NP America: Evil Empire?

[jbor]

Interesting review, by Christopher Kremmer, of recently-published books by
Tariq Ali and John Pilger:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/12/1026185105711.html

Excerpt:

[...]

"Pilger's style is to eschew balance and thereby maximise impact. This
campaigning, adversarial journalism has won Australian-born Pilger numerous
awards, and his books sell well. There is a market for his approach, and one
he adroitly taps by spinning off books from television series from books.

The catch is that by always demonising one side in any war, he falls into
the trap of whitewashing the other. So, in his drive to condemn the US and
its mujahideen allies in Afghanistan, the murderous Afghan communists who
did so much to destroy that country get off lightly.

His suggestion that the US could have negotiated with the Taliban to get bin
Laden handed over demonstrates a failure to understand either side of the
conflict.

For a journalist who has enjoyed so much success, his sectarian bitterness
towards other hacks and the sense he gives of jealously guarding
proprietorial rights to certain major stories are puzzling. His claim that
the Western media ignored the story of East Timor is simply ridiculous.

By being holier-than-thou, Pilger also risks being wrong-footed by history.
How will he cope with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's call for
engagement with the State Law and Order Restoration Council?

Political problems are rarely black and white, and the solutions almost
never are. Many Afghans support the US's role in ousting the Taliban and
kick-starting moves towards re-establishing an indigenous political process.
It's the main game, yet Pilger's one-sided agenda prevents him from having
much to say about it.

Reviewing Pilger's 1989 book, _A Secret Country_, the late Manning Clark
wrote:

'His heart is in the right place. What he does not tell us is how these
ancient and modern wrongs are to be rectified. But perhaps he will address
himself to that in his next work.'

We are still waiting."

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