Here is an enlightening quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to President Bush in response to President Bush's criticism of Russia's freedom of the press (From Newsweek):
"We didn't criticize you when you fired those reporters at CBS."
Is he joking? I call this enlightening because I now understand a little clearer where Russia stands on this issue and how deeply entrenched the corruption of their press is. I'm not the most informed person when it comes to Russia, but I had assumed a higher level of understanding of the world around them on their part. And I had assumed they had atleast a minimal desire to move closer to a free country. This little glimpse into their thinking reveals to me that they are so far from having a free, uncorrupt press that they cannot even comprehend a system that is not so. Maybe that is harsh. Perhaps their lack of experience with a free system simply blinds them to the reality that is our free press. They take the few examples of corruption (most recently President Bush's foray into journalism) and assume that is characteristic of the true nature of our system. Thankfully they are wrong, and the fact that the heat is on President Bush and his columnists shows it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment