An Outpost of Rational Thought
With all the emotional hand wringing and finger pointing accompanying the story on the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, and the calls for investigations of the investigations of the investigations (maybe Ted Kennedy would be happy if a champion of human rights like Libya was in charge of the probe), it's refreshing to find a trove of thoughtful, sober analysis of the situation from Joe Carter at the evangelical outpost.
When the story broke, Joe theorized that a lack of training of reservists played a big part in the problem. He followed this up with another post defending his original position and explaining how military regulations reinforce the Natural Law. One of the aspects of the abuse story that has yet to fully explored is that it is yet another example of the fine line that keeps "ordinary people" from committing acts of cruelty and evil, and how easily that line can be crossed, especially in group situations.
Joe also explores the similarities between what went on at Abu Ghraib and hazing in the military, academic, and sports settings. If you think that this is trying to make light of the situation or downplay the seriousness of it, read some of the fraternity hazing stories or this laundry list of sports hazing tales, a disturbing number of which involve forced sodomy in some form or another.
Today Joe wonders why there is plenty of justified outrage at the abuses of Iraqi prisoners, yet scant attention paid to the epidemic of sexual torture in U.S. prisons. If you're looking for the goods, head to the outpost.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Falling Down Drunk (and dead) Part II
La Crosse deaths: Accidents? Murders?:
Six bodies. Seven years. The victims have been the same sex, race and approximate age. All of them have been found in the waters around La Crosse, home to three rivers.
None of the bodies showed obvious signs of a struggle, and forensic autopsies found little evidence of knockout drugs or anything to indicate that the men were victims of abduction or homicide. So the killer must be very smart, the theory goes.
The other similarity among the victims is that, at the time of their deaths, all of them were drunk.
People drinking too much? In Wisconsin?
There's nothing subtle about Wisconsin's drinking culture. The state leads the nation in the rate of adults who drink, according to a survey by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. It also leads the nation in binge drinking, meaning five or more drinks at a time.
La Crosse deaths: Accidents? Murders?:
Six bodies. Seven years. The victims have been the same sex, race and approximate age. All of them have been found in the waters around La Crosse, home to three rivers.
None of the bodies showed obvious signs of a struggle, and forensic autopsies found little evidence of knockout drugs or anything to indicate that the men were victims of abduction or homicide. So the killer must be very smart, the theory goes.
The other similarity among the victims is that, at the time of their deaths, all of them were drunk.
People drinking too much? In Wisconsin?
There's nothing subtle about Wisconsin's drinking culture. The state leads the nation in the rate of adults who drink, according to a survey by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. It also leads the nation in binge drinking, meaning five or more drinks at a time.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Something Fishy Going On Here
Yesterday, when John Kerry visited Minneapolis for a fundraiser, he was greeted by a crowd of protesters , including some friends from the deep blue sea.
Dolphins in Minneapolis?
And hockey sticks of course.
Yesterday, when John Kerry visited Minneapolis for a fundraiser, he was greeted by a crowd of protesters , including some friends from the deep blue sea.
Dolphins in Minneapolis?
And hockey sticks of course.
Why The Elder Doesn't Admit To Being Born There
Associated Press
May 4,
BELOIT, Wis. -- The body of a man who jumped into the Rock River as part of a belly flop contest run by a Beloit bar has been recovered from the stream, authorities say.
The body of Dorl Gates, 52, of Beloit, was found Monday night about a mile south of where he entered the river April 24, Lt. Michael Mugnani of the Rock County Sheriff's Department said.
An autopsy was planned, Coroner Karen Gilbertson said.
Associated Press
May 4,
BELOIT, Wis. -- The body of a man who jumped into the Rock River as part of a belly flop contest run by a Beloit bar has been recovered from the stream, authorities say.
The body of Dorl Gates, 52, of Beloit, was found Monday night about a mile south of where he entered the river April 24, Lt. Michael Mugnani of the Rock County Sheriff's Department said.
An autopsy was planned, Coroner Karen Gilbertson said.
Blame The Howler Monkeys First
Muslims' complaints of bias in U.S. way up:
Muslims in the United States experienced more than 1,000 incidents of alleged harassment, violence and discriminatory treatment in 2003, a jump of 70 percent over the previous year, according to a report released Monday by a major Islamic advocacy group.
The report by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attributed the increase to such factors as Muslim-bashing on radio talk shows and tensions surrounding the war in Iraq.
The group, which has 24 offices nationwide, said it received 1,019 complaints from Muslims last year concerning discriminatory or violent actions, up from 602 in 2002. The biggest number of incidents had to do with employment and the refusal to accommodate religious practices. But there were 93 reported hate crimes, more than double the total in 2002. And there were cases in which Muslims alleged that laws were applied to them more harshly because of their ethnic or religious identity.
