Just have to say something after this latest horror from ISIL, the burning of the Jordanian Pilot. When I heard ISIL had taken the fighter pilot on a walk through the actual devastation of his attack on a Syrian town, I took a deep breath and watched the video.
At first I was surprised the video was only available on the internet from Fox news, but I soon realized the reason Fox showed it was the same reason it was banned by other Western media. To perpetuate war as a means to an end. Fox intended to infuriate us against Islamic extremists or Islam in general, and the other Western news media banned the video to sanitize the horrors of war.
No, I do not think the banning of the video of the Jordanian pilot being burned alive has anything to do with decency or respect. As I said, the media in both cases is perpetuating war. In my opinion sanitizing is the worst. Because I do not believe humanity will tolerate the emotionally wrenching consequences of war. That was recently proven with our condemnation and termination of the Vietnam War, after which journalists were silenced.
Today the US led coalition bombings, which include Middle Eastern and Western governments with US and Canada at top of the list are inflicting the exact carnage, and unimaginable horror shown of the pilot being burned alive. Our warplanes are incinerating civilians, whole families and their children. The charred babies and mutilated human beings in hospitals, and all devastation shown, propagandized or not, is the obvious consequence of war. Carnage is the truth of all these conflicts.
My spontaneous reaction for the gory execution of the pilot was fury and disgust for ISIS and Islamic extremism. After the video, it was outrage for any government or group committing such horrible and inhuman acts. My reaction I am sure is shared by sane human beings everywhere. So there is an imperative to believe that being honest about the cost to humanity will trump politics, greed, or differences in religious ideology. Our human reaction opens our hearts. It is a crucial dynamic for the perspective necessary to engage our compassion and intelligence, to withdraw support and put an end to the ongoing horrors.