Article

2005-08-26 Iraq-Jordan

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Posted by Verlaine in Iraq 2005-08-26 02:04|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 One thing I don't think many common Iraqis think about is reconstruction should the insurgency win.
Unlikely, I grant you, but a good percentage of the country seems indiferent to who wins in the long run. Iran wants political hegemony and oil wealth from them, islamo-nuts want a wahabi state where you cant do anything but pray, and the criminals and sunnis want civil war and destruction in general. What if we did pull out tomorrow? They'd be screwed, for 10 years at least things would be so bad they would think back fondly to the occupation years. There would be no reconstruction money, no developement of any kind, everything in the country would fall into a state of disrepair and grind to a holt. So why do they want us to leave? Oh! they must mean leave, but keep the money coming.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2005-08-26 08:04|| 2005-08-26 08:04|| Front Page Top

#2 The comments here are about five times the content of the posted text. This posting is essentially not an article but rather a long comment by Verlain about nine scattered lines of text in the original article.

On the other hand, it's a big sin in the Rantburg rabble's eyes to post an article without a comment to show what the rabble what it should think about the article. This posting certainly does not commit that sin.
.

Posted by Mike Sylwester 2005-08-26 08:21|| 2005-08-26 08:21|| Front Page Top

#3 MS: On the other hand, it's a big sin in the Rantburg rabble's eyes to post an article without a comment to show what the rabble what it should think about the article.

Well - it's a big sin in the media's eyes to write a balanced news article without comment to show the rabble what it should think about the article. Verlaine is merely balancing this op-ed disguised as a news article.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-08-26 08:29|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-08-26 08:29|| Front Page Top

#4 Hey Mike, why don't you give the enemy some more aid and comfort by reproducing their unalterd propaganda in toto? I'm sure that'll do some good.

Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H. 2005-08-26 08:38|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2005-08-26 08:38|| Front Page Top

#5 Mikey's just jealous. Verlaine is there and knows what he's talking about. Mikey's here and has repeatedly demonstrated he doesn't.

What I haven't decided upon, quite yet, is exactly why Mikey bothers to merely post pointless whining. The only other time I've seen such thoroughly unrewarded, yet thoroughly determined, behavior was as a parent observing children who were so starved for attention that even negative attention sufficed. They just couldn't stand being ignored. A primary trait of the lifelong Red-headed Stepchild Syndrome.

Regards the topic, Verlaine nails it. In spades.

Posted by .com 2005-08-26 08:40|| 2005-08-26 08:40|| Front Page Top

#6 It's time for you to stop all yer sobbin' ... yes it's time for you to stop all yer sobbin' ... there one thing you gotta do ... MIKE ... to make the "rabble" still want you ... gotta stop sobbin now ... stop stop stop ... each pathetic tear ... that falls from yer eyes ...

Posted by MunkarKat 2005-08-26 09:31|| 2005-08-26 09:31|| Front Page Top

#7 Note that the AP writer's dateline is Cairo, and the reporter gives no indication that she's ever been within a country mile of Iraq. Further, one of her "sources" is Juan Cole -- no bias there- appearing on CNN. She didn't even talk to Cole directly, or, as far as the article discloses, any of the people discussed in the article.

This isn't reporting: it's a high school essay written the night before it was supposed to be turned in.

Posted by Rabble 2005-08-26 10:10|| 2005-08-26 10:10|| Front Page Top

#8 Mike, when you or I break out the highlighter, it's opinion.

Verlaine's there. When he breaks out the highlighter, it's Eyewitness News.

IMHO, of course.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-08-26 12:38|| 2005-08-26 12:38|| Front Page Top

#9 "Rantburg rabble"....Kiss off,asshole.

Posted by raptor 2005-08-26 13:46|| 2005-08-26 13:46|| Front Page Top

#10 If I pushed any RB etiquette envelopes, my apologies. I just had to tee off on this ridiculous article -- and as I said, it's a fairly good example of systematically distorted reportage on Iraq, so I wanted to make more general points about it.

I appreciate the support from several commenters, but want to emphasize two points: (1) I've got soft duty here, thanks to the thousands of US, Coalition, and (increasingly) Iraqi troops out doing the hard work - we all do our part but I'm not on the front lines here (2) my contentions about media distortion really don't depend on any direct knowledge I might have of the situation. Which only strengthens the point. Anyone with a clue knows that the constitution-writing process isn't expected to heal ethnic divisions in the short term, that former regime elements don't even comprehend the concept much less hold specific views about "legitimacy," etc. One doesn't have to be here to understand that -- heck, it should be obvious to someone even in, say, Cairo ...

To echo the excellent comments above, the piece I chose to highlight as an example of the preposterously awful "coverage" of Iraq was a high school paper done at the last minute, and is (laughably bad) opinion writing posing as journalism.

Walked past a wall commemorating fallen heroes of the 4th Bde, 3rd Infantry Division at their HQ today. Young faces on that wall. One died a week after his daughter was born. Let's make sure none died in vain.

Posted by Verlaine in Iraq 2005-08-26 14:02|| 2005-08-26 14:02|| Front Page Top

#11 It was a righteous and appropriate rant, Verlaine.

We buried a young 1Lt here yesterday, too, with grief and pride.

Posted by rkb 2005-08-26 14:08|| 2005-08-26 14:08|| Front Page Top

#12 I echo rkb: Verlaine, your post was fine (I edited to fix a few line breaks).

Mike: I don't see a problem here.

rkb: my deepest condolences. I'm sure the LT was a fine young man. My best wishes to his family and colleagues.

Posted by Steve White">Steve White 2005-08-26 14:41|| 2005-08-26 14:41|| Front Page Top

#13 Verlaine,

You're close enough to the front lines for me to respect you and your opinions. Because as far as I can tell anywhere in Iraq can become the front line in 2 seconds.

Sally Buzzbee is no high schooler. She is the AP's chief of Middle East News. "Buzbee is a native of Walla Walla, Wash. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and an MBA from Georgetown University. She has lived in Saudi Arabia and Tunisia."

One thing that grates on me is her use of the word Americans as though she's not one nor is she writing for them. They are simply one of the many interesting groups she, as an objective observer from an alien planet, reports about to her disinterested readers. The MSM is no longer an Ameican institution in any sense other than financial. That's why the only reporting being done in Iraq is by Michael Yon.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-08-26 15:25|| 2005-08-26 15:25|| Front Page Top

#14 Citizen of the World reporter.. (puke)

Posted by Shipman 2005-08-26 16:12|| 2005-08-26 16:12|| Front Page Top

#15 Yeah, Shipman. Kinda like me.

Posted by The Ghost of Walter Duranty 2005-08-26 16:16|| 2005-08-26 16:16|| Front Page Top

#16 ap: the essential global news network.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-08-26 16:25|| 2005-08-26 16:25|| Front Page Top

#17 rkb: my deepest condolences. I'm sure the LT was a fine young man.

She was a fine young woman, who served with pride and honor.

Posted by rkb 2005-08-26 22:21|| 2005-08-26 22:21|| Front Page Top

#18 a 1000 Verlaine's before a Sylwester, or even a Frank G, when it comes to word from Iraq.

Bravo Verlaine, keep it up

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-08-26 23:17|| 2005-08-26 23:17|| Front Page Top

00:03 Dave
23:55 .com
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23:22 Frank G
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22:55 Frank G
22:54 49 pan
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