CNN, NOT THIS TIME!

The Chinese won't take it! They are not Nigeria whose government lacked the necessary backbone to confront what the Chinese news agency referred to as a news terrorist organisation, CNN. The Cable News Network has on numerous occasions in the past maligned and disparaged Nigeria and Nigerians with their sometimes very biased "news" reportage or editorial or documentary of a jaundiced eye with which they see black men, Africa and Nigeria in particular. Look at the demeaning sneer of doll-baby Lou Dobbs and the vituperation he pours on every non white American both on his gig at CNN and his morning radio show on 9.10AM station; discussing his endless illegal immigration matter like his great forebears got visas from native Americans before breaching their shores into the new found land. It is also needless to mention that majority of the colored anchors on CNN have been sent "away" starting with the very award winning Bernard Shaw of the first Gulf war fame.

In their infamous documentary "How to rob a bank" CNN portrayed Nigerians in the United States of America as "criminals" who are engaging in all sorts of criminal behaviour especially fraudulent credit and bank activities. Majority of Nigerians in the United States are decent men and women whose home government has failed them and who are trying to eke a living; and while some of them have succeeded they are numerous others who are still to realise their fabled American dream. Then in between these two groups may be a handful of "deviants" whose infractions CNN has ballooned into a "criminality of a people". CNN ignored these honorable men and women but instead spent over ninety minutes of valuable airtime portraying a people as criminals. It was only at the tail end of the said documentary that CNN tangentially mentioned a few Nigerians who were showcasing their rich cultural heritage at an Independence party. It is also pointless to say that the so called ephemeral "positive" coverage was for less than five minutes of the entire documentary. It is always about sensationalism and their coverage of the Niger Delta of Nigeria freedom fighters caused a serious stir in the world of Nigerians in Diaspora. The relevant Nigeria Embassy officials were contacted to protest such an asinine coverage of a people and to demand an apology and a retraction from CNN but to no avail. CNN treated it as a news item and that they saw no need to apologise; Nigerians as well as their supposed officials cowered down. But the damage to reputation is already done and the stain will not easily wash away, if ever. The need or usefulness of a Nigeria Ambassador in the United States and/or diplomatic officials who could not forcefully protect her peoples' interest or her country's image leaves much to be desired.

Now, a beast of burden, the Chinese has been stirred and they are not taking it. They have demanded an apology and surely they will get it from CNN. This is a country whose diplomatic officials are worth every dime being spent on their missions. CNN's offence to the Chinese pales in comparison to the vicious, offensive and "criminal" documentary here above referenced. Jack Cafferty of Cafferty Files of CNN referred to Chinese leaders as a bunch of goons and thugs and to Chinese made products as junks. Quoting the said statement, he said "we continue to import their junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food and export, you know, jobs to places where you can pay workers a dollar a month to turn out the stuff we're buying from Walmart. So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed. I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last fifty years". China through her Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu protested to CNN saying "we are shocked by and strongly condemn the malicious attacks on the Chinese people by CNN's Cafferty. We demand CNN and Cafferty himself take back the malicious vile remarks and apologise to the Chinese people". So far CNN had tried to explain away the remark as not disparaging to the Chinese people but was merely referencing their leaders; but the Chinese authorities will not take any of that but insisted that CNN do more as well as Cafferty himself with a threat to close down CNN's Bureau in China.

The rat race is on and hopefully the Chinese will extract a tooth from CNN's mouth this time. It is called international pressure-cooker diplomacy and it is earned over a period of time. But when a country such as Nigeria is being ruled then by a despotic person in the person of Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo whose very corruption the entire world knows about and whom the world knows, strictly speaking does not have the real mandate of the people of Nigeria to rule them, then they see him and the country that tolerated his rule as a bunch of spineless people who could not muster enough vigour to mount any major offensive against CNN or mobilize the advertising corporation to boycott CNN. There is need for the goonbahs who have held Nigeria in a throttle-choke hold all these years to yield power and vacate the scene so that Nigerians can start having a real say in who governs them. This way, whenever there is an infra-dignity treatment meted to Nigeria or Nigerians, at least the government will know that her people will support every counter offensive measure it may deem fit and proper in response to such unwarranted rabidity against her people. It is called a government with real mandate. Is there any person the world over who is not proud of the drama playing itself out with the American Presidential primaries? It symbolises the beauty of a working democracy. Only in America! God Bless America! At the end of the day, whoever emerges will assert himself/herself as American President with authority to do everything necessary in the interest of the American people with conviction that his actions are sanctioned and will be supported by the populace, necessary implication being that where a sanction is called for it will be forcefully met. This somewhat collective responsibility, which the people feel by having freely elected their president and by extension their government, provides the government the much needed muscle to affect matters, including effective diplomacy.

Commentator's Note: we later realised that the Chinese have abstracted their pound of flesh from the ever bullish CNN; CNN have apologised to the Chinese as was demanded. According to sources, CNN issued an apology late on Friday April 18th 2007 stating that " it was not Mr. Cafferty's nor CNN's intent to cause offense to the Chinese people, and we would apologise to anyone who has interpreted the comments in this way" - BUT THIS "ANYONE" DOES NOT INCLUDE NIGERIANS FOR THE DISPARAGING "HOW TO ROB A BANK" DOCUMENTARY!