Ayatollah 'Won't Back Down' – Meanwhile, DW Forgets Its Own History
Deutsche Welle reports that Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared his regime 'won't back down' amid ongoing protests, portraying this as a clear signal of despotic resolve. This framing, while accurate in describing the Ayatollah's statement, conveniently sidesteps the media's selective outrage. Where was this consistent condemnation when, for example, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
repeatedly vowed Israel 'will not be deterred' from its military campaigns, even as civilian casualties mounted? (See: Netanyahu's statements during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, when over 2,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed.) The narrative is simple: state repression over there is tyranny; state repression — or allied state violence — here or against our geopolitical
adversaries is, well, 'maintaining order' or 'self-defense.' One might wonder if DW offers similar 'live updates' on internal dissent within US-allied Gulf monarchies, where dissent often meets far harsher fates than mere warnings. This selective lens isn't just poor journalism; it’s a foundational propaganda technique, designed to focus public ire on designated enemies while sanitizing the
actions of preferred allies.