TYT: Imagine If It Happened To You, Your Mom, Your Daughter, Your Sister (RANT)

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 02:14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_gxEfMo6Bs   Posted on YouTube: April 05, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: April 07, 2008 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 1673

 
If you're wondering what Cenk is so (rightly) fired up about, it's this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=115123&mesg_id=115123

I know, it's not a popular topic and the mainstream media (generally) tends to not report these things (with few exceptions). I hope at the very least that other progressive hosts are discussing it.

PS---You can always watch TYT Live from 3-5 pm ET, with a Rolling Post Game 5-7 pm daily Monday-Friday at www.theyoungturks.com (both shows include a live chat). The RPG often contains political talk but also many non-political topics to lighten things up (and yes, that audio may not necessarily be work-safe).

Also, if you can't watch live, the 3-5pm portion of the show (politics) streams the rest of the day, all day right after the Post Game Show ends leading up to the initial show at 3pm.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. This is something to get pissed about

It's no surprise when the cowboys who work for Blackwater shoot up a busy street in Baghdad, but this kind of thing has no parallel.

There is a culture of rape at KBR. Fifteen incidents have been reported, each having the same pattern: a female contractor arrives in country, is slipped a drug in a drink and raped while she is unconscious during the night. Nothing is done about it. The contract which the contractor signed obligates her to go through arbitration rather than prosecution. Documents disappear.

It is a sick, corrupt system that tolerates this behavior.

[OhioChick]

2. Bookmarked for later...

K&R
:kick:

[seabeyond]

3. i appreciate he does this but he doesnt get it.

on the one hand he is outraged there isnt a line to acceptable behavior on the other he insists there is no line.... when it comes to him dehumanizing women in what he considers an ok fashion.

the reason the nation and the world is desensitized to these rapes is what we do to women as a whole today.

not a hard one to figure out but for those that are the dominate and refuse to give up that position and power.

[CherylK]

4. I am sorry, but I have to disagree

I do not believe he is dehumanizing women, quite the opposite actually. And I applaud him for being one of the few people that actually covered this story. Go Cenk!

[seabeyond]

5. on this subject. blatant rape.

yet, if you listen to him on other subjects of female, he is right there dehumanizing female with the best of them.... he goes for it.

yes.... even with that, a huge thank you for him for speaking out on military/contract men raping our women. huge thank you. thank you.... truly that someone is outraged.

but he doesnt get how it feeds and he is a part of it.

[Hyper_Eye]

6. Maybe you could provide some quotes or a link.

I have never heard him say anything that dehumanizes females. I watch every TYT clip that gets posted here. So, if he said anything that does what you describe then I would like to see it as it hasn't been posted here before.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. I think I understand what you are getting at

If you don't mind, could you please expand on the idea?

If I understand you, then you are relying on a theory that says that rape is about power (i.e., a man asserting his power over a woman physically, much as commercial leaders assert power over working people socially).

Without dismissing that as an underlying cause, a lot of Cenk's viewers would find that kind of sociology a bit arcane and would tune out, leaving Cenk to rant at the camera with nobody listening. The important thing is that he is calling attention to an injustice and that his viewer shares his outrage, which you acknowledge and appreciate.

[ihavenobias]

9. Amen n/t

[OhioChick]

17. I Agree With You.

Cenk seemed really pissed off. He's one of the few that I've heard that will actually even bring this issue up.

[wowimthere]

7. K&R I don't understand how anyone can't be angry about American...

soldiers, our own raping another army soldier. And what's worse is these people who commit these kinds of atrocities remain free to do it another day. Wow! Our government hard at work committing more crimes upon Americans. Chilling.

[hedgehog]

10. I wonder if this story will hit the front pages during the fall campaign.

[ihavenobias]

11. I doubt it. This story didn't even get 10 recs on DU after 475+ views...

apparently it's not interesting enough here, meaning it would stand no chance in the mainstream media.

[PDJane]

12. It's interesting enough?

It's certainly outrageous enough, but I'm not sure that interesting has anything to do with it.

I would also point out that probably any woman here is aware of what's happening there to Americans, along with the Iraqi people. If you're not aware of it, it's because you haven't had your ear to the ground; I've been reading this kind of story for at least four years. KBR wasn't front and centgre until recently, but that was likely because of the fact that the women didn't go public...or didn't get out of the situation...or refused to report it. I can think of a dozen really nasty scenes without having to dig in my nightmares.

It would be nice if men were to suddenly wake up to the fact that women are just other people, but I'm not holding my breath.

[ihavenobias]

13. I think you know what I meant by the word "interesting"

No need to play semantics police.

Also, I'm not so sure everyone IS aware of it. The Jamie Leigh Jones story made people are of that *one* case. http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/12/20/kbr-rape-case-jamie-leigh-jones-testifies-before-house-judiciary-committee/

This is another case, and there's the additional disturbing fact that nothing was done to prevent this situation from occurring again, or at the very least, having a system in place if it did happen. At any rate, I've seen people I love suffer through situations (I have no desire to speak of them here), and I've seen the horrible consequences. Being a victim is one, awful thing, but being a victim with no recourse is yet another.

[seabeyond]

15. for at least four years

yes

[ihavenobias]

16. The question is, reading it where? Progressive blogs? n/t

[seabeyond]

18. it has been out there. it all has been out there. people ignore all this stuff

and then when it comes around, they are "surprised"

it has been all over the net. it has been in publications. i think probably even times. but i have been hearing it

not to take it away from turk getting angry now. god, .... will anyone get angry now. today. it is wanted. and it is needed.

i mean the rapes in the colorado airforce college alone is still going on and we pretend not.

[ihavenobias]

19. Unfortunately 74% of Americans get their news from television...

That would help explain in part why so many Americans seem to be so incredibly uninformed. Clearly many important stories (on various topics) are never reported on TV, and if they are, either in a barely substantive/limited way. Not to mention how biased much of the media is.

[OhioChick]

20. I'd venture to guess that percentage is even higher...

People get their few minutes of "news" every night and that is about it....so they only hear little snippets here and there of biased news coverage.

[Cha]

14. Been working all day and

coming home to a late supper..doesn't look like this is something I can watch right now but thanks for the link, ihavenobias.