From freedom-loving insurgents trying to oust a tyrant to

[SoCalDem]

Anti-government rebels..

It would appear that at least our media has chosen their "fave".

At least 3 times today, I heard the Libyans trying to throw out Kaddafy, called the new description..

I guess since their revolt became "messy", and they have all those poor immigrants who got caught up in the mess, and getting them all home will fall upon the western world, we are "done with it all".

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. It was a pretty fun reality show until it affected the price of gas.

That's show biz.

[pinboy3niner]

2. I usually agree with you, but that's not my take at all

Far from being "done with it all," Western powers as well as ME and African states seem to be more engaged and exploring potential interventions.

Gaddafi threatening a huge influx of African--especially BLACK African--refugees into the EU is nothing new--he's done it before.

I'm not a mental health professional, but I suspect Gaddafi's behavior, and the kind of manipulation he uses, would make him a poster boy for a section of DSM-IV.

The atrocities Gaddafi is inflicting on Libyan civilians is what is driving international reactions. The refugee/immigration issue is important to EU members, especially those who who are most affected--like Italy. But the humanitarian crisis in Libya obviously is what is driving world reaction more than anything else.

[SoCalDem]

3. Our government is probably working frantically behind the scenes

and is hoping for a best case scenario, but the MEDIA is apparently done with it...

That's what pisses me off.. I would have preferred that they just comment about how this is a different revolution, and they will monitor it .. It's harder to cover, and probably more dangerous.. I GET that.. I resent the re-framing of it so soon..

It so reminds me of how the Iraq mess was handled.. It did not take the media long at all to "get in line" and tell us how dangerous Hussein was and how necessary our "war" was..

[pinboy3niner]

6. The media have ben all over this

They sent correspondents inside Libya, like CNN's Ben Wedeman and NBC's Richard Engle.

The point of your OP is not clear. It can't be that the media are ignoring Libya, because it's clear that they are not.

You may need to edit with some more expositon to make your point clear.

[SoCalDem]

8. Not going to edit..

I object to the CHANGE in how they are presented by our media.. I thought that was clear..

In the beginning, they were somehow heroic..like the Egyptians..and now a week later they are "anti-government rebels"..

make what you want of it.. It was enough of a change, that it caught my attention.. that is all...

[pinboy3niner]

9. "Anti-government" isn't a pejorative

Of course they're anti-government--Gaddafi is the government.

We've also struggled here with references to the opposition as "rebels," and to the conflict as a "civil war."

There's also some reluctance here to use the term, "freedom fighters," considering its history of misuse.

But the fact is that the opposition is, truly, made up of freedom fighters, and they are rebels in rebellion against a dictator.

"Civil war" is a term that does NOT seem appropriate, unless Gaddafi loyalists continue to fight after he's gone.

Pretty amazing how the terms we choose affect our views, isn't it?

[SoCalDem]

11. I guess i was hearing & seeing the little smug sneers when they said it

It stuck me that the terminology was shifting so soon.

I guess time will tell, no ,matter what they are called..

One of the reporters there (maybe Richard Engel) said that for many of these young men, the first time they ever held a weapon was when they went into "battle" with Kaddafy's military..

This does not bode well for them..

[pinboy3niner]

12. The inexperience of their fighters is a drawback...

But they've performed amazingly well in holding out against what should have been overwhelming assaults.

It looks like what they lack in experiene they make up for in in their passion and detemination.

[dionysus]

13. i've seen "rebels" used ,but didn't see it as a knock. the good guys in star wars were "rebels"

i haven't seen where the press if giving the libyan govt legitimacy...

[HEyHEY]

4. Nah, I've noticed it refered to as "Pro-Gaddafi forces" and "Rebels" or "opposition"

[sabrina 1]

5. I don't think they are done with Libya. First there is the oil

and we already know from the Wikileaks cables, that BP, Halliburton, Bechtel among others of the usual suspects had managed to get huge contracts from Qaddafi, at a price of course. He played them all well, making demands such as the release of the Lockerbie bomber. There was hardly anything they were not prepared to do to get their hands on all that money.

There were billions of dollars worth of other contracts also. That is why all those Americans were there and other Europeans. And this week, Halliburton et al asked the U.S. government to ease up on the sanctions just imposed, so that they could continue with their work.

If he had not gone on such a public rampage, they would probably have helped keep him in power. After all they knew what he was and what he had done and was doing to his own people. But so long as he did it privately, the looked the other way.

Now, however, he has gone too far to be rehabilitated anymore. So, it's probably a question of how to get rid of him and install someone who will not interfere with business. The question is, should be blatant about it and send in troops, like Iraq, or try to oust him some other way while sizing up who should replace him. It's a difficult situation for the oil profiteers who actually seem to control all these decisions.

[upi402]

7. ^+1,000 n/t

[Mojorabbit]

10. I almost posted the same thought

this am in another thread. It is very telling isn't it?