google Suharto, the word "corruption" should pop out.
Same in the standard dictionary...
What a scumbag. Rot in hell, you piece of sh*t.
pinkobait @ 5:
Sadly, so true.
Amy Goodman. Democracy Now!
must read (period)
C&L: think about posting video from the show as an open thread today.
Also, consider that in Obama's, Clinton's, and Edward's campaigns are advisors who are not only apologists for Suharto, but were, in the previous Democratic and Republican Administrations since 1966, enablers of Suharto and opponents to UN human rights campaigns seeking justice for the Genocide in Indonesia and East Timor.
Democracy Now!: Vote for Change? ()
If we don't don't know our past, we are doom to repeat it for worse in the future. (paraphrased/manged indirect quote from someone far smarter than I)
When will we ever learn... As the song goes...
I thought zoolander wacked him a long time ago.
Yo, E Rocks! @ 15:
Darn tootin!
Good riddance, Suharto. And all your crooked US enablers.
What's wrong with "Dead Dictator Finally Buried"? How about "Another Filthy Mass Murderer In The Dirt Much Later Than He Deserved"? The speech around here is tamer than it is in the "traditional" media. Is it yellow journalism to call a mass-murdering dictator something more pointed than "former president"?
I understand the line to piss on his grave is stretching for miles.
mo_dems @ 7:
Good suggestion. Another book which is quite similar to Rogue State is Land of Hypocrisy [2nd ed.] by Kennie Anderson, which also details in easily comprehensible language the many atrocities that the United States has committed around the world against Third World countries.
now wait a minute...
Clinton forced the vote to determine independence for East Timor...
Clinton cut off arms sales to Indonesia ( http://www.fas.org/asmp/profiles/indonesia.htm )
" Responding to Congressional and citizen pressure, in 1994 the U.S. State Department banned the sale to Indonesia of small arms, riot gear, and other "crowd control" technologies which could be used to commit human rights abuses. But U.S. policy still permitted the sale of larger, more expensive weapons, such as F-16 fighter/bomber jets."
Many people saw the brilliant movie "The Year of Living Dangerously," but most young people don't have a clue about this murderous bastard. Only proves, only the good die young.
My only feeling of remorse comes from the fact that he did not face trial for his crimes, also that every U.S. president during his reign did not face similar charges for their support of him, also a long succession of Prime Ministers of my country, Australia.
All because of the rich oil fields of Indonesia and East Timor, which he invaded, did our governments keep silent. It is most wonderful to hear that fellow readers of this website are informed and aware of this vital issue, though unfortunately too many people are ignorant of Suharto, East Timor and American, Australian complicity.
I find apologetics for Suharto, as Kevin Rudd of Australia and Alexander Downer (former foreign minister) are to different degrees lacking any sense of knowledge or humanity. Outright praise of him is not even deserving of response.
Yo, E Rocks! @ 15:
Hey, a link to that show and John Pilger's brilliant piece in The Guardian, plus extensive updates on MSM's whitewashing Suharto coverage, and some great resources on Indonesia/East Timor are after the jump.
Another despot bites the dust...good riddance!
John Pilger. No award, reward, or position of power would be too good for this man. Truly one of a kind. The voice for justice for billions on the planet when there is only silence from the rest.
Actually, the AP's Suharto obit the day before covered his crimes in much-greater depth. The burial story came later and was just that: a follow-up, a spot-news story on the burial.
Yes, Suharto was a monster, but your characterization of the AP as having ignored his crimes is dishonest.
Shouldn't that headline read "Former Indonesian DICTATOR...."?
Suharto was brutal. And yes, the US supported him.
Surprise, anyone?
Champagne for everyone!
The point isn't why people shouldn't be surprised, the point is how the media is complicit in protecting and covering up U.S. foreign policy and yes many people don't know the u.S. complicity in over throwing democracys , and more importantly WHY the U.S. foreign policy works easily with murderous dictators as well as so called friends , as long as our goals of global dominance and economic expansion are met .
A good place to start is http://www.BrasscheckTV.com and check out the eye opening short documentary video ( site is full of great video documentaries ) ..of EDWARD BERNAYS , " the assassin of democracy " , the godfather of public relations . Which demonstrates how EASY the masses can be mislead .
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