'We are definitely facing an uphill battle in the struggle for civil rights in this country, especially with regard to the American Muslim community,' said Muhammad Nimer, the author of the report, 'Unpatriotic Acts.'
Discrimination and "hate crimes" based on religion are obviously deplorable acts and should not be tolerated. But considering the fact that, whether we like it or not, we're at war with Muslim fanatics these numbers don't seem all that horrible to me. Yes, they're up from 2002, but when you're talking about 1019 complaints spread across 24 offices nationwide over a year, most of which have to do with employers having problems with Muslim religious practices in the workplace, we're hardly talking about an epidemic of bias here.
Muslims' complaints of bias in U.S. way up:
Muslims in the United States experienced more than 1,000 incidents of alleged harassment, violence and discriminatory treatment in 2003, a jump of 70 percent over the previous year, according to a report released Monday by a major Islamic advocacy group.
The report by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attributed the increase to such factors as Muslim-bashing on radio talk shows and tensions surrounding the war in Iraq.
The group, which has 24 offices nationwide, said it received 1,019 complaints from Muslims last year concerning discriminatory or violent actions, up from 602 in 2002. The biggest number of incidents had to do with employment and the refusal to accommodate religious practices. But there were 93 reported hate crimes, more than double the total in 2002. And there were cases in which Muslims alleged that laws were applied to them more harshly because of their ethnic or religious identity.
'We are definitely facing an uphill battle in the struggle for civil rights in this country, especially with regard to the American Muslim community,' said Muhammad Nimer, the author of the report, 'Unpatriotic Acts.'
Discrimination and "hate crimes" based on religion are obviously deplorable acts and should not be tolerated. But considering the fact that, whether we like it or not, we're at war with Muslim fanatics these numbers don't seem all that horrible to me. Yes, they're up from 2002, but when you're talking about 1019 complaints spread across 24 offices nationwide over a year, most of which have to do with employers having problems with Muslim religious practices in the workplace, we're hardly talking about an epidemic of bias here.
The Rall That Broke The Camel's Back
R.T. explains why he ended up dropping the Star Tribune last fall:
I, too have ended my relationship with the Star Tribune. I wrote this letter to them back in November:
Dear Star Tribune,
I regret to inform you that I will no longer be purchasing or reading the Star Tribune. Being a loyal reader for the past thirty years or so, I do not take this decision lightly, for I will be depriving myself of much valuable information and entertainment. However, your continued insistence on running cartoons by Ted Rall leaves me no recourse. With respect for your first amendment rights, it is the only thing I can do.
Ted Rall is a shameful American. Get past the bad art, and you'll find messages so disgustingly hateful, it is amazing that a major newspaper sees fit to publish them. Take a close look at Sunday, November 16th's submission: The
president of our country is portrayed as nothing less than a demonic Nazi dictator, "stealing" another election as Washington burns. But that's pretty mild when you compare it to his essays. His latest work, "Why We Fight" is a particularly disturbing piece that glorifies the killing of American soldiers in Iraq. Whatever your political leanings, any reasonable person should find this appalling. Yet your editorial staff continues to run his cartoons, which tells
me as much about the Star Tribune as it does Rall.
I'll miss Reusse, Grow, CJ, and even Syl Jones. However, I have principles to uphold; I suggest you examine yours.
Sincerely,
R. T.
The current Rall flap (flop?) reminded me to send this to you to let you know you're not alone in your loathing for that fishwrap. I wonder if the editors over chomping at the bit to run that cartoon?
R.T. explains why he ended up dropping the Star Tribune last fall:
I, too have ended my relationship with the Star Tribune. I wrote this letter to them back in November:
Dear Star Tribune,
I regret to inform you that I will no longer be purchasing or reading the Star Tribune. Being a loyal reader for the past thirty years or so, I do not take this decision lightly, for I will be depriving myself of much valuable information and entertainment. However, your continued insistence on running cartoons by Ted Rall leaves me no recourse. With respect for your first amendment rights, it is the only thing I can do.
Ted Rall is a shameful American. Get past the bad art, and you'll find messages so disgustingly hateful, it is amazing that a major newspaper sees fit to publish them. Take a close look at Sunday, November 16th's submission: The
president of our country is portrayed as nothing less than a demonic Nazi dictator, "stealing" another election as Washington burns. But that's pretty mild when you compare it to his essays. His latest work, "Why We Fight" is a particularly disturbing piece that glorifies the killing of American soldiers in Iraq. Whatever your political leanings, any reasonable person should find this appalling. Yet your editorial staff continues to run his cartoons, which tells
me as much about the Star Tribune as it does Rall.
