The Balkan Wars and Trusting the Media


I grew up in a pretty normal middle class house. A good upbringing and a happy childhood. Lots of good memories, which is a great privilege that I'm grateful for.

I lost my belief that "the media" tells the truth around 1992, aged 18, during the Balkan wars.

In 1992 I was 18 and doing A Levels at St George's comprehensive school in Harpenden. I followed the Balkan wars of 1992-1995 avidly, it was exciting, dangerous and not very far away. The further adventures of events sparked back into life by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the retreat of the Iron Curtain, yet having their roots in European history reaching back before the second world war and before the first world war.

The Balkan war essentially pitted Bosnia and Herzegovina against Serbia and Croatia. NATO was particularly against the Serbs who were seen as war criminals in this war. It was an appalling war.

It actually came as a shock to me the first time it happened. We had reports of NATO forces attacking Serbian forces and destroying so many tanks etc. Then the next day, or perhaps the day after, the media (usually the BBC I was watching, but not exclusively, I'm not an exclusive guy) would report that in fact the previous report had been bullshit. Made up, NATO propaganda, actual lies. Flagrant lies.

And then it happened again. And again.

I hadn't ever believed everything in the news, but to see "them" caught out so blatantly and so repeatedly was an eye opener.

So you can't believe anything you hear, that doesn't mean any old nonsense might be true though. It means you have to hold lightly onto what you think and know the source of your evidence, and use your mind. Who a person picks as their authorities, which voices they trust, tells you a lot about them.

Popular posts from this blog

The Jesus Army and the Independent Inquiry into Childhood Sexual Abuse

Image
 IICSA Inquiry - Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings  The Truth Project for Victims of Religious Abuse The exclusively male authority of the Jesus Army, delegated from the cruel and unusual senior pastor Noel Stanton, was full of darkness and deceit and nothing of God. It was a personality cult with Noel as an absolute ruler who delighted in crushing people.  Those in the cult who took on a sacred duty to care, and swore a covenant to it, have to answer for the shameful way they treated so many. The leaders who were in charge; it happened on their watch, they let it happen and made it happen. Oath breakers and traitors. To betray love is its own reward. There is a price to be paid in the heart. Deuteronomy 1:35  None of this evil generation will see the good land I promised your ancestors. The JA called itself the "Joshua generation", the J Generation. They didn't read the story right. Only two from that generation believed God and entered the promise
Read more

Commentary on Brexit and Thoughts on Patriotism

Image
I don't seem to meet many ordinary people. Most people seem extraordinary. As much as I am opposed to Brexit it seems curious to me the delight with which some people I follow on Facebook seem to take in news that the negotiations are apparently difficult and that it could be bad for Britain. They seem to relish the damage as they'd rather be right than see something good come out of it. It is a rather foolish state of mind to wish harm upon yourself and your fellows merely in order to be proven right. I detest much of the harm and lack of compassion I see in the Tory government, whilst accepting that those who vote conservative see the world in a very different way to me and that I am not wholly right and nor are they. I want the best for the UK and I want the best for Europe and I sincerely hope we can find our way forward together no matter who is in government in the UK. This is why party politics is so pernicious. It cons you into supporting a side instead of suppo
Read more

The Bible: The Good Parts

Image
I'll start by saying what most "bible believing" Christians dare not say: the bible is a highly problematic book. As a historical record of the (gradual) revelation of the nature of God to humanity it paints a pretty unflattering view of God at times - seen through the eyes of a fallen humanity.  For a look at some of the parts of the Bible that have been used to cause harm see: The Bible: The Bad Parts The bible was greatly redeemed in my eyes by reading " A Matter of Integrity "  by Steve Chalke. I recommend it to everyone. Seen as the ongoing revelation of God to humanity, a revealing that didn't just stop 2000 years ago by the way, the bible again became something sacred and beautiful to me. Despite being a "difficult" book, the nature of God and the way to the kingdom are hidden (or revealed - as you please) within the bible. Below are some of my favourite passages (there are many more that I could have picked) that reveal God and
Read more