It sure ain’t ‘The Colditz Story’.
Posted by Big John on April 10, 2007
They sat in front of a hugh union flag. They were wearing their uniforms and berets, and they were free !
So why did they all look so grim ? … Perhaps no one had yet agreed that they could sell their ’dodgy’ stories.
Where were the smiling people in those shiny suits ? … and where was … Leading Seaman (or should that be ‘Seaperson’ ?) Faye Turney ? … who initially, as I recall, still continued to say how well she had been treated by her captors even when she was safe in British hands
Don’t get me wrong, for I am very pleased that these young sailors and marines are back with their loved ones, but I can’t help but feel that if I had been blindfolded, stood against a wall, and had heard the sound of weapons being cocked etc. I would not go out of my way to say a smiling farewell and accept presents and handshakes from the guys who had earlier introduced me to an alternative to laxatives.
The ‘damage limitation’ press conference given by six released ‘hostages’ after they had been debriefed appeared to have been almost as blatently staged managed as the photograph in the press of Iraqis shown ‘celebrating’ the deaths of four Britons earlier last week.
Note the contrast in the three photographs on this page . The lower two show groups of serious looking men and boys. The upper one shows the boy on the right displaying a piece of metal. I can just hear the photographer … “Come on son, hold it up a bit higher, and everyone wave and smile” !
During the past week Joseph Goebbels would have felt quite at home both in Teheran and at Westminster for he never spoke more true words than when he said … “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play” … What a shame that our mob were a little off key with their propaganda tune this time.
At a time like this I remember that my mother often used to quote an old proverb to me …
”You should only believe half of what you see, and none of which you hear.”
mjd said
Quote certainly fits this situation. I am glad that the sailors made it home, but do we think that anybody was fooled by the “confessions” and what came next? Sadly in the past four years, we have seen this display repeated over and over. Fortunately, this time the captives came home…alive.
Ginnie said
I gave up watching those TV shows that purported to tell you which stocks to buy and how the economy was doing, etc….they were always wrong and the “experts” always had an excuse as to why it didn’t come out as they had predicted.
Now I am going to give up on “news” TV since I can’t believe any of it and they always have pat answers for everything.
Whatever happened to people like Edward R Murrow??
Jackshian said
Newspapers have been the politicians and ‘celebrities’ mouthpiece for a long time now wih their fantasy and hyped up stories.
If you want to know what is really going on in the world then read the blogs .. all the truth is out there.
Your Mum was spot on with her quote John.