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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Intercooler
Published Letters: 307
The fact that those of us with half a brain already know (and have known) what Petraeus is going to read to Congress about The Great Progress in Iraq, the bigger message to draw from your article is even more disconcerting.
It's obvious The US Congress and Beltway Elite simply do not care what the US citizenry think, want, or demand. We sent them as clear a mandate as possible in November 2006 to end this war and fundamentally change our course, yet look what we've gotten as a result. Absolutely nothing. We are being ignored, brushed aside, and lied to with an audacity that this country has never before seen. Are we so lazy as a citizenry that we are going to roll over yet again on this? How many US deaths will it take? How many lies uncovered will stir action? How much more corruption, scandal, and stolen billions will it take before we drop the doughnuts from our mouths and get our asses off our couches? I don't know what's more disappointing--the enormous lack of leadership and poor judgment in our capital or our citizenry's inaction to it.
Glenn, the Time article is a perfect example of the overt, propagandistic, dis-informational non-journalism that has been foisted upon the general public with such consistent intensity for the past 7+ years. Are there any documentaries on the order of "Iraq for Sale" that document and investigate this phenomenon? This is such an insidious process that has far-reaching consequences, that it needs to be exposed in a detailed, rational manner fit for mass consumption so our citizenry can put into perspective the toll we're paying as a country and see how severely we're being misled. I hope that someone takes up this cause, because the reality of the damage it has caused this nation will make movies like "Farenheit 911" look like a comedy.
Glenn, I read Drezner's blog comments and tried to respond to them, but all I got was a '404 error' page when I submitted them. Apparently he has a "they're all against me" filter which blocks comments he won't like, so I'll post here what I had written to post on his blog:
You say, "I certainly have not discussed them at the same length as Greenwald, but I think that's a rather high bar for anyone to meet -- Greenwald's writing style seems to be, "why write ten words when writing a hundred words makes the point in a redundant manner?"
Translation: I can't refute his arguments because he includes so much supporting evidence, so I'll attack his style.
Nice. The only word I can think of which adequately describes your response is, "Lame."
You say, "After his latest column, however, I don't see the point of engaging with him anymore. If Greenwald is incapable of distinguishing between different streams of thought, if he is incapable of distinguishing positive analysis from normative advocacy, if he is incapable of doing anything other than indicting the "establishment" as an undifferentiated mass of lickspittle imperialists, then there's no point in debating him."
Translation: There's no way I can keep up with Greenwald's argumentation, so I'll smear his posts and group them all into a neat, albeit ad hominem single exaggeration so as to justify why I won't engage with him further.
Instead of reducing your own spittle to just smearing Greenwald's style and the substance of his posts, be a better journalist, blogger, media elitist, or whatever you are and actually make some counter arguments that actually hold water. That's what would be impressive.
I won't, needless to say, be holding my breath.
I've always enjoyed Williams' professional presentation style, but have always wondered why he doesn't do any more to get past the fog of the faux news that gets endlessly parroted while those who rape and pillage the country and the Constitution continue to do so unabated.
I guess now I understand that just a little bit better. Amazing how intelligence and common sense can be so professionally faked.
His comments regarding the excellent op-ed by Elizabeth Edwards were quite shocking, and told me everything I need to know about him. No more Nightly News for me....
I am so grateful there is someone out there who is willing to do their job as a journalist. I cannot think of anyone right now currently employed in your field who is as good as you. Keep up the excellent work. We are behind you.
Glenn, this whole military analyst scandal makes me wonder about 2 more subjects which are ripe for some in-depth investigation by you and others who are true to their craft:
1) When is an investigation/expose going to be done regarding why our Congress refuses to act against the plethora of crimes that have been perpetrated by this administration? I don't need to delve into the list, all of us here know it almost by heart. But what is really going on here? It's not as if this Congress is actually being productive at anything else--I view it as a fundamental dereliction of their duty that they have not pursued these crimes to the fullest extent. Shouldn't there be an in-depth investigation into why they've not taken any action? We spent $100,000,000 chasing down a blue dress and a blow job, but these unbelievable crimes which have cost so much more in blood and treasure are not worth pursuing? Something is very wrong with this picture.
2) 5+ years and we still haven't managed to find a way to put metering devices on Iraqi oil wells? This goes all the way back to when Michael Moore discussed this in his movie Farenheit 911. Surely there is a trail to be followed here, complete with embezzlement and thievery that must be into the billions of dollars by now....
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
