The Post-Star: Fascism's Happy Little Tool

Yesterday, I let everyone know that our own little local newspaper lies to promote war and kill workers! People at the paper were upset that I was so mean in describing their fascist behavior. Today, rather than apologize for my demeanor, I am writing to say that I am even more correct about their terrible, dishonorable pro-war agenda than I was yesterday! For those not up to speed, the "paper" ran an AP story about the huge Manhattan war protests over the weekend. In their usual fashion, they just ran the AP story on a secondary page (or so they said). This is hardly surprising, after all, NYC is hardly "local" and is slightly off their "beat".The Fascist Daily ran this AP story, though, as if it reported "thousands" of protestors in Manhattan. Interestingly, they CORRUPTED the original text of the AP story to suit their own pro-war needs! The same AP story running in the Daily Gazette and many other papers, said "tens of thousands" (in both headline and in text). Often, the story was accompanied by one of many available wire photos showing a teeming throng obviously a quarter million strong or better. This same AP story also reported that the organizers (United For Peace and Justice) estimated the attendance at roughly 300,000 attendees. The UFPJ website actually says 350,000.What's interesting is that the Daily Gazette and the other papers I checked ran this AP story UNCORRUPTED, in its entirety, and, in many cases, on the front page. The picture in the Gazette (and the Reuters photo I sent out yesterday) make it obvious that HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of protestors attended, not just "thousands". The Times Union also ran the same AP story, unadulterated.Not only did our little Fascist Daily (The Post-Star) REMOVE the headline saying "Tens Of", they also REMOVED the words "tens of" in the body of the story. They also removed the part of the AP story where the organizers estimated the crowd at 300,000. They did not run a picture at all.Can we pretend that this kind of manipulation of the news to favor a pro-war agenda is an accident?! THIS IS NOT A FREAKIN' ACCIDENT! There are some people at the paper who are actively pursuing a pro-war agenda because their corporate masters are the paymasters and war makes them (and all of the ruling class) a lot of money. Facts don't just get casually edited out of AP stories by mistake. Their removal is purposeful. Fascism and its machinery of propaganda are alive and well right in our own backyard! You need look no further than those who run our sleepy little corporate daily to see that clearly! Below I have copied the actual AP story, unadulterated, for your viewing pleasure. Sleep well!

Tens of Thousands in NYC Protest War
By DESMOND BUTLER Associated Press Writer April 30, 2006
NEW YORK (AP) -- Tens of thousands of protesters marched Saturday through lower Manhattan to demand an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, just hours after this month's death toll reached 70.Cindy Sheehan, a vociferous critic of the war whose soldier son also died in Iraq, joined in the march, as did actress Susan Sarandon and the Rev. Jesse Jackson."End this war, bring the troops home," read one sign lifted by marchers on the sunny afternoon, three years after the war in Iraq began. The mother of a Marine killed two years ago in Iraq held a picture of her son, born in 1984 and killed 20 years later.One group marched under the banner "Veterans for Peace." The demonstrators stretched for about 10 blocks as they headed down Broadway. Organizers said 300,000 people marched, though a police spokesman declined to give an estimate. There were no reports of arrests."We are here today because the war is illegal, immoral and unethical," said the Rev. Al Sharpton. "We must bring the troops home."Organizers said the march was also meant to oppose any military action against Iran, which is facing international criticism over its nuclear program. The event was organized by the group United for Peace and Justice."We've been lied to, and they're going to lie to us again to bring us a war in Iran," said Marjori Ramos, 43, of New York. "I'm here because I had a lot of anger, and I had to do something." Steve Rand, an English teacher from Waterbury, Vt., held a poster announcing, "Vermont Says No to War." "I'd like to see our troops come home," he said.The march stepped off shortly after noon from Union Square, with the demonstrators heading for a rally between a U.S. courthouse and a federal office building in lower Manhattan.The death toll in Iraq for April was the highest for a single month in 2006. At least 2,399 U.S. military members have died since the war began. An Army soldier was the latest victim, killed Saturday in a roadside explosion in Baghdad.That figure is well below some of the bloodiest months of the Iraq conflict, but is a sharp increase over March, when 31 were killed. January's death toll was 62 and February's 55. In December, 68 Americans died.