MovieChat Forums > Kill the Messenger (2014) Discussion > What I Don't Get . . . .

What I Don't Get . . . .

posted 11 years ago by fdbjr
13 replies | jump to latest

. . . is the plot element of 'smear campaign' organized (as always) by the CIA. The Internet accounts of the matter indicate that major newspapers rejected Webb's account because of the the more grandiouse claims in it, and later - post-humously, natch - decided that they should have not rejected the facts that were true so readily. Guilt over suicide will do that for you.

So where's the smear campaign? The script writer is going to claim the CIA had juice with the New York Times and Washington Post?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

His story died a natural (if erroneous) death because he exaggerated his conclusions. No one smeared him, at least per any record extant.

[–] caslingary 11 years ago

Quote "So where's the smear campaign? The script writer is going to claim the CIA had juice with the New York Times and Washington Post?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???"

Are you kidding me? Read Flat Earth News by Nick Davies to discover how the intelligence services have controlled the media for a long time.

I'm having trouble believing a man of your age still thinks the press is free.

[–] GamblinMike 11 years ago

Look up Operation Mockingbird and read Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Dissent.

[–] jmhow 10 years ago

Manufacturing Consent

www.freerice.com

[–] fdbjr 11 years ago

I can hear the cuckoos singing in the cuckooberry tree . . .

In 2004, Webb was a spent force. His articles were six years in the past, concerning events that were 16 years old. There was no point in anyone assassinating him. He was no threat. And I do believe pathologists in the Sacramento Coroner's office have enough common sense to considedr the implications of two wounds - more than clowns that read a couple of paragraphs on the 'Net. They concluded he was a suicide. Here's the link - https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/12/15/17100051.php. You will also note at the bottom that his former wife also believed in suicide.

You gonna include the coroner's office in the conspiracy? The e-wife is also in the conspiracy? About which, by the way, no one has blabbed in ten years now? A conspiracy of thousands? With no snitch? Gimme a break.

As for those of you who believe in sinister intelligence conspiracies, better ask yourself why the conspiracy suddenly collapsed AFTER Webb died, and the aforesaid major newspapers all gave him posthumously more credit than he evidently deserved. If the newspapers were all in the CIA pocket BEFORE the death, you'd think they'd be all the more motivated to be quiet afterward, wouldn't you? But it didn't happen like that. Instead, a lot of guilt-induced public apologies - a lot easier to do when the guy was dead, because he wasn't around to embarrass them by insisting that his discoveries meant more than they actually did.

Life's a biotch, ain't it? It's particularly tough on knee jerk paranoia.

[–] caslingary 11 years ago

Wow you read fast - Flat Earth News by award winning journalist Nick Davies. He's worked in the media for over 30 years and he's not a conspiracy theorist in the slightest.

It's very easy (and very lazy) to just dismiss what is being said by claiming conspiracy - I don't believe in conspiracy theories btw - most of the people in the "truth movement" are charlatans or deluded idiots.

The other poster gave you another perfectly valid book to read too. But, as Stalin said: "It's easier to fool people than for them to admit that they have been fooled"

http://www.nickdavies.net/2008/02/05/introducing-flat-earth-news/

[–] caslingary 11 years ago

Also read The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast - in fact read anything by Greg Palast.

I'm still having trouble believing a grown man still thinks the press is free - please tell me your comments were tongue-in-cheek.

[–] GamblinMike 11 years ago

I can hear the cuckoos singing in the cuckooberry tree . . .

How ironic.

[–] Lady_Elaine_Fairchild 9 years ago

Is it really easier to insult a person than to consider that someone has another point of view that has worth. Small minds ...smh

The reason that the newspapers backed off their smear campaign was because the CIA admitted to shipping nearly a ton of pure cocaine.
Here is the NYT article

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/20/world/anti-drug-unit-of-cia-sent-ton-of-cocaine-to-us-in-1990.html it. Here's the NYT article

I don't think the CIA had much reason to kill him, unless I'm mistaken, by the time he died the CIA had pretty much admitted that everything he wrote about was true.

The tragedy of Gary Webb is that when he published the story he was pretty much disavowed by big media. He was demonized by all the major newspapers and all the major news organizations. Then he was disavowwed by his own newspaper. Then the CIA admitted he was right and the news media cared more about its public image than it did about truth, so they didn't correct themselves.

Webb was betrayed by his colleagues, he was a journalist and every other journalist stabbed him in the back. By the time of his death he wouldn't have ever been able to support himself as a journalist again. Government conspiracies are nice and clean, it'd be nice to imagine that this was all a CIA hit-job, but I think the reality that is was probably just the media being incredibly corrupt and heartless, is much more tragic.

Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. B. Franklin

[–] alvarezabel 10 years ago

Wow all of you are retards. I'm sorry but who ever believes that a governmental body made up of humans like you and me, can't do any wrong is simply ignorant. You wanna learn if any of this is true? Go travel to countries where the US had direct involvement in their past history. You'll hear 1st hand account from people who were affected directly/indirectly, or even has been involved. And I can tell you based on what I heard on my travels to Nicaragua, that the CIA did fund the Contra's, and smuggled drugs as well.

[–] MWallace77 10 years ago

Even before I looked him up, I knew he was dead...car accident or suicide. It's the way our good old boys at the CIA like to handle things. The CIA and NSA...nothing but a bunch of high priced thugs and filth. Murdering pigs, who spread propaganda through out the world...and why do they do it? They want American tax payers to give all of our money to our illustrious arms makers. The CIA known for murder and mayhem all over the word. Why don't the other countries band together to destroy us? I mean, exactly how is it a suicide if you are shot twice in the head? Exactly how would that work?

[–] DeniP 8 years ago

https://www.newsreview.com/chico/return-of-the-messenger/content?oid=15346991

Even before I looked him up, I knew he was dead...car accident or suicide.

Oh, of course you knew. Of course. And I know your type very well. You need to drink your drugs as prescribed. If you are doing it, go back to your psychiatrist and tell that it's not working. I know you are absolutely sure in your thoughts, but this is the illness. If you were not sure, you WOULDN'T BE ill. That's how this awful sickness works. Watch "A Beautiful Mind" to understand it. And "Shutter Island". I know it seems preposterous to suggest to you that you're just in a (maybe)milder form of the same thing, but that's how it is. It starts when you become "sure" ("know") of things that you just do not have the necessary facts to be sure about.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TTboy-33 9 years ago

Carl Bernstein researched it pretty well. At any given time a couple thousand journalists from NYT, WP, AP, dozens of other media organizations are on CIA payroll starting from the 1950's. Some do it for the financial gain - others for patriotic reasons - others to gain access for other topics of interest for career reasons. He is a side show of the cold war end-game.