How Western media would cover Baltimore if it happened elsewhere

[yusheng]

Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis


How Western media would cover Baltimore if it happened elsewhere
If what is happeningin Baltimore happened in a foreign country, here is how Western media wouldcover it:


The United Kingdom expressed concern over the troubling turn of events in America in the last several months. The country's foreign ministry released a statement: "We call on the American regime to rein in the state security agents who have been brutalizing members of America's ethnic minority groups. The equal application of the rule of law, as well as the respect for human rights of all citizens, black or white, is essential for a healthy democracy." Britain has always maintained a keen interest in America, a former colony.


Palestine has offered continued assistance to American pro-democracy activists, sending anti-tear-gas kits to those protesting police brutality in various American cities. Egyptian pro-democracy groups have also said they will be sharing their past experience with U.S.-made counter-protest weapons.


A statement from the United Nations said, "We condemn the militarization and police brutality that we have seen in recent months in America, and we strongly urge American state security forces to launch a full investigation into the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. There is no excuse for excessive police violence." The U.N. called on the United States to make a concerted effort to make databases of police violence public to improve transparency and cut down on corruption in the justice system.

International analysts predict the seeds of a so-called "American Spring," fomented by technology. "It's amazing what social media is doing for the cause of justice in America," said a political rights analyst based in Geneva. "The black youth of America are showing what 21st-century civil rights activism looks like, using technology, social media and a decentralized organizing strategy to hold authorities accountable and agitate for change. These kids represent what modern-day freedom fighting looks like. The revolution will be tweeted, Periscope-d and Snapchatted."



American government officials took to state media, characterizing the protesters as "thugs," a racially coded word increasingly used to describe black males in America. Commentators in national media have frequently compared the protesters and riots to various characters and events from the popular television series "The Wire," set in early-2000s Baltimore.


America's ethnic blacks have been displaced from many of their communities due to a phenomenon experts on the region call "gentrification," when wealthier residents move into a lower-income area. Baltimore is no exception to this trend, with some areas seeing home values rise as much as 137 percent after corporate dollars move in on opportunities in poverty-stricken areas.


Resident Joe Smith, a member of the white majority ethnic group, said outside of a brand-new Starbucks near Baltimore's Inner Harbor, "I don't know why these blacks are destroying their own communities. Why don't these people follow Martin Luther King's example? Those guys got it good from the police back then too, but they didn't try to rise up and fight back and make everyone uncomfortable, you know?"

 

[TaiShang]

Note: The following is a satire.

How we'd cover Ferguson if it happened in another country - Vox

How would American media cover the news from Ferguson, Missouri, if it were happening in just about any other country? How would the world respond differently? Here, to borrow a great idea from Slate's Joshua Keating, is a satirical take on the story you might be reading if Ferguson were in, say, Iraq or Pakistan.

Reporters surround Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

FERGUSON — Chinese and Russian officials are warning of a potential humanitarian crisis in the restive American province of Missouri, where ancient communal tensions have boiled over into full-blown violence.

"We must use all means at our disposal to end the violence and restore calm to the region," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments to an emergency United Nations Security Council session on the America crisis.

The crisis began in August in Ferguson, a remote Missouri village that has been a hotbed of sectarian tension. State security forces shot and killed an unarmed man, which regional analysts say has angered the local population by surfacing deep-seated sectarian grievances. Regime security forces cracked down brutally on largely peaceful protests, worsening the crisis.

In response, ancient American tradition called for the gathering of a community tribal council known as a "grand jury" to weigh the case. On November 24, it announced there would be no charges against the responsible security forces. The stunning decision, which reflects the opaque and mysterious nature of the "grand jury" tradition, further outraged the already despondent local populace.

"WE CAN AND SHOULD SUPPORT MODERATE FORCES WHO CAN BRING STABILITY TO AMERICA"

America has been roiled by political instability and protests in recent years, which analysts warn can create fertile ground for extremists.

Missouri, far-removed from the glistening capital city of Washington, is ostensibly ruled by a charismatic but troubled official named Jay Nixon, who has appeared unable to successfully intervene and has resisted efforts at mediation from central government officials. Complicating matters, President Obama is himself a member of the minority sect protesting in Ferguson, which is ruled overwhelmingly by members of America's majority "white people" sect.

