Comments for Weekend Reading

Weekend Reading

2008-04-19T16:23:09Z

Something old, something new... a few more bits.

Powerline points out someone who plays the double-standard card with more convincing detail than I've seen anywhere else. But whatever you do, don't call Obama "elitist," you racist.

The media reports from Basra at the end of March drove me absolutely nuts. They were contradictory, fragmentary and incomprehensible. At the time, I missed the explanation for that. It was a matter of geography. Once again, I shouldn't be surprised. *sigh*

We've already heard about a U.S. Navy Destroyer with a blogging XO, but did you know the Navy has an official policy of encouraging blogging? BZ, Navy!! Now if someone would just by the Air Force a clue...

The media does it again - outright lies. I don't see how it could be called anything else. As I said to an empty-headed fellow citizen who exclaimed to me with horror how she'd read on the front page of the NYT that an "entire Iraqi unit" deserted despite the Americans begging them to stay (of course she didn't know it was comprised of about 20 people, or that the thousands of earlier deserters had led to Iraq leadership being fired), our country is endangered by the lack of a competent, honest, accurate, professional media. God help us.

Nobody seemed to notice, but the long-awaited opening of Iraq's southern oil fields to outside investment began this week. Successful implementation will be the determining economic factor in Iraq's full recovery and reconstruction.

If you haven't read this from Michael Totten, you really should.

Comment from BillT on 2008-04-20

2008-04-20T10:36:39Z

On the other hand there's something impressive about reporters who may never have visited Basra — the country's second city and an hour's flight away — sounding authoritative about the place and its atmosphere... What's impressive to *me* is that nobody calls them on it. I could probably get a part time job with the NYT reporting on the action around Mosul -- as seen from Kirkuk...

Comment from Pat Patterson on 2008-04-19

2008-04-20T01:11:02Z

Shoot, sorry the double comment was my fault. I reached for the bottle opener and missed. A soda, honest! [Double comment? *What* double comment, Pat? We have the antidote to the Great Hall Echo. -- Bill]

Comment from Pat Patterson on 2008-04-19

2008-04-20T01:07:45Z

It's always interesting to go to the archives of the Washington and Richmond newspapers soon after the Battle of Bull Run. According to the Northern papers the US Army ran and Lincoln should sue for peace. While the Richmond papers hailed those steadfast boys of Dixie and implored the CSA to not negotiate until the Confederate flag flew on the border with Canada. The masthead motto, concerning military affairs, of modern newspapers should read something like, No incident too trivial for headlines and no opinion checked.

Comment from Maggie on 2008-04-19

2008-04-20T00:21:27Z

What can I say..... NAVY LEADS THE WAY! Some people reading the post might like a link to the "U.S. Navy Destroyer with a blogging XO". I am very partial to Shoes, especially those on TinCans.......my Dad was a TinCan Sailor.