I was in high school in Kuwait when 9/11 happened and am sad to say that most of what you will see in this video directly reflects what the majority said of the attacks, because just like media in the west is slanted, whole communities in the middle east suffer from imposition of views on the public as whole. Most people you talk to though don't want more war, they seek to end it, is just that there are forces that want to instigate a holy war. This is because shifting public focus on a Bablyonian state in the west guarentees that those in power stay in power, blame is shifted on a nation that is doing better but yet talking to individuals you learn of their love for hollywood, of western music and culture and most yearn to go there for a chance economic prosperity. This slanted view is there because education is so low. People just don't get enough information, though this is changing quickly as internet, satelliate and other media penetrate into these countries. However there is a distinct problem when the livelyhoods of many people start depending on many western companies, or feel that the west is actively dumping goods. There is a economic and sociological problem created through the low levels of education and information distribution. Because those who are educated almost always escape to the west. Some return to instigate change, though this is hard.

That we are hated in the Middle East and there is plenty of misinformation is not news.
To make it appear as though all Muslims feel and believe this way is misinformation itself, and to have right-wing tool Ron Silver as the narrator doesn't help things, either.

Yah Theo, just translating the filth that passes for news in the middle east is right wing propaganda. That makes you a left-wing tool.

Propaganda takes many forms, my moronic friend.

You know this left and right thing is fucking stupid. This world isn't black and white, you might be right wing on fiscal spending but left wing on education reform. This greater divide between the two parties is degrading american politics to the level of high school he said she said rubbish. You shouldn't simplify stances to being one direction or the other because your stances on a variety of topics will all be different. Labelling someone being one side or the other is generalization. Drawing lines between people only creates more problems. This was all created by the political process that has muddled and degraded the arguements to being attacks of being one side or the other. Of all people I thought the americans would not give in to it... what are we going to have a total collapse to the point someone like Joseph McCarthy comes along and ousts people for being unpatriotic? For asking questions about the actions of your leaders? For not, to quote O'Reilly "shutting up publically"?

OK Theo, you've now proven your vocablulary. Prove your point. In Arabia, it is obviously acceptable to have news and commentary shows praise, 9/11, joke about it etc. Since you think it is a misrepresentation to simply translate this for the American public. Why don't you put together a montage of all the moderate voices in the middle east decrying jew baiting and terrorism on the airways. The fact is we live in a society that does not tolerate certain things on mainstream media, and the middle east is stuck in the 7th century. People need to know what we are up against. So enlighten us Theo.

Farhad, American politics has been full of rubbish since colonial times. Wake up from your fairy tale, and deal with reality for what it is, not what you think it should be.

kadampa, I feel I need to tell you that if you want to engage in a political debate here, you are absolutely wasting your time. As much as I empathize with your positions, I've come to realize that VS makes for a very poor political discussion forum. More so with the people who simply resort to name calling and demagoguery then defend a position with logic.

Personally I think the increase of politically oriented videos here will ultimately bring the viewing quality of the site down, so as of now I simply vote down any political video I see. It's my own futile response, but at least I'm doing something about it.

I don't know, Wumpus...I enjoy seeing other people's views on political matters. It either strengthens my own belief or teaches me something that allows me to change that belief.

We all have very strong views that we hold dear, but debating a subject is such a vital part of the Human Condition. If we give up because others don't agree with us or we feel we are the minority, then the whole system becomes one-sided.

We need each other. If nothing other than to challenge our own ways of thinking. If we are not challenged, we become zealots.

On both sides.

-

"We all have very strong views that we hold dear, but debating a subject is such a vital part of the Human Condition. If we give up because others don't agree with us or we feel we are the minority, then the whole system becomes one-sided."

I completely agree, however...

"Good luck in your mission to spread smallmindedness and ignorance, Wumpus. "

Case...in...point.

-

I think he might have been referring to the fact that you have decided to pan anything political as a protest without viewing the content. I encourage you to rethink that position, because protesting free debate does seem a bit close-minded.

You don't have to get involved in the debate, wumpus. Or if someone says something insulting, you don't have to respond. We sometimes forget that there is a person behind the type-set and we let our emotions run away with us...doesn't make it right, but it makes us Human.