Analysts who study the opaque American political system, in which all provinces are granted semi-autonomous self-rule, warned that Nixon may seize the opportunity to move against weakened municipal rulers in Ferguson. Missouri's provincial legislature, a traditional "shura council," is dominated by the opposition faction. Though fears of a military coup remain low, it is still unknown how Nixon's allies within the capital will respond should the crisis continue.

Now, international leaders say they fear the crisis could spread.

"The only lasting solution is reconciliation among American communities and stronger Missouri security forces," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech from his vacation home in Hainan. "However, we can and should support moderate forces who can bring stability to America. So we will continue to pursue a broader strategy that empowers Americans to confront this crisis."

Xi's comments were widely taken as an indication that China would begin arming moderate factions in Missouri, in the hopes of overpowering rogue regime forces and preventing extremism from taking root. An unknown number of Kurdish peshmerga military "advisers" have traveled to the region to help provide security. Gun sales have been spiking in the US since the crisis began.

Analysts warn the violence could spread toward oil-producing regions such as Oklahoma or even disrupt the flow of American beer supplies, some of the largest in the world, and could provide a fertile breeding ground for extremists. Though al-Qaeda is not known to have yet established a foothold in Missouri, its leaders have previously hinted at assets there.

Though Missouri is infamous abroad for its simmering sectarian tensions and brutal regime crackdowns, foreign visitors here are greeted warmly and with hospitality. A lawless expanse of dogwood trees and beer breweries, Missouri is located in a central United States region that Americans refer to, curiously, as the "MidWest" though it is nearer to the country's east.

It is known among Americans as the home of Mark Twain, a provincial writer from the country's small but cherished literary culture, and as the originator of Budweiser, a traditional American alcoholic beverage. Budweiser itself is now owned by a Belgian firm, in a sign of how globalization is transforming even this remote area of the United States. Analysts say some american communities have struggled as globalization has pulled jobs into more developed countries, worsening instability here.

VIOLENCE COULD SPREAD TO OIL-PRODUCING REGIONS SUCH AS OKLAHOMA OR EVEN DISRUPT THE FLOW OF AMERICAN BEER SUPPLIES

Locals here eat a regional delicacy known as barbecue, made from the rib bones of pigs, and subsist on traditional crafts such as agriculture and aerospace engineering. The regional center of commerce is known locally as Saint Louis, named for a 13th century French king, a legacy of Missouri's history as a remote and violent corner of the French Empire.

After Ferguson's streets erupted on Monday, in response the "grand jury" decision, a palpable sense of tension and uncertainty hung in the air. A Chinese Embassy official here declined to comment but urged all parties to exhibit restraint and respect for the rule of law. In Moscow, Kremlin planners were said to be preparing for a possible military intervention should political instability spread to the nearby oil-producing region of Texas.

***

 

[Stephen Cohen]

ALL countries who are LECTURED by USA on Human rights and minority rights
should issue a statement expressing concern
over the Human Rights situation of Black people in USA

 

[TaiShang]

Baltimore riots a slap in face of human rights preacher - Global Times

Baltimore riots a slap in face of human rights preacher
2015-5-5

Riots in Baltimore sparked by the death of a 25-year-old black man sent shockwaves across the US, with protests against the violent law enforcement of police and racial discrimination.

The anger of America's black community has once again been ignited. Last year, similar protests were staged in Ferguson, Missouri. From Ferguson to Baltimore, such riots have never ceased, while the US government has no other solution than to suppress them with police and troops.

In US media coverage, Baltimore is like a lost cultural city. The black community there faces multiple problems such as poverty, high crime rates and drugs, which constitute the reasons for people's resentment toward society.

The US lacks an effective mechanism to solve Baltimore's problems. During the Obama administration, all poverty-related problems in the city have worsened. However, when riots erupt, the US government has not hesitated to use force, and mainstream public opinion has shown tolerance toward the use of tear gas and guns.

In the US, as long as black people stage a protest, it will be deemed a "riot." But when it happens in other parts of the world, the US calls it "fighting for democracy" or "resisting oppression." It is hard to imagine that this country releases a report on human rights every year, criticizing human rights conditions in all countries except its own.

Every country has problems, such as public complaints about poor-functioning governments. But no matter how problematic the US is, it can still behave like a saint and give guidance to others.

Human rights in the US must have weaknesses and defects, shown by constant riots like the Baltimore one and the mass shooting incidents that consume countless lives every year. When many countries promote their human rights records, the US government achieves nothing. The US elite are trying to divert attention from US human rights issues by denouncing other countries.

