Press TV: breaking the Neocon version of reality

Recently I happened to see an amazing interview with Afshin Rattansi of Press TV and journalist Max Kieser. In this broadcast (see below) Kieser compares the Wall Street bailout with the "controlled demolition" of World Trade Center Building 7 and the twin towers on 9/11.



Although the commentary by Keiser was brilliant and provocative, what truly amazed me was not so much what he said, but the very fact that it was said at all on television.

This led me to read up on Press TV. I wanted to know who they are and why would they allow such incendiary commentary on their broadcast, and, where were the O'Reillys and Becks to beat Max to a pulp with verbal threats for even daring to mention the fraud of 9/11? What could explain this free, unfettered commentary when our Western media -- both mainstream and alternative -- are so controlled?

Here's what I found out about Press TV from Wikipedia:

"Press TV is an English language international television news channel which is funded by the Iranian government, based in Tehran and broadcasts in English on a round-the-clock schedule. With 26 international correspondents and more than 400 staff around the world, its stated mission is to offer a different view of the world events.

Press TV has stated its intention to cover world news differently from the Anglophone channels BBC World News, and CNN International. Press TV states that it is not beholden to any commercial or governmental entity, nor internally constrained to deviate from its editorial independence. Press TV seeks to compete, inter alia, with the past-launched Al Jazeera English and France 24 in 2006 and Russia Today in December 2005.

Press TV has three mission statements; to break the global media stranglehold of western outlets; to bridge cultural divisions pragmatically; and to highlight the versatility and vitality of political and cultural differences, making up the human condition."

Okay, Press TV is state sponsored by Iran, so undoubtedly we are going to get some pro-Iranian, anti-Western propaganda. That's a given. However, by allowing commentary by the likes of Max Keiser, George Galloway and Gore Vidal -- major Western critics of the "War on Terror" and the government conspiracy theory of 9/11, the channel is willing to portray a side of the debate most Americans will never get to see on Western media channel.

Kudos to them. I hope they succeed.