I'll miss Reusse, Grow, CJ, and even Syl Jones. However, I have principles to uphold; I suggest you examine yours.
Sincerely,
R. T.
The current Rall flap (flop?) reminded me to send this to you to let you know you're not alone in your loathing for that fishwrap. I wonder if the editors over chomping at the bit to run that cartoon?
Monday, May 03, 2004
The Politics of Punk
In part of the third hour of last week's Northern Alliance Radio Show, JB Doubtless and Mitch Berg debated the merits of punk rock. Mitch claimed that punk paved the way for the pop music revival of the early 80's (which he described as one of the two best periods in pop music since the advent of rock and/or roll), while JB dismissed punk as a musically challenged movement for social outcasts whose main accomplishment was to annoy.
This article from the New York Times, which appeared in today's Star Tribune, with the cute title A Bush Surprise: Fright-wing Support, isn't likely to influence the argument either way, but it does demonstrate that, when it comes to politics, you can't always judge a book by its cover:
With his mohawk, ratty fatigues, assorted chains and tattoos -- swallows on each shoulder, a nautical star on his back and the logo of the Bouncing Souls, a New York City punk band, on his right leg -- 22-year-old Nick Rizzuto is the very picture of counterculture alienation. But it's when he talks politics that Rizzuto sounds like a real radical, for a punk anyway.
Rizzuto is adamantly in favor of lowering taxes and for school vouchers, and against campaign finance laws; his favorite Supreme Court justice is Clarence Thomas; he plans to vote for President Bush in November, and he's hard-core into capitalism.
"Punks will tell me, 'Punk and capitalism don't go together,' " Rizzuto said. "I don't understand where they're coming from. The biggest punk scenes are in capitalist countries like the U.S., Canada and Japan. I haven't heard of any new North Korean punk bands coming out. There's no scene in Iran."
Rizzuto is the founder of Conservative Punk, one of a few Web sites and blogs that have sprung up recently as evidence of a heretofore latent political entity: Republican punks. With names such as GOPunk, Anti-Anti-Flag and Punkvoter Lies, the sites are a curious blend of Karl Rove and Johnny Rotten, preaching personal responsibility and reflexive patriotism with the in-your-face zeal of a mosh pit. When he's not banging his head to the Misfits, the Vandals or the Bouncing Souls, for example, Rizzuto spends his time writing essays denouncing Michael Moore and "left-wing propaganda," and urging other conservative punks to join his cause.
If nothing else the article provides me with a perfect answer when people ask me what Mitch is really like. My standard response will now be, "a curious blend of Karl Rove and Johnny Rotten."
This article from the New York Times, which appeared in today's Star Tribune, with the cute title A Bush Surprise: Fright-wing Support, isn't likely to influence the argument either way, but it does demonstrate that, when it comes to politics, you can't always judge a book by its cover:
With his mohawk, ratty fatigues, assorted chains and tattoos -- swallows on each shoulder, a nautical star on his back and the logo of the Bouncing Souls, a New York City punk band, on his right leg -- 22-year-old Nick Rizzuto is the very picture of counterculture alienation. But it's when he talks politics that Rizzuto sounds like a real radical, for a punk anyway.
Rizzuto is adamantly in favor of lowering taxes and for school vouchers, and against campaign finance laws; his favorite Supreme Court justice is Clarence Thomas; he plans to vote for President Bush in November, and he's hard-core into capitalism.
"Punks will tell me, 'Punk and capitalism don't go together,' " Rizzuto said. "I don't understand where they're coming from. The biggest punk scenes are in capitalist countries like the U.S., Canada and Japan. I haven't heard of any new North Korean punk bands coming out. There's no scene in Iran."
Rizzuto is the founder of Conservative Punk, one of a few Web sites and blogs that have sprung up recently as evidence of a heretofore latent political entity: Republican punks. With names such as GOPunk, Anti-Anti-Flag and Punkvoter Lies, the sites are a curious blend of Karl Rove and Johnny Rotten, preaching personal responsibility and reflexive patriotism with the in-your-face zeal of a mosh pit. When he's not banging his head to the Misfits, the Vandals or the Bouncing Souls, for example, Rizzuto spends his time writing essays denouncing Michael Moore and "left-wing propaganda," and urging other conservative punks to join his cause.
If nothing else the article provides me with a perfect answer when people ask me what Mitch is really like. My standard response will now be, "a curious blend of Karl Rove and Johnny Rotten."
