FOX News should be ashamed of themselves

[chernabog_ca]

I can't believe this. The bad thing is this story broke today here as the bodies of the 4 boys we just lost returned home for their journey down the Highway of Heroes and then onto their families

Fox News host apologizes

TheStar.com - Canada - Fox News host apologizes

March 23, 2009
Allan Woods
Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA – The host of a Fox News show has apologized for bashing the contribution of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, saying his “satirical take” on daily news events has been misunderstood.

Greg Gutfeld, host of “Red Eye” was responding to outrage north of the border about a March 17 segment that aired in the early morning hours but sparked a diplomatic flap when it surfaced on YouTube over the weekend, following the death of four Canadian soldiers in Kandahar.

The show’s panelists took a number of shots at Canada and the military, with one saying he didn’t know the country had even deployed troops in Afghanistan.

Another said the only reason the military could pull its soldiers out of the NATO-led mission was because it relies heavily for security on the United States.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay launched the counterattack on Fox’s Gutfeld, saying the comments were in poor taste and requesting an apology.

“I think it is a very limited, uninformed view. It is crass. It is insensitive and it is in fact disgusting given the timing, where Canada is just receiving back four fallen heroes … at CFB Trenton,” MacKay told CTV Newsnet shortly before travelling to the military base where the latest four soldiers to be killed in Afghanistan arrived today.

MacKay said that the views expressed on the show do not reflect those of the U.S. government, which has been effusive in its praise of Canada, nor the “vast majority of Americans.”

Fox offered up an apology a few hours later saying comments on the show were “in no way an attempt to make light of troop efforts.”

“I realize that my words may have been misunderstood. It was not my intent to disrespect the brave men, women and families of the Canadian military, and for that I apologize. Red Eye is a satirical take on the news, in which all topics are addressed in a lighthearted, humorous and ridiculous manner,” Gutfeld’s statement read.

The late-night show, "Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld," featured a panel that took turns bashing Canada. One panelist said he didn't even know Canada had troops in Afghanistan and another said the only reason the military could pull its troops out of the NATO-led mission was because it relies heavily for security on the United States.

A clip of the segment, which aired last week in the early morning hours, surfaced on YouTube over the weekend and kicked off the diplomatic flap.

Dan Dugas, a spokesperson for MacKay, said earlier today that "no one is laughing and they owe Canada — and, more importantly, the families of each one of our fallen heroes — an apology for their ill-informed mistakes."

Canadian soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 and have spent the last four years in the country's most violent region.

Canada has lost 116 soldiers in Afghanistan.

The country has said it will pull out most of its 2,500 troops in Kandahar when its current combat mission expires in 2011.

News of that impending withdrawal, and the army chief's comments that the military would need a year's hiatus to regroup and refurbish, served as the launching pad for members of the Fox panel to mock Canada.

The segment was posted online under the title, "How to Lose Friends and Alienate Countries."

So far, more than 3,000 people have posted responses to the clip, which also makes fun of RCMP officers and their traditional red uniforms.

[goodasgold]

Fox news has very little respect for anyone. All they seem to care about is bashing. I realize they aren't the only news group like this, but they are a pretty terrible news organization. I think they are one of the worst, if not the worst.

[jacques1400]

The saddest thing about this, is not the fact that they are making fun of Canada, but rather that they are publicly stating themselves on primetime as the "most powerful country in the universe". Now, I tend to agree because this is a country who single handedly plunged the world into a recession, possibly another great depression because of greed, invaded another country because of invisible "Weapons of Mass Destruction", and thought they could do better than Russia at fighting a war in a country that does not want them there in the hopes of killing a yet to be found terrorist named Bin Laden, now that’s what I call powerful.
The funny part about all this, is that Canada got involved in this lost cause at the request of the United States, otherwise our role would have simply been through NATO, or as a humanitarian effort. I fully understand that these opinions are not shared by all Americans, but it always amazes me how some can be self-centered to the point, that it is one of the only countries in the world that refer to their citizens as a continent (Americans), when Canada is actually the second largest land mass in the world located in “North America”.
Agreed, Canada’s military has been in neglect for years due to lack of funding, but we do our part as best we can, and mocking us for it because we believe in resolving conflict peacefully, rather than creating it, is simply another example of ignorance.
In short, regretfully war does not discriminate when it comes to casualties; a Canadian life is worth as much as any other, be it civilian or military from any part of the world.
Americans should recall their history, they tried to invade Canada once, and lost.
God Bless all who have the courage to serve their country.

[redbear]

... I fully understand that these opinions are not shared by all Americans, but it always amazes me how some can be self-centered to the point, that it is one of the only countries in the world that refer to their citizens as a continent (Americans), when Canada is actually the second largest land mass in the world located in “North America”...

well then .. what would you have us called then ?? i dont understand the point you are trying to make by bashing americans by what we call ourselves. if you are upset at fox news, then bash fox news. branding all americans as greedy and self centered makes you no better than fox news.

[Gaumont]

Fox news and anyone who work there should be ashamed, not just for this but for pretty much every minute of their shows.