The Baltimore riot deals a heavy blow to the US which claims to be the guardian of the world's human rights issue. If such a riot takes place in China or Russia, Western opinion is expected to make a fuss of it. But the Baltimore riot shows that the US is probably the one that uses force the most frequently toward protesters. The US has no license to blame other countries.

The cause and the process of the Baltimore riot are complicated and it is hard to define Baltimore police actions to control the situation. But the US should acknowledge its own limitations and stop making indiscreet remarks against others.

 

[kankan326]

In my opinion, minorities are not necessarily innocent in nature.

 

[TaiShang]

In my opinion, minorities are not necessarily innocent in nature.

Not necessarily.

But the point here is the gleaming hypocrisy, not who is right and who is wrong.

 

[Beidou2020]

Not necessarily.

But the point is here is the gleaming hypocrisy, but not who is right and who is wrong in this case.

United States of Hypocrisy.

 

[Galad]

Hypocrisy - West trade mark.No country can ever beat the hypocrisy shown by the West each day.If such events as the ones in Baltimore and Ferguson(btw Soros is involved in them-which mean they are officially sanctioned and nothing good will come from them for USA population) happen in China or Russia or Iran or Argentina etc(any country not obeying the West) "truth" loving MSM will be all over them with tons of articles full with lies and propaganda for weeks putting full blame for them on the goverment.Collective West is so so arrogant that cant even realise hypocrisy shown again and again (together with all kind of other disgusting behaviour) simply further weaken their stance,their reputation(nothing left from it pretty much nowadays),further help their own population to see the reality,further cement resolve of other countries already fed up with all kind of collective West BS.

 

[Jlaw]

In my opinion, minorities are not necessarily innocent in nature.

Well if you lived in America general positive opinion of certain ethnic group will change.

 

[TaiShang]

Well if you lived in America general positive opinion of certain ethnic group will change.

My perception is that, if one lived in the US long enough, one would certainly have a change of opinion toward ethnic minorities there. A liberal can easily turn a conservative. This is my understanding although I do not gloss over the entirety of historical injustices, animosities and prejudices.

I will give it to the US regime; there are considerable programs. Maybe the problem is just that the system is not sustainable and band-aid efforts won't solve the crisis.

I guess all the ultra-nationalist propaganda from Hollywood to presidents' speeches can take you only thus far. Sociopolitical, economic, and cultural realities are hard to change.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Well if you lived in America general positive opinion of certain ethnic group will change.

That's true but that doesn't mean its right to oppress them.

 

[flamer84]

The stupidity on his thread is mind boggling ,even for PDF posters.I mean ,comparing toilette paper looters who riot in the name of some dead drug dealer with social issues regarding economic reforms in Ukraine or social ones in China is just retarded.But then again,many posters in here are retarded.

Btw,don't bother in insulting my country as a sort of "answer" ,i grew imune to such tactics used by most intelectual plancton on this forum.Jesus retards,grow up,you're a laughing stock with such articles.Only desperate haters with the IQ of sewer rats buy this kind of stuff.

 

[dlclong]

Free Baltimore !

 

[syedali73]

Resident Joe Smith, a member of the white majority ethnic group, said outside of a brand-new Starbucks near Baltimore's Inner Harbor, "I don't know why these blacks are destroying their own communities. Why don't these people follow Martin Luther King's example? Those guys got it good from the police back then too, but they didn't try to rise up and fight back and make everyone uncomfortable, you know?"

Sums it all. This is typical mindset that demands a complete submission no matter what. Put your head down and take the beating, and if you do not, than you are a terrorist. Follow Martin Luther King's example and get murdered quietly.

The stupidity on his thread is mind boggling ,even for PDF posters.I mean ,comparing toilette paper looters who riot in the name of some dead drug dealer with social issues regarding economic reforms in Ukraine or social ones in China is just retarded.But then again,many posters in here are retarded.

Btw,don't bother in insulting my country as a sort of "answer" ,i grew imune to such tactics used by most intelectual plancton on this forum.Jesus retards,grow up,you're a laughing stock with such articles.Only desperate haters with the IQ of sewer rats buy this kind of stuff.

You are on a public forum where you are bound to bump into people who will tend to disagree with you. However, this does not mean that you start labeling them retard, laughing stock, desperate haters, and with IQ of sewer rats.

 

[Umair Nawaz]

United States of Hypocrisy.

i laughed so hard man.