WHEN EAST MEETS WEST:CNN sorry for brouhaha over China 'goons' quip
Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.
While watching the CNN Cafferty
File broadcasts last Wednesday some comments were made by commentator Jack
Cafferty.
Jack Cafferty was referring to
China's leaders when he described them as a "bunch of goons and
thugs,"
"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 the workers a dollar a month to turn out
stuff that we're buying form Wal-Mart, Cafferty said, according to the
Broadcasts transcript.
He later apologized to everyone
who thought otherwise.”He said that he was referring to China's leaders in
government, and not to the people of China or to Chinese Americans, “He said of
his "goons and thugs" comment."I was quite surprised and shocked
I almost fell off my chair."When I heard his comment on the air,
did he think that he could get away with such a comment on the air? On Tuesday,
China demanded an apology for Jack Cafferty's remarks broadcast on CNN, in
which he also described Chinese products as “junk."
Beijing had already
singled out U.S. based CNN as among Western news outlets that produced
allegedly biased coverage of violent antigovernment protest in Tibet and across
Western China last month.
I heard on different TV news
broadcasts and I read also in the newspaper here in
Japan that "CNN would like to clarify that it was not Mr. Cafferty
nor CNN's, intent to cause offense to the Chinese people, and would apologize
to anyone who in this way, CNN went on to say that an e-mail was sent to the
Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"The e-mail read that Cafferty
comments reflected his ignorance and hostility “toward China.
"We are shocked and strongly
condemn the vicious remarks made by Jack Cafferty."
"I think the relationship
with China and the United States as well as many other countries has
certainly changed," After the many comments that I have heard through
the various newspapers and broadcasts about the unrest in Tibet
and China's handling of the situation, “Not to mention the friction with
spoiled and tainted foods, children’s toy many problems seem to continue
and a multitude of other problems causing friction which has
risen lately.
Warm Regards from Kitakyushu City,
Japan
Hank F. Miller
Jr.
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