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| Iraq |
| Todayâs Bleat |
| 2003-09-18 |
| James Lileks is on today: Letâs go back to the editorial page the day after the 1998 bombing. (Desert Fox) Lead edit. Title: âBOMBING SADDAM. Reason is clear; let attack be sustained.â The writer lays out the case: Saddam has not complied with his obligations; he threw away the last chance that President Clinton gave him in November; Tony Blair agrees. Said the editorial: âNeither will the attack be credible if it is limited to a few cruise missiles lobbed at Iraq. This must be the sustained, punishing effort that Clinton has promised.â The end result of which was five more years of Saddamâs rule. Interesting choice of words, that: âPunishing.â Saddam must be punished, then left in power. He must be hit with a credible attack, then left in power. The punishing, credible attack that leaves him in power must be sustained. And so forth. Iâve read enough editorials from various papers from this period to reinforce something Iâve long suspected: the reason many editorialists hate this war is because they donât feel itâs theirs. If Clinton had risen to the occasion, wiped out al-Qaeda, sent Marines to kick down the statues and put bullets in those filthy sonsâ brainpans, this would be the most noble effort of our time. We would hear clear echoes of JFKâs call to bear any burden. FDR, Truman, Marshall Plan, forbearance, patience - the editorial pages of the land would absolutely brim with encouragement and optimism every damn day, because the good fight was being waged, and the right people were waging it. Read the whole thing, but you knew that. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Taro: Based on past experience, and some comments he's made in previous Bleats, it seems that the Strib doesn't mind if Lileks publicly disagrees with the house editorial position. That's a good attitude for any newspaper to take with its op-ed writers--you get a better product that way. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-9-18 8:19:39 PM |
| #2 Since Lileks works for the Star Tribune (his "Backfence" column is often very entertaining, though extremely silly and devoid of any politics), I wonder if he'll ever get in troule for embarrasing his employers and co-workers with his forensic fisking. His website has got to be drawing attention with all the traffic he generates. The recent radio gigs too. |
| Posted by: Tokyo Taro 2003-9-18 7:40:12 PM |
| #1 Best. Bleat. Ever. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-9-18 3:57:58 PM |