CBC "interactive casualty map"

[armyvern]

Zoom out three levels.

Well my, isn't that duckie?

 

[exsemjingo]

I don't see why anyone here should take offense at a casualty map... I don't see that it's such a big deal. When I was at Meaford there was a map very similiar to that at the entrance to the mess, and in between the set of front doors to the North barracks. No one made a stink about it and declared "I'm offended!"

...of course, Meaford is a combat training base... so being offended by a map meant you didn't go there if you were overly sensitive.

Was the Meaford map used as an argument against the mission?  That's what the CBC is doing.  Otherwise, we would see more news stories about the people our soldiers died for.  We're not jut coloring in borders on a map.

 

[Dog]

Unlikey that it was used as an argument against the mission.... IIRC, it was just an info map of how who had died where. Of course you never really stop to look at it while you're there.... as a Candidate Under Normal Training... you rarely have time to stop and check it out.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

[quote

Edit for clarity: I was referring to the Taliban as "the bad guys," not the CBC....this time 
[/quote]

thanks for clarifying it can be a murky line. 

 

[geo]

Harumph, body counts!.... it was a bad idea back in the days of Viet Nam and it`s still a bad idea - IMHO

Might I suggest that the CBC map should be overlaid with other information.
Afghan population centres(and living body counts), Schools, PRT reconstruction projects planned, initiated, completed.....

Without showing what has been accomplished, the map really does not present any worthwhile info.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Well they wouldn't want to set a precedent now would they?

 

[NL_engineer]

Harumph, body counts!.... it was a bad idea back in the days of Viet Nam and it`s still a bad idea - IMHO

Might I suggest that the CBC map should be overlaid with other information.
Afghan population centres(and living body counts), Schools, PRT reconstruction projects planned, initiated, completed.....

Without showing what has been accomplished, the map really does not present any worthwhile info.

Showing the above information would defeat their reasons for the map (sway public support).

 

[warpig]

Quite the CBC Bash we have going here. Tell me, Colin P and Kelo-302, aside from your opinions unsubstantiated by any facts, what exactly is wrong with the way the CBC has laid out where our troops have fallen? And my second question would be do you have the same opinion of the maps used by MacLean’s or Saturday Night to show where contemporary battles involving Canadian troops dying were for the people back home?

For those who really feel threatened or revolted by the CBC map, I would like to put their opinion into perspective.
http://www.obleek.com/iraq/

That is truly thought provoking.

 

[geo]

Warpig, I think the obleek.com map of iraq is more significant in that is shows the location of the fighting without going into too great a detail of each and every death.

I think the CBC map needs more for it to mean anything.  Highlighting a body count without providing some info about what is going on is only sharpeing one side of the knife.

 

[MedCorps]

Thought provoking.

No kidding...

MC

 

[exsemjingo]

The CBC carries the air of objectivity, but only so far as that allows them to hide their bias.  We pick on the CBC because their funding comes from taxpayers of all political stripes, but they only cater to certain left-leaning ones.
One can make information say something particular without actually changing it.  The most popular argument against the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq is that they cost soldiers' lives.  Naturally, those are the statistics shown most prominently.  The networks know they have detractors, so they are very careful not to make any explicit commentary on what they show.
The message is simple and never has to be said on-air: pull out the troops, and the disturbing little dots stop appearing.  Further consequences do not have to be explored, because the target audience does not do any further thinking.

Otherwise, we would see maps of Afghanistan and Iraq showing schools opened, free ideas expressed, women liberated, and democratic votes cast.

 

[warpig]

Saying that the CBC only concentrates on our casualties is quite inaccurate, there Exsemjingo. But if the map can be criticized for doing that, surely that is small potatoes? There should be more info as to what exactly we’ve been able to accomplish in the way of CIMIC programs, but hasn’t that been covered by the CBC in the past? In fact, they cover it whenever they can, but as we speak, there is a significant drop in our humanitarian efforts, because of the Anti-Nato/Nationalist forces efforts. THAT has been covered, and commented on, in detail by al the major news gatherers.
This map was very hard to find, after the link wouldn’t work for me at my office, due to firewall issues. I did a lot of looking on the CBC website and didn’t actually get to see it until I got home and used my own computer. It’s just my opinion but a lot of people here have more than just a little bit of CBC animosity going on this issue. I will say flat out that the CBC isn’t populated by the same sort of people most of you are talking to on a daily basis. Neither is a lot of our national institutions. That is not inherent bias, just the very average lack of intimate knowledge that is a fact of Canadian Society in general.

If people want to show specific CBC bias against this mission, I invite them to post it. Frankly, I don’t expect to see any posted.

 

[exsemjingo]

Fair enough.  I'd invite readers of this thread to post examples of pro-military pieces from the CBC, as well as other stories with a positive conservative tilt.

 

[HItorMiss]

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j207/Armycoin/?action=view&current=1-1.flv

There is a fairly unbiased piece. Seems to be at the very leats not leaning any which way.

