Weekly Reflection 14 October 2012

Before I took this class, I had never heard of Al Jazeera.  Now, I don't know what I would do without it.  No other news station adequately covers the crisis in Syria quite like they do.  Recently I watched a story online about a Syrian fighter pilot who was captured by rebel forces in al-Bab (northern Syria).  In an exclusive interview, the pilot said he didn't know he was bombing Syrian citizens.  He claimed he was told by his commanders he was bombing terrorist factions, and he got his only information from Syrian state TV.

This is shocking.  I find it hard to believe a soldier would be so oblivious to what's happening in his own country.  Then again, if any country would be able to convince its armed forces of an alternate reality, it would be in Syria.  So what's the truth?