June 3, 2006
Haditha
Michelle Malkin has a post about the reporting on the Haditha incident.
It's a must-read.
A reader of Michelle's site sent a letter to the UK Times, which makes some great points:
I read about your "mistake" on Michelle Malkin's website. Your photo shows bound and murdered people. The captions claims that the US Marines did the killing when those people were killed by the very terrorists that the US Marines are there fighting. While I would love to give you and the Times the benefit of the doubt (that it was a mistake), I can no longer do that. If it was a mistake at all, it was due to a willingness at least, and more likely an eagerness, to be used as a propaganda piece for the terrorists and to bash the US led war and pander to the anti-war crowd.Your "mistake" deserves front page coverage and all newspapers (especially those in the middle east) should be saturated with your apologies. Think about what your mistake does ---- creates anger, rage, and hatred (which is destructive enough in and of itself) that will probably be directed at those from the US (or West in general). Your story and photo and caption created a ripple that can and will destroy lives.
Too many mistakes and too much biased news --- you will be judged by your actions and will not be given the benefit of the doubt.
Sincerely, Gregory
And Mrs. Malkin links to a story of a massacre you will probably not hear about in the PC, anti-American media.
BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi police on Saturday found eight [dead] north of Baghdad with a note indicating at least one of the men were killed in retaliation for the slaying of four Shiite doctors, authorities said.Five of the slain men were security guards at a hospital complex in the capital who had been arrested by Iraqi police on Thursday, Lt. Col. Adil Al-Zihari of the Diyala police said.
I highly recommend you go look at the pictures and read the AP story -- you need to know what we are up against; or remind yourself -- but it is gruesome. It's like what happened in Germany...
Media and Blogging Posted by Cyrano at June 3, 2006 3:10 PM
Your reading list is considerably different from mine, Cyrano. I have to ask a question: "Do sites like LGF, Jihad Watch, Michelle Malkin, and their ilk not have a lot in common with our enemies' intolerance?"
I don't want to draw moral equivalence between a riot and an angry blog screed. That is a huge difference of which I am always cognizant. But, like CAIR, these people always seem to be trolling for things to get angry about, righteous indignation being the default setting for their blogs.
Yup, we are WAAAY more tolerant than our adversaries. I accept and applaud that. And there are very few posts that I individually do not agree with at most of those sites.
Yet a huge portion of the right wing blogosphere is consumed with this. Cui bono?
Posted by: jk at June 3, 2006 5:10 PMWell, since 9/11, there is a lot to be angry about. Anger is normal, natural, and valid -- when appropriate. And 9/11, 7/7, and Islamofascism are appropriate reasons.
What were the conservative blogs like before 9/11? What were other blogs like before then, for that matter?
Maybe it's not a "conservative blog" thing, but a cultural thing. Maybe for proper contrast we need to go back to the 50's or 20's, when people in general were more benevolent and had better manners.
But I'd say an unequivocable "no" to your first question. LGF, JW, and MM have good reason to be angry, as I said above. JW, as the name applies, was formed to inform us of global jihad. LGF and JW would both be glad to publicize and celebrate "moderate Islam" which denounced terrorism. But there are few takers, so they don't report on that much. MM is a hard-hitting columnist, yes, but don't let the cultural context throw you off her scent and call her an angry nut-case. Once upon a time, as I said, she would have been called a hard-hitting columnist.
If there is a blog that reports on modern beauty and rational achievement, PLEASE let me know. I don't know of such a place. (And regardless, it is still absolutely crucial to keep detailed track of Islamofascism. It would be irresponsible not to.)
Posted by: Cyrano at June 3, 2006 6:19 PM
Posted by: jk at June 3, 2006 8:31 PMLet's see...beauty and rational achievement...that would be ThreeSources! Rational and aesthetic folks who recognize the physical and philosophical dangers of the enemy we face without needing to be "whipped up" by the latest batch of anti-Americanism.
:)
Posted by: Cyrano at June 4, 2006 12:35 AMAnd I'd like to see more things like the movies "Executive Suite," "Meet John Doe," "Deadline U.S.A.," "Brigadoon," and "Holiday Inn." GREAT movies. Though, having some plot to them, and therefore a conflict, there is necessarily some "anger" evoked by the movies. But the conflict is a foil for the good; the movie does not focus on evil or psychosis, as so many modern movies do.
"Deadline U.S.A." is a good Bogart film, in which he plays a newspaper editor, having a few good lines like 'we will fight tyranny, whether local or international' and 'we will fight wrongs, whether by predatory wealth, or predatory poverty.' I recommend the movie. If only we had more people like that working on newspapers today!!!
Posted by: Cyrano at June 4, 2006 12:45 AM | What do you think? [5]