The "dancing in the streets" on CNN appears staged

[Jacobin]

Anyone else watching? Camera is tight on a group of maybe fifty.

No pulled back camera views. Reminds me of tight shots of staged statue topple.

Now, I have no doubt that many Iraqis who didn't like the Baathists are happy. I'm just wondering if there is universal thrill among the whole country.

BTW, they are already hedging, saying that attacks on occupation forces will continue.

[thebigidea]

1. the yelling during the press conference seemed damned staged

as if they'd let people go nuts with the military about if they didn't have an ok.

[grok]

11. It's mostly relief

It doesn't have to be staged. And they have protested before, often anti-US.. Sadaam had the power to cast a shadow of fear. No more.

The problem will be in Tikrit, Sunni stronghold and hometown. the people there are VERY sad and downcast. They are pissed. Funny that they are pissed at Sadaam too. Going down without a fight or whimper. "like a woman", one Baathist loyalist said.

Grok

[baldguy]

25. "Death to Saddam!"

Real objective "journalists" there.

[CatWoman]

2. I'm watching CSpan

and they are broadcasting BBC News.

Their take? "so what"??

[thebigidea]

3. me, I'm wondering how this will impact the release of Saddam's new novel

[CatWoman]

7. Hey you nut!!!

:hi:

[Jacobin]

4. Thanks.....I'll check that out

Are they broadcasting the same seemingly staged "demonstrations?"

[CatWoman]

5. nope

it just ended.

Back to phone calls.

[Paragon]

6. Jesus...

Please pick a different headline, while you can still change it. I can hear Rush Limbaugh reading this already.

[Jacobin]

8. Have you seen it? Why are you worried about a Pill Head

Turn on the TV and tell me it looks real.

[Paragon]

9. Think...

Staged by who?

[thebigidea]

10. CPA, PsyOps types

ala the statue, etc.

[Paragon]

13. I think you want this thread:

:eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=903164

[thebigidea]

15. its tinfoil to think they'd want to good footage and would arrange it?

hardly tinfoil, I know how PR works.

[Jacobin]

16. Why are you opposed to knowing what is really going on in Iraq

as opposed to what the junta wants you to know? Were you in favor of the invasion and now struggling to find justification for the mayhem and death caused?

Do you think the capture of Saddam will make a tinker's damn worth of difference in the "success" of the occupation?

[Paragon]

17. Yeah, I just have the Dean banner on my sig for fun

I don't care what "Pillhead" thinks -- but posts like this make us all look like idiots.

[Jacobin]

19. I don't consider wanting to know what is actually going on in Iraq

as opposed to what the junta wants us to know to be "idiotic". But that's just me.

[thebigidea]

20. as opposed to conveniently forgetting our expertise with propaganda

that's not idiotic at all!

[beardedOldMan]

12. Video on CSPAN appears to be looped

I think they screwed up big time! The video just appears to be an endless loop on one section of the square!

The video is too shaky to be from a stationary camera.

At one point the camera moves to the left about 20 degrees and you see a bunch of people standing around and one of them gives the thumbs down to the news!

They haven't shown that clip again in the last hour!

Something weird is going on here :(

[Jacobin]

14. Precisely

Too bad we only have propaganda in this country. I would like to see the camera panned again.

[mrbill]

18. what i'm seeing now on cnn is totally made for tv

50 guys marching down the street near the original statue topple site with a real tight camera shot.

then there's the shot of the 72 guys waving red flags.

the evil empire bussed in the same people.

[Jacobin]

21. Flags by Halliburton

Curious how convenient it all appears.

[seventhson]

24. Agreed, Staged. CNN just said "Small pockets of celebration? NO Marches

or mass celebrations.

I agree that no press conference would permit the reporters in the room with the coalition leaders and Bremer to go off like that.

I saw one female soldier in the room trying to get them to sit down. But these reporters were obviously picked for their proAmerican rantings and their leanings and I am sure this display was encouraged.

When I fiorst turned on the news oin CNN the "story" was the celebrations by the journalists at the press conference and only those 50 or so people in two places in close cropped shots "celebrating"

This does not bring back the dead civilians or correct this whole FUBAR mission.

It is a good day in a horrible year for the troops and the Iraqis.

That is all.

[maddezmom]

22. right now

scene from CNNI is about 50 or so people at the famous statue area...not much going on.

[seventhson]

26. Hi Maddezmom!!!

:loveya: :pals: :yourock: :donut: :hi: :hi: :hi:

She's my sponsor!!!

[maddezmom]

27. hola Seventhson!

:hi:

[CWebster]

23. The same handful of dudes hired to cheer the toppling of the statue

While everyday business goes on in the background.

[Jacobin]

28. The camera shots are tightening even more now!!

Down to 20 guys dancing around. I see NO massive demonstrations of support for this NONE.

[ET Awful]

29. I've actually seen people in the crowd . . .

DIRECTING OTHERS WHERE TO STAND.

A guy in a beige jacket yelling at someone, pointing at the ground a few feet away, then beckoning to someone else and pointing to another spot on the ground.

[Jacobin]

36. Did you see that guy throwing candy on the sidewalk??!?!!

Then, people scurrying to pick it up?

Hell, its a staged Mardi Gras parade.

[CWebster]

30. Why are they waving red flags with a hammer and sickle? nt

[Jacobin]

31. Now, that's interesting. I saw the red flags. Couldn't distinguish the

emblems.

The more I watch these "demonstrations", the less they appear genuine. Occasionally, a bus will go through the camera's view and bored people look out from the windows. Camera shots getting tighter and tighter.

[thebigidea]

32. COMMUNIST TERRORISTS are the worst kind!

[Padraig18]

33. I think it's real.

Why wouldn't they be happy? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

:shrug:

[thebigidea]

34. sometimes a suspicious looking celebration is suspicious for a reason

but if you want to believe it, by all means... there's still time to go out to Party Fair and get a lot of balloons. Yay, USA! Boo, Saddam! Democracy will soon follow! Rejoice, for we have electricity and clean water and a bearded guy!

[Jacobin]

35. Those who hate the Baathists will be glad he's gone

What's more troubling is that the Shiites, who are the majority and were suppressed by Saddam from excercising political power will now be emboldened to step to the fore and demand recognition.

The Shiites, btw, tend to be islamic fundamentalists who hate all things western.

Read: Stepped up guerilla warfare to eject the colonialists.

Sometimes a country is not as simple or one dimensional as a cigar.