Give Me A G...Give Me An A...Give Me A Y...What Does It Spell? Really Well Adjusted Smart Hip People YAY!
The Star Tribune loves a good Aren't Those Gays Great story. The one from yesterday's paper tells us that Golden Valley is home to a high percentage of homosexuals. How high? Over 1.5% of households according to the census. Couple that with some anecdotal evidence that there are "a lot of rainbow bumper stickers at Byerlys" and you've got yourself a real news story.
You get the feeling that the writer wanted to show that gays are "segregated" into certain areas of the city and how this was evidence of some type of discrimination, but soon realized the data didn't support that. In fact, the data doesn't support anything in the story--gays live where others of similar education and income live--and no one cares.
But there has to be SOME kind of discrimination the gays are facing in Golden Valley, right? I mean this IS the suburbs. The story informs us:
Life in Golden Valley has not lacked moments of tension and awkward humor. Day and Bemis said they have heard a neighbor use a derogatory term for gays. Another neighbor always avoids the "L word," choosing to refer to them as "the girls."
The bastard neighbor avoids the "L" word (I thought the L word stood for liberal) and calls them the girls? That indeed is tense and awkward.
The article would not be complete without at least one unsubstantiated claim of harassment and an attempt to lay it at the feat of a local Republican--in this case Stillwater's Michelle Bachmann:
Maybe, but state Sen. Michele Bachmann, who represents part of Kimble's Stillwater, is sponsoring a bill to define marriage as a male-female union -- a stand that has inspired calls for a boycott of Stillwater businesses in protest and that Kimble said will play much better in the more rural parts of her large district, where the census found very few gay couples.
Randy Olsen, 45, of Askov, a member of the East Central Men's Circle, a gay and bisexual support group that draws members from those more rural parts of Bachmann's district, said the climate is much chillier there.
His group's Web page takes care to promise that its meetings are held in a secure private conference room. Yet some people still won't turn up at meetings "because they're afraid someone will see them," he said. And there can be unpleasant consequences when people do find out. Olson said that he lost a job and that kids have vandalized his property.
BS Randy Olson. I love the vague nature of the job loss: he lost a job. Where? When? How? Why? How about a little reporting, a few questions? And kids vandalized his property? Are gays somehow immune from any bad stuff happening to them ever? How was it related to his being a gay? It reminds me of that Seinfeld bit where his uncle is convinced everyone is an anti semite "The rabbi? Anti semite!"
Cheerleading for alternative lifestyles is one of the Star Tribune's favorite games and when you can hint that a Republican is subtly responsible for job losses and vandalism against gays all the better.
The Star Tribune loves a good Aren't Those Gays Great story. The one from yesterday's paper tells us that Golden Valley is home to a high percentage of homosexuals. How high? Over 1.5% of households according to the census. Couple that with some anecdotal evidence that there are "a lot of rainbow bumper stickers at Byerlys" and you've got yourself a real news story.
You get the feeling that the writer wanted to show that gays are "segregated" into certain areas of the city and how this was evidence of some type of discrimination, but soon realized the data didn't support that. In fact, the data doesn't support anything in the story--gays live where others of similar education and income live--and no one cares.
But there has to be SOME kind of discrimination the gays are facing in Golden Valley, right? I mean this IS the suburbs. The story informs us:
Life in Golden Valley has not lacked moments of tension and awkward humor. Day and Bemis said they have heard a neighbor use a derogatory term for gays. Another neighbor always avoids the "L word," choosing to refer to them as "the girls."
The bastard neighbor avoids the "L" word (I thought the L word stood for liberal) and calls them the girls? That indeed is tense and awkward.
The article would not be complete without at least one unsubstantiated claim of harassment and an attempt to lay it at the feat of a local Republican--in this case Stillwater's Michelle Bachmann:
Maybe, but state Sen. Michele Bachmann, who represents part of Kimble's Stillwater, is sponsoring a bill to define marriage as a male-female union -- a stand that has inspired calls for a boycott of Stillwater businesses in protest and that Kimble said will play much better in the more rural parts of her large district, where the census found very few gay couples.
Randy Olsen, 45, of Askov, a member of the East Central Men's Circle, a gay and bisexual support group that draws members from those more rural parts of Bachmann's district, said the climate is much chillier there.
His group's Web page takes care to promise that its meetings are held in a secure private conference room. Yet some people still won't turn up at meetings "because they're afraid someone will see them," he said. And there can be unpleasant consequences when people do find out. Olson said that he lost a job and that kids have vandalized his property.
