Another pathetically predictable outrage….

[BrokenSword]

NBC (National Broadcasting Company - owned by the General Electric Corp.) has refused to air a series of PAID messages to the American troops currently serving overseas. Primarily in Iraq. The ‘spots’ (as they are called in the industry) simply feature common people in this country saying, “Thank You.” That’s all. Thank you for being there, and away from your families during this holiday season.

NBC’s reason for rejection? “Too political.” So, saying, ‘Thank you’ to a soldier is now a political statement. Personally, I’ve heard this same crap many years ago.

Soldiers and sailors have no choice of where or when they are sent to serve. Their families are asked to sacrifice as much as they. Being permitted to PAY to say, 'Thank-you' is NOT too much to ask.

Come Monday (regular business hours for NBC and GE), and after their Chablis sipping Christmas parties this weekend, at which they will pat each other on the back for their courage in taking this stand, I plan to remind them that the ‘Freedom of the Press’ they enjoy, was not won and preserved for them by their own efforts. It was done by soldiers, who were doing what they had to do when they were told to do it.

BrokenSword - stepping down now from the soap box.

[harpskiddie]

Dear He Broke a Toe Falling Off His Soap Box:

As far as I am concerned, you can stay up there and vilify these stalwarts of Rockefeller Center and Wall Street for as long as you care to do so - and you can throw in the other politically correct networks and commentators. Apparently it is now de rigeur to have no opinions unless you give equal time to someone who has differing opinions.

So what I think NBC/GE should be FORCED TO DO is find an equal number of individuals who have the parts to go on the public airwaves and counter the "thankers" by saying "WE DO NOT THANK THE TROOPS." I missed this announcement/decision . You're not telling me that it was made today - 7 December!?!?!?

Thank you for bringing this travesty to my attention. I am a Canadian, proud to have served the USA as a civilian specialist and consultant, and father of a son who is currently an active duty member of the US Army [who served overseas in a combat zone, and may possibly be ordered overseas again]. I do not agree with the war being waged in Iraq, for various and sundry reasons, but I do believe that the soldiers who are fighting that war DESERVE the thanks of any THINKING person, whether or not that person supports the waging of the war.

Did they ban "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" too? Did they think "Wish you were coming home" was a vote against democracy? Did they think?

Gordie
MC
I want you to stand up and go to the window.....................................

[Tricia]

Okay ... I'm joining you on the Soap Box. I am as anti-war as you can get--have been against the thing since Day One--but not thanking the damn troops? Since when the hell has their service to a cause greater than themselves become political and Not To Be Touched? Crikey ... I've seen freaking everything.

Who is paying to have these commercials air? Haliburton?

[BrokenSword]

Gordie- "...I want you to stand up and go to the window...." Howard Beale - a personal hero

Its gotten completely absurd. Beyond so. What or where a war is - is totally irrelevant. That we have young people such as your son, those few who are willing to accept the burden, is relevant.

A simple spoken, 'Thank you' is little enough to present them with. It is however, all I have to offer your son, and I would be grateful if you were to express that to him for me. It's little but it is sincere.

Michael
PS - Unfortunately for GE and NBC, my phone service comes with unlimited long distance minutes.

[Diane Merkel]

The report I heard on Fox News said that NBC's objection to the ad was that it presented a website address at the end.

Alan Wurtzel, NBC's head of standards and practices, said the network decided not to run the Freedom's Watch ad because the group insisted that the spot contain the URL address of its Web site.

The group's home page links to another Freedom's Watch Web page that lists nonprofit organizations that are sending care packages to soldiers and that suggests other ways of expressing support.

How evil! Broken One is right: Pure politics by NBC while their parent company happily rakes in defense dollars.

General Electric is one of the world’s top three producers of jet engines, supplying Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other military aircraft makers for the powering of airplanes and helicopters.

The “war on terrorism” has seen GE’s military contracts rise substantially. But the company’s “defense” side has been doing well for a while. GE and other military contractors got a big boost under the Clinton administration from Presidential Directive 41 which stated that it was the job of US diplomats to promote arms sales abroad in order to safeguard American jobs; this directive tied the promotions of diplomats to how effectively they hocked US armaments.

Sources: news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071207/ap_en_tv/rejected_ad
www.corpwatch.org/article.php?list=type&type=16

[strange]

I think NBC is TOO political , they and FOX are deliberately always going around and playing the typical left-right nonsense, and I don't want to listen to any of it. I'm fiercely offended as an entertainer.

The Law and Order shows are dreadful, brainwashing trash, so many of those NBC shows. They'll just blatantly go about with the latest crud in the papers.
Our police our being manipulated by the media in so many ways. They are being forced to abandon what works and place their faith in what I call " psychiatric criminal profiling" which is a major reason why dozens of killers are on the loose. They will allow dozens of killers to go free if they don't meet the certain psych criteria which are usually more wrong than we know.
I can mention that Dahmer, Gacy, Bundy, Gein, all of those guys have benefited from acting beyond their profiles. Gein was not caught for a while because everyone thought he was too stupid.........Bundy was not caught for a while because he was very clean cut.........Dahmer had all of the evidence staring cops right in the face and still managed to smooth talk everytime. And yet we still place our faith in criminal profiles, INSTEAD OF REAL COPS and REAL BOUNTY HUNTERS that get the job done far better.

But these crime shows are constantly brainwashing everyone into getting these criminal profiles and mind head dummies that begin looking smart when they get to judge the actions of the killers AFTER they are caught. Our law enforcement is being totally manipulated.

Don't get me started on NBC.

[BrokenSword]

Thank you Diane-

Tricia sorta posed the question of, 'Who made the thank-you spots?' and I went off looking. (I'd heard about it on the radio yesterday afternoon, but missed whose spots they were) The 11 o'clock news named 'Freedom's Watch' just as you said. BUT - as usual, you were here 'Furstist with the mostist.'

I caught one of the spots early this morning on the TV, and it seemed completely apolitical to me. The web address got past me at the end, but I rarely see ANYTHING without a web site address anymore, so seldom take note. The organization's name was clear to see.

The extent of GE's defense contracts I was unaware of. The appearance of hypocrisy would approach 'high profile' status if that information, as well as their ownership of NBC was widely known. Hypocrisy is often not a concern for those of 'noble cause' when money is involved. (After all, it is a French contractor that is a supplier of MREs issued to American troops in Iraq)

To be fair, I very much doubt that NBC's decision was made with GE's knowledge before hand. In any case, GE is now sitting on the PR powder keg, and I'll be interested to see how they defuse it all. Because... I also have no doubts that at least some of NBC's competitors will not just let it slide by.

M

[Diane Merkel]

In case you haven't heard, NBC rewrote its policy to allow website addresses even if they find the website objectionable. Its policy will now only apply to the content of the ad. I can't find an online source yet, but I'm sure the news will be posted soon. I saw the ad on "Meet the Press" this morning. The website address is displayed for just a few seconds and is in a script that is hard to read. I doubt anyone would have noticed it in the first place.

Chalk up another one for the voices of the people. So far this year, I think citizens' actions have accomplished more than Congress!

[BrokenSword]

Diane- "...Chalk up another one for the voices of the people. So far this year, I think citizens' actions have accomplished more than Congress!"

That's good news Diane and I must confess, not entirely unexpected. I'm something of a 'news junkie' but normally take the weekends off. Mostly to let my brain re-solidify. So, I didn't catch 'Meet the Depressed' or the announcement.

This is the right thing for NBC to do, and is a win for service men and women, as well as their families.

M