Comments on: Kurd and Way http://donklephant.com/2005/12/02/kurd-and-way/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Callimachus http://donklephant.com/2005/12/02/kurd-and-way/comment-page-1/#comment-4334 Callimachus Sun, 04 Dec 2005 03:29:37 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=1478#comment-4334 Michael, I would say that, in the case of post-Saddam Iraq, any wide swath of "happy status quo" <i>is</i> an element of the bigger story. Since one measure of the success or failure of the U.S. is measured in stability and progress. Consumers of the news need to know enough to judge the progress, or lack of it, before they can make an informed decision about the entire project. Or ask questions like, why was the overthrow of Saddam a great thing for one part of the country, but the rest of it remains stuck? And what does that say about overall U.S. policies and objectives? I think it's a case of the media overlooking this leg of the story, and reporting Iraq 2005 like it's New York 1977. It's not. That's why I credited it to an institutional bias that, just coincidentally, underplays the part of the story that doesn't jibe with the Michael Moore version of events. Though, I have to tell you, working in a newsroom, sometimes it's a great effort of will on my part to keep believing it's unintentional. And anyway, having lived most of my life in or near cities, I can tell you the civic leaders in metropolises complain bitterly about the media coverage that makes their communities -- falsely -- look like cess pools of crime and vice and scares away tourists and suburbanites. Michael, I would say that, in the case of post-Saddam Iraq, any wide swath of “happy status quo” is an element of the bigger story. Since one measure of the success or failure of the U.S. is measured in stability and progress. Consumers of the news need to know enough to judge the progress, or lack of it, before they can make an informed decision about the entire project. Or ask questions like, why was the overthrow of Saddam a great thing for one part of the country, but the rest of it remains stuck? And what does that say about overall U.S. policies and objectives?

I think it’s a case of the media overlooking this leg of the story, and reporting Iraq 2005 like it’s New York 1977. It’s not. That’s why I credited it to an institutional bias that, just coincidentally, underplays the part of the story that doesn’t jibe with the Michael Moore version of events. Though, I have to tell you, working in a newsroom, sometimes it’s a great effort of will on my part to keep believing it’s unintentional.

And anyway, having lived most of my life in or near cities, I can tell you the civic leaders in metropolises complain bitterly about the media coverage that makes their communities — falsely — look like cess pools of crime and vice and scares away tourists and suburbanites.

]]> By: Fido http://donklephant.com/2005/12/02/kurd-and-way/comment-page-1/#comment-4328 Fido Sat, 03 Dec 2005 16:40:23 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=1478#comment-4328 Think about reading this (out this month), a work by Almighty God for the salvation of our nation’s souls: Our country’s falling into the Abyss of Misery faster than the Indy 500, faster than a fully-loaded-747. But, yet, our novel has a plethora of extremely helpful insights; engrossing wit, sardonic satire; and basically straight-forward-Jesus that’d make anyone realize this is only a test of our Finite Existence. We talk of a Heavenly Scent, an ardent desire with the whiff of a definite locale, while we bolster the Great Beyond with the passion of a magnanimous madman: Full of some gorgeous, panoramic, tall-true-tales that’ll make U.S. yearn and sigh for Heaven Above. A novel of short-stories, quotes, prayers, poetry, heartbreaking/hardcore hilarity, aggressive conundrums, and a collision substantial from a severely-head-injured-Catholic. At the risk of sounding too verbose, friend, far beyond any sinful mortal, I use the personal pronoun ‘WE’ because I didn’t write this. I only held the pen. Read our novel, America. Then, you’ll be able to see with enough vision to find your Way outta the stagnant hole mosta U.S. have dug ourselves into. What you’ll find in our wonderful, fruitFULL, dynamic novel is a treasure, unlike any other. If you decide to read this indelible script, here’s the next step: Get in touch with my CPA, Edward Foree, at 1-800-266-9111. MAY GOD BLESS YOU WITH DISCERNMENT! Long Live Christ the King! -Fido [FI = Latin prefix for ‘FAITHFUL’; DO = Japanese for ‘WAY’ or ‘PATH’] Think about reading this (out this month), a work by Almighty God for the salvation of our nation’s souls: Our country’s falling into the Abyss of Misery faster than the Indy 500, faster than a fully-loaded-747. But, yet, our novel has a plethora of extremely helpful insights; engrossing wit, sardonic satire; and basically straight-forward-Jesus that’d make anyone realize this is only a test of our Finite Existence.