BS Randy Olson. I love the vague nature of the job loss: he lost a job. Where? When? How? Why? How about a little reporting, a few questions? And kids vandalized his property? Are gays somehow immune from any bad stuff happening to them ever? How was it related to his being a gay? It reminds me of that Seinfeld bit where his uncle is convinced everyone is an anti semite "The rabbi? Anti semite!"
Cheerleading for alternative lifestyles is one of the Star Tribune's favorite games and when you can hint that a Republican is subtly responsible for job losses and vandalism against gays all the better.
Sunday, May 02, 2004
So Many Ponies
As my colleagues in the Northern Alliance were engaged in an entertaining debate on the merits of “Afternoon Delight” and “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” on AM1280 The Patriot yesterday, I was busy riding the moral roller coaster from the dizzying heights of childish innocence down to the darkest depths of human depravity.
The day began at a local indoor park and play area where the lovely Atomizerette and I joined my niece in celebrating her seventh birthday. The event consisted of watching dozens of children (and several adults) scamper through a gigantic padded jungle gym for nearly two hours with only a couple of brief rest periods; one to feast upon a rock-hard ice cream cake decorated with the likeness of resurrected Japanese uber-feline Hello Kitty and the other for the requisite gift opening session in which several My Little Pony themed trinkets were freed from their brightly colored wrappings and plastic cages to start them upon their magical journey from objects of wonderment and glee to ruthlessly discarded playthings strewn about the floor impeding the Warrior Monk’s midnight trip to the bathroom.
There was laughter and there were tears. There was the joy of innocent children celebrating another milepost in a young child’s march towards teen status...and dating, and driving dad’s car and staying out until all hours of the night without even thinking of calling home and telling the parents when they can expect to hear the reassuring sound of the front door deadbolt slowly pulling back into the jamb (good luck with...all that, Monk and Eloise).
After taking my leave from this celebration, I found my way to the local den of iniquity known as Canterbury Park. Saturday was Kentucky Derby Day, you see, and I had received a tip on a sure-thing from my favorite amateur oddsmaker...known here only as Earl. He had clued me in on a horse named Smarty Jones nearly a month previous.
As a precaution (Earl’s judgement has a tendency to be somewhat suspect, at times), I had done some cursory research on the three year old Pennsylvania colt. It turns out that he is a mudder. I don’t know if his father was a mudder (or even if mother was a mudder) but what I did discover was that Smarty Jones loves the slop and the track at Churchill Downs was expected to have slop in spades, if I was to believe the morning weather reports. I had no choice but to act on this information since if this horse were to emerge victorious without the burden of my wager on his back, I would have been beside myself...and I know from countless comments of those closest to me that this is not always a pleasant thing.
So, just a few hours removed from my niece beginning her eighth year surrounded by a team of little purple ponies and her giggling and innocently rambunctious playmates, I found myself in line at the betting window staring down at my wallet debating with myself on how much of its contents I was willing to wager on one of eighteen thoroughbreds that were about to race seven furlongs towards either ignoble defeat and almost certain anonymity or a triumphal blanket of roses.
Around me were thousands of other bettors chomping on cigars and cigarettes, swilling beer and stuffing hot dogs down their gullets. Piles of worthless betting slips and Daily Racing Forms littered the floors and tabletops and while there was an air of hope amidst the crowd, the stench of desperation and defeat hung close behind. The contrast was striking.
There was laughter and there were tears. There is now an extra $160 in my wallet. All I can say is...you gotta love those ponies.
As my colleagues in the Northern Alliance were engaged in an entertaining debate on the merits of “Afternoon Delight” and “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” on AM1280 The Patriot yesterday, I was busy riding the moral roller coaster from the dizzying heights of childish innocence down to the darkest depths of human depravity.
The day began at a local indoor park and play area where the lovely Atomizerette and I joined my niece in celebrating her seventh birthday. The event consisted of watching dozens of children (and several adults) scamper through a gigantic padded jungle gym for nearly two hours with only a couple of brief rest periods; one to feast upon a rock-hard ice cream cake decorated with the likeness of resurrected Japanese uber-feline Hello Kitty and the other for the requisite gift opening session in which several My Little Pony themed trinkets were freed from their brightly colored wrappings and plastic cages to start them upon their magical journey from objects of wonderment and glee to ruthlessly discarded playthings strewn about the floor impeding the Warrior Monk’s midnight trip to the bathroom.
There was laughter and there were tears. There was the joy of innocent children celebrating another milepost in a young child’s march towards teen status...and dating, and driving dad’s car and staying out until all hours of the night without even thinking of calling home and telling the parents when they can expect to hear the reassuring sound of the front door deadbolt slowly pulling back into the jamb (good luck with...all that, Monk and Eloise).
