Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

Assassination by media

A textbook example of the New York Times willingly acting as a cut-out for Israeli propaganda efforts - this time engaging in character assassination against Arafat, who conveniently lies in a coma unable to defend himself against such attacks. Headed "Arafat Mystery: The Hidden Cash" the NYT goes on to make unsubstantiated allegations pay their way as pseudo-facts which leave the clear impression of corruption, exactly as Israel would like.

"As Yasir Arafat lies dying in Paris, the battle over his legacy involves an unstated but widely acknowledged concern: he personally controls several billion dollars, and no one else knows where it all is... [cut] Mr. Arafat has kept knowledge of the accounts compartmentalized, and only he knows all the details, well-informed Israeli officials say...[cut] But the way he managed money, and the secrecy and corruption surrounding the administration of the Palestinian Authority, have tainted his legacy with ordinary Palestinians and left a burden for his political heirs."

This is published from their International desk, not the Opinion pages, though the writing clearly engages in speculation, presentation of adversarial rumour, and deliberate "colouring" of facts to leave the reader with the taint of "corruption" associated with Arafat - despite acknowledging that he was "abstemious" and "spent very little money on himself". A perfectly timed assault on the Palestinian leader's reputation to ensure he does not go to his grave without diminishing his standing. Expect more of the same cowardly behaviour in the lead-up to his death and surrounding the funeral, in prominent and probably Murdoch-owned newsmedia around the planet.

Update: Abu Ammar (Yasser Arafat) died a few hours after this was published.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 1:33 pm ::