We talk of a Heavenly Scent, an ardent desire with the whiff of a definite locale, while we bolster the Great Beyond with the passion of a magnanimous madman: Full of some gorgeous, panoramic, tall-true-tales that’ll make U.S. yearn and sigh for Heaven Above. A novel of short-stories, quotes, prayers, poetry, heartbreaking/hardcore hilarity, aggressive conundrums, and a collision substantial from a severely-head-injured-Catholic. At the risk of sounding too verbose, friend, far beyond any sinful mortal, I use the personal pronoun ‘WE’ because I didn’t write this. I only held the pen.

Read our novel, America. Then, you’ll be able to see with enough vision to find your Way outta the stagnant hole mosta U.S. have dug ourselves into. What you’ll find in our wonderful, fruitFULL, dynamic novel is a treasure, unlike any other. If you decide to read this indelible script, here’s the next step: Get in touch with my CPA, Edward Foree, at 1-800-266-9111.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU WITH DISCERNMENT!
Long Live Christ the King!

-Fido
[FI = Latin prefix for ‘FAITHFUL’;
DO = Japanese for ‘WAY’ or ‘PATH’]

]]> By: michael reynolds http://donklephant.com/2005/12/02/kurd-and-way/comment-page-1/#comment-4325 michael reynolds Sat, 03 Dec 2005 12:37:26 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=1478#comment-4325 The reporting is perfectly as-per-usual. Absolutely true that they don't run a lot of upbeat stories -- they never do. It isn't a 'since Vietnam" phenomenon, it's a "since forever" phenomenon. Of course they don't run a lot of "happy status quo" stories. They don't run those stories in any context. Is there a daily report in the NYT about all the perfectly nice, pleasant goings on in Brooklyn? No, there are reports of crime and corruption and tragedy. There's never a headline, "Everything Fine In Harlem." Those stories are in the Lifestyle section, or the Arts section, and foreign news almost never escapes the front page section. I doubt there's a single "Style" reporter in Iraq. If there were we might see more feature stories, but none of this is a conspiracy, or at all unusual. Consumers of news get this and make the appropriate adjustment. The reporting is perfectly as-per-usual. Absolutely true that they don’t run a lot of upbeat stories — they never do. It isn’t a ‘since Vietnam” phenomenon, it’s a “since forever” phenomenon.

Of course they don’t run a lot of “happy status quo” stories. They don’t run those stories in any context. Is there a daily report in the NYT about all the perfectly nice, pleasant goings on in Brooklyn? No, there are reports of crime and corruption and tragedy. There’s never a headline, “Everything Fine In Harlem.” Those stories are in the Lifestyle section, or the Arts section, and foreign news almost never escapes the front page section. I doubt there’s a single “Style” reporter in Iraq. If there were we might see more feature stories, but none of this is a conspiracy, or at all unusual.

Consumers of news get this and make the appropriate adjustment.

]]> By: lgude http://donklephant.com/2005/12/02/kurd-and-way/comment-page-1/#comment-4320 lgude Sat, 03 Dec 2005 03:02:40 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=1478#comment-4320 If it doesn't fit the Vietnam defeat meme it is excluded. I saw the American press change its orientation when Cronkite came out against the Vietnam war. Reinforced by Watergate the MSM has been in anti government mode ever since. It may not be entirely conscious, but a strong element is the post modern notion that control of the story controls the truth and it seems the MSM knows the truth and is just trying to make sure we do too. My policy toward the MSM is the same as when someone accuses me of calling them a liar. I say, "Only you know if you are a liar, I just know that I don't believe anything you say." If it doesn’t fit the Vietnam defeat meme it is excluded. I saw the American press change its orientation when Cronkite came out against the Vietnam war. Reinforced by Watergate the MSM has been in anti government mode ever since. It may not be entirely conscious, but a strong element is the post modern notion that control of the story controls the truth and it seems the MSM knows the truth and is just trying to make sure we do too. My policy toward the MSM is the same as when someone accuses me of calling them a liar. I say, “Only you know if you are a liar, I just know that I don’t believe anything you say.”

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