After taking my leave from this celebration, I found my way to the local den of iniquity known as Canterbury Park. Saturday was Kentucky Derby Day, you see, and I had received a tip on a sure-thing from my favorite amateur oddsmaker...known here only as Earl. He had clued me in on a horse named Smarty Jones nearly a month previous.
As a precaution (Earl’s judgement has a tendency to be somewhat suspect, at times), I had done some cursory research on the three year old Pennsylvania colt. It turns out that he is a mudder. I don’t know if his father was a mudder (or even if mother was a mudder) but what I did discover was that Smarty Jones loves the slop and the track at Churchill Downs was expected to have slop in spades, if I was to believe the morning weather reports. I had no choice but to act on this information since if this horse were to emerge victorious without the burden of my wager on his back, I would have been beside myself...and I know from countless comments of those closest to me that this is not always a pleasant thing.
So, just a few hours removed from my niece beginning her eighth year surrounded by a team of little purple ponies and her giggling and innocently rambunctious playmates, I found myself in line at the betting window staring down at my wallet debating with myself on how much of its contents I was willing to wager on one of eighteen thoroughbreds that were about to race seven furlongs towards either ignoble defeat and almost certain anonymity or a triumphal blanket of roses.
Around me were thousands of other bettors chomping on cigars and cigarettes, swilling beer and stuffing hot dogs down their gullets. Piles of worthless betting slips and Daily Racing Forms littered the floors and tabletops and while there was an air of hope amidst the crowd, the stench of desperation and defeat hung close behind. The contrast was striking.
There was laughter and there were tears. There is now an extra $160 in my wallet. All I can say is...you gotta love those ponies.
We're Not Retreating, We're Just Attacking In A Different Direction
Yesterday on the Northern Alliance Radio Show, Mitch Berg was channeling the spirit of Baghdad Bob when he tried to spin the news that the Marines were lifting the siege of Fallujah as a cunning master stroke of military strategy. Mitch sought to assure us that once those elite, battle hardened, gung ho Iraqi units took over from the from the Marines, it would only be a matter of time before the insurgents were cleaned out. Captain Ed, Hindrocket, and JB Doubtless were having none of it, and I was even moved to put down my rake (it was a Saturday for yard work for me) to call in to join the dissenters.
Mitch dismissed our criticism, painting us as "arm chair military analysts who get all their information from Instapundit."
I can only assume that Mitch was referring to information like this.
Mitch dismissed our criticism, painting us as "arm chair military analysts who get all their information from Instapundit."
I can only assume that Mitch was referring to information like this.
Lest We Forget
In case anyone was still wondering whether or not ABC’s decision to read the names of the US war dead on Nightline last Friday was an attempt to exploit these deaths for partisan political gain, Brian Lambert removes all doubt. His endorsement was in a blurb attached to the end of an entirely unrelated column about local TV news reporters:
Finally, kudos to Ted Koppel and "Nightline" for honoring this country's dead in Iraq. Koppel will devote all of this evening's edition of the show (KSTP, Channel 5, 10:35 p.m.) to reading the 700-plus names of the war dead. Since photos of war dead returning in caskets have been declared off limits in a free and open democracy, it is gratifying that someone in the media dares to flout official sanctions and show, as Koppel has said, "the cost of war."
Well, there he goes again. Positioning the Bush administration as contrary to the principles of a free and open democracy, implying their fascist control of the media with delusional allegations of “official sanctions” then embracing the images as showing the “cost of war” (a war he’s consistently editorialized against)? Media bias, thy name is Brian Lambert.
Because, remember, he’s not a news columnist - he’s an entertainment columnist. Check out the Pioneer Press web site under the roster of news columnists. Even Mrs. Nick Coleman II is listed here, and she’s usually writing about her thoughts on cooking dinner and taking out the garbage. But Lambert’s nowhere to be found.
He’s in the Entertainment roster, along with Dear Abbey and something called “The Skinny,” whose tag line is: “Funny items five times a week.” Maybe they put Lambert along side that for balance? You’ve got some funny items five times a week, then some whiny, sneering, politically biased, delusional accusations three or four times a week.
As I’ve written before, the problem with Lambert is that he’s the assigned to write about matters of TV and radio, a non-political beat. And he’s the only one at the paper doing it, no countervailing opinions are solicited. Yet, every single column he writes contains a vicious slam against the Bush administration, Republicans, or conservatives. And, oh yeah, he often writes dismissive, caustic columns ridiculing the notion that the media has a liberal bias, all from his position as the final arbiter of media opinion for the Pioneer Press. Talk about a conflict of interest.