Some of us feel affected by what certain people are doing in the Government, and we have a visceral reaction to it. We sometimes attack dissenting voices because that's all we feel we can do. I'm guilty of it, and I apologize if I've ever insulted anyone's views. But debate is so very vital at this time...what we do in November will affect History on a huge scale - one way or the other, no matter what your political views are.

-Honest- debate is vital at this time, same as it has been at everytime, and when I see another posting that is designed to simply get a visceral reaction, as you put it, it doesn't matter what the content is. It just brings the collective down. Honest debate happens when you bring ideas to the table and you are ready and willing to defend them, and at the end of the day you are willing to agree to disagree. You cannot argue on emotion, you need to have and present facts.

Postings of "X being stuipid", or "Y gets pwned by Z" or "Q thinks the camera's not on" is not honest, or bold, it's puerile. I've learned that lesson already, and it's not hard to figure out what the poster's intent was, otherwise it wouldn't have been done that way in the first place. It's not about the content, it's about sitting back and laughing at the target because the poster has already told you what the outcome is. It's like declareing the defendant guilty before the trial and the trial is simply a show to see how the conclusion was reached.

Nobody likes an honest debate more then I do, but I do not suffer fools lightly. If you're going to challenge an idea, you better be able to provide an alternative. If you're going to critizice a policy, then you better have another solution. If you're going to show me a graphic montage of photos with an alternative rock band playing in the background, it's not going to impress me.

This is some of the more intelligent conversation that I've seen on VS since I started visiting the site. I have refrained from participating in most of the discussions because of the usual schoolyard nature of the banter. I can't help but to read most of the political discussion posts using the voices of Beavis and Butthead in my head.

You can disagree with people, even passionately, but still maintain a level of courteous discourse. I'm a little further right-wing than Moses, but I have several close friends that are almost as far left as Chomsky. Somehow we manage to have raging debates and keep smiles on our faces the whole time when we meet for coffee in Tel Aviv from time to time. Would be nice to see some of that develop here.

kadumpy, you've been on this site maybe three weeks, and every single post I read of yours has been inflammatory and quite frankly, stupid.
Sure, I'll go get some editing skills and then somehow get access to Middle Eastern television, just so I can prove a point to an idiot on the internets.
At no point was I defending what was being said in the tape (even though I'm sure you really wanna believe I was), merely that it was also propaganda - it made absolutely no effort to give an even-handed look at Al Jazeera and so forth, which is why I'm sure Ron Silver signed on.
I hate to tell you this, but Al Jazeera is going to be on American TV soon. They have ambitions to be another CNN, Fox News, etc. - and given their access and unique perspective, they just might succeed. So get used to seeing "Arabia" (*snort*) from a point-of-view that doesn't fit the right-wing stereotypes.

"...and when I see another posting that is designed to simply get a visceral reaction..."

Aren't most of these? The guy bungee jumping onto his feet...the girls kissing...the firecracker in the mouth.... Don't you have a visceral reaction to it? Simply because some of the videos here are political does not mean it brings the collective down. Personally, I'm glad there are many facets of the diamond here...it keeps this place diverse.

Well said daphne.

However, I got more of a 'viscous' reaction to the girls kissing. jk

I believe political debate on this website or on anyother website is very important in our times. The fact is that as citizens most cannot rely on the media anymore because political analysis has simply dissappeared, those who would have asked the most important questions are now silenced because they might lose access altogether and with 24 hour television it's not longer news it's simply presentation now. There is so little of what I thought true journalism was analysis and interpertation. That's why it's important to have these discussions.

Short&Sweet: I like having videos that show all opinions left and right.

When moderate Arab peoples finally stop aiding and abetting terrorists though inaction, apathy and tolerating their presence in their lands, they will see their civilization flourish. Until that time, the jihadist idiots cannot be allowed to threaten the West. They have signed their own death warrant by attempting to sign ours.

*dead

This published video has been declared non-functional; embed code must be fixed within 2 days or it will be sent to the dead pool - declared dead by eric3579.