Careful what you wish for EX points one way or the other can always be found


*EDIT: To add more content

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Saying that the CBC only concentrates on our casualties is quite inaccurate, there Exsemjingo. But if the map can be criticized for doing that, surely that is small potatoes? There should be more info as to what exactly we’ve been able to accomplish in the way of CIMIC programs, but hasn’t that been covered by the CBC in the past? In fact, they cover it whenever they can, but as we speak, there is a significant drop in our humanitarian efforts, because of the Anti-Nato/Nationalist forces efforts. THAT has been covered, and commented on, in detail by al the major news gatherers.
This map was very hard to find, after the link wouldn’t work for me at my office, due to firewall issues. I did a lot of looking on the CBC website and didn’t actually get to see it until I got home and used my own computer. It’s just my opinion but a lot of people here have more than just a little bit of CBC animosity going on this issue. I will say flat out that the CBC isn’t populated by the same sort of people most of you are talking to on a daily basis. Neither is a lot of our national institutions. That is not inherent bias, just the very average lack of intimate knowledge that is a fact of Canadian Society in general.

If people want to show specific CBC bias against this mission, I invite them to post it. Frankly, I don’t expect to see any posted.

Gee that's what they said about the BBC to  :

 

[warpig]

Sorry to be delinquent in replying to the thread. As I said, I didn't see any examples of bias CBC reporting, because frankly there isn't any to post. Nice work out there.

As for pro-Conservative Values/military, obviously you've never heard on CBC Radio or watched the commentary of Rex Murphy. Didn't catch George Stroumboulopoulos' airtime with the CDS this month? Rick Mercer was there for the CBC doing an Xmas show while I was there, but I guess you didn't watch it. Sorry guys, but the CBC has had more imbedded journalists and had more coverage of the Mission that the other Canadian News services. Again, we'll call  this subject dead from YOUR unsupported viewpoint or you can kindly provide evidence.

 

[onecat]

Sorry to be delinquent in replying to the thread. As I said, I didn't see any examples of bias CBC reporting, because frankly there isn't any to post. Nice work out there.

As for pro-Conservative Values/military, obviously you've never heard on CBC Radio or watched the commentary of Rex Murphy. Didn't catch George Stroumboulopoulos' airtime with the CDS this month? Rick Mercer was there for the CBC doing an Xmas show while I was there, but I guess you didn't watch it. Sorry guys, but the CBC has had more imbedded journalists and had more coverage of the Mission that the other Canadian News services. Again, we'll call  this subject dead from YOUR unsupported viewpoint or you can kindly provide evidence.

Warpig, you are right in that the CBC has more coverage but that coverage is baised and is based on anti-mission, anti-military  ideas.  Its my opinion, but if you watch the CBC and I have, there questions are directed to create doubt and lower support for the mission to keep Canadians thinking this a Bush mission.  But then I'm also of the opinion of that CBC is very pro-Liberal party and directs it s coverage to that aim as well,very much the Toronto star.

No Media outlet is un-baised and I'n glad that Cf and the mission get coverage, its just important to note the coverage though the CBC is baised against it and directs all coverage to fit Liberal party policies and what makes them look good.

 

[Strike]

No Media outlet is un-baised and I'n glad that Cf and the mission get coverage, its just important to note the coverage though the CBC is baised against it and directs all coverage to fit Liberal party policies and what makes them look good.

Prime example -- Most of Rick Mercer's rants!  Check them out on his web site for proof.  The only time he was anti-Liberal was either just before or just after the last election, but it was one rant only.

 

[exsemjingo]

Sorry to be delinquent in replying to the thread. As I said, I didn't see any examples of bias CBC reporting, because frankly there isn't any to post. Nice work out there.

Again, we'll call  this subject dead from YOUR unsupported viewpoint or you can kindly provide evidence.

So where is your evidence on the contrary?  Obvious things do not need substantive evidence, but that's not to say I don't have examples.  The expensive Tommy Douglas miniseries they produced was pretty stilted, but we'll never have full details because it cannot be aired again for libel reasons.  "The Nature of Things" with David Suzuki is pretty far to the left, as are the Trudeau specials they air.

Other than that, Rick Mercer lost his edge when he became spokesman for the One Tonne Challenge.

 

[warpig]

Guys, this isn’t a debate on the Liberal Bias at the CBC. The whole premises of slagging the CBC interactive Map was that it and the CBC coverage of the War was bias. So far slagging environment shows and Tommy Douglas movies (excuse me if I’m wrong but what does politics in Weyburn Saskatchewan in the Dirty Thirties have to do with Afghanistan??) and saying Rick Mercer doesn’t slag the Liberals enough is NOT repeat NOT evidence that the CBC has been bias in it’s Afghanistan coverage. Sorry.

I have no problem with people holding general opinions regarding the CBC. Your opinion is formed and frankly why should I bother changing it, as evidenced by some of the comments. You may even have a point, but is it the point of this thread? Hardly. The CBC has focused a lot of correspondents and energy to cover the War, the interactive map is not evidence of a bias because it shows casualties where they fall, and there hasn’t been any substantive evidence posted so far. Again, if there is a bias, why don’t you show it to us? I think the coverage is fare.

Now, that being said, I should think it comes as no surprise that I happen to like the CBC. Hey, they still let Don Cherry have a mike! It’s just my personal preference but then that’s why we call Canada a free society.