I also notice Lambert just got a new picture taken for his column (you’ll have to pick up a copy of the paper to see it). Besides the fact he’s gained about 40 pounds since his last picture was taken, I noticed that he’s literally sneering in the picture. Caustically laughing it up about something he feels superior to. Not sure how the photographer was able to inspire that reaction. My guess is he asked Lambert to think about the Pioneer Press readership.
Getting back to the Nightline controversy and the question of whether their program Friday was an attempt to erode support for the war effort. I saw the eminent Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis interviewed on the Charlie Rose Show last Wednesday. He wasn’t addressing Nightline specifically, but he talked about how people in the Middle East misinterpret the culture of the United States, and that of an open, liberal democracy in general. Regarding the media portrayals emphasis on the deaths of our soldiers and the political opposition’s attacks on the Commander-in-Chief, they don’t shrug it off as a product of media bias and partisan political warfare. They take it at face value as the truth about the state of the country’s resolve. Observers in the Middle East see it as a sign of weakness for our leadership and more evidence of our lack of commitment to defeat the terrorists and Baathists in Iraq.
According to Lewis, two historical events are driving Iraqi opinion of America’s commitment to the cause. First, the 1991 Gulf war, where we encouraged a popular uprising, particularly among the Shiites, against Saddam Hussein. Then we pulled our own troops out within weeks of the war’s ending, leaving those who did take up arms to be slaughtered by the Baathist thugs. Those who would be naturally inclined to helping us now are hesitant to do so, because if we leave early again, they again would be subject to similar slaughter. Victor Davis Hanson expressed the same view on NRO this week:
Americans believe that freedom and consensual government — far from being the exclusive domain of the West — are ideals central to the human condition and the shared aspirations of all born into this world. That is the great hope we embrace now in Iraq, that as we rout those who advocate fundamentalism and intolerance, millions of others will gain confidence and join the struggle for democratic change. But until then, even as we speak, millions, sometimes in fear and silence, are watching our present efforts. They are uncertain of the outcome. They wait to pledge their allegiance to the victor, hoping, but not yet convinced, that we can defeat those who would impose tyranny and intolerance on any who would seek to reform and escape from their present misery.
The second historical event Lewis pointed to was Somalia. Whereas the 1991 Gulf War is a lesson for those who might support us, Somalia is the lesson for those who would oppose us. Simply stated, the lesson they took is: kill enough Americans, make it gruesome enough and get the right amount of publicity for it, and we’ll leave.
I’m certain this is how our pull out of Fallujah is being publicized in the fevered slums and rats nests our enemies inhabit throughout Iraq. It is giving them hope that their strategy is working and that the USA is returning to its recent risk averse habits.
Whether it was ABC News’s intent or not, the Nightline program on Friday night was exactly the type of publicity our opponents in Iraq want to see. By showing the war dead, out of context with the importance of the larger mission, you start to erode the country’s resolve. You also get guys like Brian Lambert starting to talk about showing the “cost of war”. Of course, his unsaid, yet obvious, conclusion is that this war costs too much. Rebuilding Iraq isn’t worth 700 American dead (and counting). The more Lambert and ABC News can say that to the American people, the more they can erode support for continuing this war.
I suspect their primary goal is more personal than that, specifically getting people to turn against President Bush in hopes of getting a Democrat elected as President. And if they succeed in that, I shudder to think what kind of message that will send to our potential supporters and certain opponents in Iraq. Electing as the Commander-in-Chief a man at the forefront of eroding the resolve of his countrymen during our last great national trial.
In case anyone was still wondering whether or not ABC’s decision to read the names of the US war dead on Nightline last Friday was an attempt to exploit these deaths for partisan political gain, Brian Lambert removes all doubt. His endorsement was in a blurb attached to the end of an entirely unrelated column about local TV news reporters:
Finally, kudos to Ted Koppel and "Nightline" for honoring this country's dead in Iraq. Koppel will devote all of this evening's edition of the show (KSTP, Channel 5, 10:35 p.m.) to reading the 700-plus names of the war dead. Since photos of war dead returning in caskets have been declared off limits in a free and open democracy, it is gratifying that someone in the media dares to flout official sanctions and show, as Koppel has said, "the cost of war."
Well, there he goes again. Positioning the Bush administration as contrary to the principles of a free and open democracy, implying their fascist control of the media with delusional allegations of “official sanctions” then embracing the images as showing the “cost of war” (a war he’s consistently editorialized against)? Media bias, thy name is Brian Lambert.
