Personally I would have liked a more colorful and energetic style to inspire the public to get more involved on the issues. More interaction between the jurors and the audience would have been helpful to challenge what, at times, felt like a one-way old-fashioned format.
There were many cameras from alternative media groups like Deep Dish TV present, but not the mainstream media, although I did run into one cocky journalist from Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal who was clearly there to "expose' the tribunal.
I had a short exchange with him. He criticized the event for only having one point of view--although the speakers varied in their approaches. He introduced himself as an Iranian American after denouncing Iran to me for criticizing Israel.
"Classic anti-semitism," he called the criticisms by Iran.
"Its so one sided," he said
repeatedly.
That was strange coming from a member of the Journal's Opinion page that is known for being overwhelmingly on the right, as one-sided as they come.
He then baited me out of the blue, asking if I thought Bin Laden was behind 9/11. I said probably, but, added, I believed there is a great deal we still don't know
At that, he sneered at me as if I was some kind of denialist or 911 nut and walked away with an all knowing look of superiority. I didn't get to remind him that President Obama said last week he was sorry they didn't put Bin Laden on trial,
Personally, my suspicion is that bin Laden was killed, not captured, to prevent just such a trial. Imagine what might have been revealed?
There was a lot revealed about Palestine and the $4.5 billion in US support annually for Israel at this tribunal attended by people from around the world and seen globally via upstream technology.
It is information the American people need to know, but even as the jury huddled to make its recommendations, and even as many of the activists there say that there is new energy in global agitation against Israeli occupation and violations of human rights, American politicians and media continue to ignore one of the most pressing moral issues of our times.
Increasingly, they are not even paying lip service.
News Dissector Danny
Schechter blogs at Newsdissector.net. His latest books are Blogothon and
Occupy: Dissecting Occupy Wall Street. He hosts a show on
ProgressiveRadioNetwork (PRN.fm.)
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