Because, remember, he’s not a news columnist - he’s an entertainment columnist. Check out the Pioneer Press web site under the roster of news columnists. Even Mrs. Nick Coleman II is listed here, and she’s usually writing about her thoughts on cooking dinner and taking out the garbage. But Lambert’s nowhere to be found.
He’s in the Entertainment roster, along with Dear Abbey and something called “The Skinny,” whose tag line is: “Funny items five times a week.” Maybe they put Lambert along side that for balance? You’ve got some funny items five times a week, then some whiny, sneering, politically biased, delusional accusations three or four times a week.
As I’ve written before, the problem with Lambert is that he’s the assigned to write about matters of TV and radio, a non-political beat. And he’s the only one at the paper doing it, no countervailing opinions are solicited. Yet, every single column he writes contains a vicious slam against the Bush administration, Republicans, or conservatives. And, oh yeah, he often writes dismissive, caustic columns ridiculing the notion that the media has a liberal bias, all from his position as the final arbiter of media opinion for the Pioneer Press. Talk about a conflict of interest.
I also notice Lambert just got a new picture taken for his column (you’ll have to pick up a copy of the paper to see it). Besides the fact he’s gained about 40 pounds since his last picture was taken, I noticed that he’s literally sneering in the picture. Caustically laughing it up about something he feels superior to. Not sure how the photographer was able to inspire that reaction. My guess is he asked Lambert to think about the Pioneer Press readership.
Getting back to the Nightline controversy and the question of whether their program Friday was an attempt to erode support for the war effort. I saw the eminent Middle East scholar Bernard Lewis interviewed on the Charlie Rose Show last Wednesday. He wasn’t addressing Nightline specifically, but he talked about how people in the Middle East misinterpret the culture of the United States, and that of an open, liberal democracy in general. Regarding the media portrayals emphasis on the deaths of our soldiers and the political opposition’s attacks on the Commander-in-Chief, they don’t shrug it off as a product of media bias and partisan political warfare. They take it at face value as the truth about the state of the country’s resolve. Observers in the Middle East see it as a sign of weakness for our leadership and more evidence of our lack of commitment to defeat the terrorists and Baathists in Iraq.
According to Lewis, two historical events are driving Iraqi opinion of America’s commitment to the cause. First, the 1991 Gulf war, where we encouraged a popular uprising, particularly among the Shiites, against Saddam Hussein. Then we pulled our own troops out within weeks of the war’s ending, leaving those who did take up arms to be slaughtered by the Baathist thugs. Those who would be naturally inclined to helping us now are hesitant to do so, because if we leave early again, they again would be subject to similar slaughter. Victor Davis Hanson expressed the same view on NRO this week:
Americans believe that freedom and consensual government — far from being the exclusive domain of the West — are ideals central to the human condition and the shared aspirations of all born into this world. That is the great hope we embrace now in Iraq, that as we rout those who advocate fundamentalism and intolerance, millions of others will gain confidence and join the struggle for democratic change. But until then, even as we speak, millions, sometimes in fear and silence, are watching our present efforts. They are uncertain of the outcome. They wait to pledge their allegiance to the victor, hoping, but not yet convinced, that we can defeat those who would impose tyranny and intolerance on any who would seek to reform and escape from their present misery.
The second historical event Lewis pointed to was Somalia. Whereas the 1991 Gulf War is a lesson for those who might support us, Somalia is the lesson for those who would oppose us. Simply stated, the lesson they took is: kill enough Americans, make it gruesome enough and get the right amount of publicity for it, and we’ll leave.
I’m certain this is how our pull out of Fallujah is being publicized in the fevered slums and rats nests our enemies inhabit throughout Iraq. It is giving them hope that their strategy is working and that the USA is returning to its recent risk averse habits.
Whether it was ABC News’s intent or not, the Nightline program on Friday night was exactly the type of publicity our opponents in Iraq want to see. By showing the war dead, out of context with the importance of the larger mission, you start to erode the country’s resolve. You also get guys like Brian Lambert starting to talk about showing the “cost of war”. Of course, his unsaid, yet obvious, conclusion is that this war costs too much. Rebuilding Iraq isn’t worth 700 American dead (and counting). The more Lambert and ABC News can say that to the American people, the more they can erode support for continuing this war.
I suspect their primary goal is more personal than that, specifically getting people to turn against President Bush in hopes of getting a Democrat elected as President. And if they succeed in that, I shudder to think what kind of message that will send to our potential supporters and certain opponents in Iraq. Electing as the Commander-in-Chief a man at the forefront of eroding the resolve of his countrymen during our last great national trial.
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